Mount Whitney hiker dies after falling off 99 Switchbacks

"A hiker died on Mount Whitney last weekend, falling off a cliff on a steep part of the trail, Inyo County Search & Rescue said. The fall was reported on the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 25, on the 99 Switchbacks portion of the main trail up the 14,505-foot Eastern Sierra peak. High winds prevented a helicopter team's recovery of the body until Monday, the search team said."

"The 99 Switchbacks segment gains 1,500 feet of elevation in about 2 miles, ending at the 13,650-foot Trail Crest. In optimal midsummer conditions, the main Whitney Trail does not require specialized equipment or mountaineering skills, but the switchbacks are already especially icy and slippery, the search team's report said. At least six people have died on Whitney in the past two years, most of them on the Mountaineer's Route a shorter but steeper alternative to the main trail that involves scrambling on rocks."

"The most recent reported was Harris Levinson, a 61-year-old solo backpacker who went missing in June and was found to have suffered a fatal injury in a fall. Also in June, a 14-year-old Santa Clarita boy suffered severe injuries when he began hallucinating and walked off a ledge while descending Mount Whitney. Zane Wach and his father had ascended the peak by the Mountaineer's Route but were reportedly coming down via the trail."

A hiker fell off a cliff on the steep 99 Switchbacks of Mount Whitney on the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 25, and died. High winds prevented a helicopter recovery of the body until Monday. The hiker's identity has not been publicly released, though a source said he was from Chula Vista. The 99 Switchbacks gains 1,500 feet over about 2 miles and reaches Trail Crest at 13,650 feet. The switchbacks are icy and slippery this season, increasing hazard. At least six people have died on Whitney in the past two years, most on the Mountaineer's Route, a steeper scramble.

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