Dave Cohen and guide Deb Leyh adjust their climbing harnesses. The climbing route goes up the right side of the mountain above the notch. Our first major challenge was the Ebersbacher Ledges — a series of nar- row, slippery granite ledges featuring a horrifying 100-foot drop a mere 12 inches from the cliff wall. This was a definite challenge since we both have a significant fear of heights. Nevertheless, by hugging the sheer granite to our left and studiously avoiding looking down, we made it across safely. We made good time along the breathtakingly beautiful route and made our camp at 11,300 feet. Eventually, we reached the "Notch:' where we took a brief cold and windy break. The final 400 feet to the summit was nothing short of terrifying. We had no idea that it would involve literally climbing up a towering vertical cliff. The exposure was fearsome for a couple of city boys, so we were very thankful to be on a belay line. We followed Deb's instructions to the letter and again carefully avoided looking down. Looking Up Deb laid out the plan: early dinner, early to bed, summit bid to begin by 4:45 a.m. Trying to fall asleep at 6:30 p.m. in a tent on a rock is not easy; it turned into a very long night with only little bits of fitful sleep. True to her word, Deb had us head- ing up before dawn by headlamps. As first light appeared, we were making our way through the massive boulder field of the upper canyon and soon were staring at the extremely imposing east face of Mt. Whitney. Reaching the summit seemed like an impossible task. We took a break by Iceberg Lake at 12,200 feet, donned harnesses and helmets and headed up the "Chute None of the pictures or descriptions we had read did justice to the hard work that is required to slog one's way up through the quicksand-like scree (loose rocks). With each step, we seemed to slide back a foot or so — lots of work, but little forward progress. For the tra- verses across the granite, we were very careful to test each step before bearing full weight for fear of slipping and tak- ing a hard fall. At The Summit Soon we were on top, where we signed the summit register and took the requisite pictures. Deb had us on a strict schedule, so after 17 minutes on the summit it was time for the down-climb. We went very slowly and ultimately made it back to our camp completely exhausted, exactly 12 hours after we left. The next morning, we hiked out. It was a strenuous descent so we were extremely happy to return to the trail- head in one piece. We were thrilled to make it to the summit and successful- ly complete the adventure of a lifetime. We had three goals for this trip: 1) come home intact, 2) bag the peak, and 3) have fun. We can say with great satisfaction that we accomplished all three. This mountain and this route are serious business and not to be trifled with. Nevertheless, it was an awesome trip. It is in the books and our names are in the register for eternity. Jeff and I are almost certain we are not doing anything like this again. Still, never say never ... Take advantage of low prices on GRANITE °140 FLOORS 411 ■ 101•%4100%.0.16•401/11 "- 41P114411.114 ■ 111.14410111•144011111"- and 416•411/11ftettlW INTERIORS HARDWOOD REFINISHING LAMINATE MARBLE/GRANITE VINYL 3021 ORCHARD LAKE ROAD KEEGO HARBOR, MICHIGAN 48320 248.681.6460 WVVW.HARBORFLOORS.COM CARPET CERAMIC CORK AREA RUGS ❑ Jeff Wilner co-authored this story. Photos: http://bit.ly/9Cla07 (case-sensitive) Video: http://bit.ly/9N511C (case-sensitive) E-mail: djco@comcast.net; JeftWilner@gmail.com HOURS: M-F 8 AM - 6 PM, SAT. 9 AM - 5 PM OR CALL TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971 1575730 March 11 - 2010 27