The Whitney Classic is an endurance

mountain bike race Mountain bike racing (shortened MTB or ATB racing) is the competitive cycle sport discipline of mountain biking held on off-road terrain. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) recognised the discipline relatively late in 1990, when it sanctioned ...

that is held in late September or October every year. The ride runs from the

Badwater Basin Badwater Basin is an endorheic basin in Death Valley National Park, Death Valley, Inyo County, California, noted as the lowest point in North America and the United States, with a depth of below sea level. Mount Whitney, the highest poi ...

Death Valley Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. During summer, it is the Highest temperature recorded on Earth, hottest place on Earth. Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the ...

Whitney Portal Whitney Portal (formerly, Hunter Flat and Hunters Camp) is the end of the Whitney Portal road in Inyo County, California, west of Lone Pine at an elevation of . Whitney Portal is the gateway to Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous ...

. Badwater, at below sea level, is the lowest place in the North America and Whitney Portal at is the trailhead that leads to Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States with an elevation of .

The ride

The ride is long with an elevation gain of . There are three major hills: Townes Pass, climbing up from Stovepipe Wells; Hillcrest, climbing from Panamint Springs; and the Whitney Portal Road, which leaves the town of

Lone Pine, California Lone Pine is a census-designated place (CDP) in Inyo County, California, United States. Lone Pine is located south-southeast of Independence, at an elevation of . The population was 2,035 at the 2010 census, up from 1,655 at the 2000 census. T ...

to climb to the Portal. # Townes Pass is long with an elevation gain of more than ; # Hillcrest is long, with an elevation gain of slightly more than ; and # The Whitney Portal road gains close to in . In addition to long distances and elevation, the temperature can play a major factor. At the start in Badwater, temperatures can routinely be as high as degrees, but the temperature quickly drops at higher altitudes. Below freezing temperatures can be encountered near the Portal at night, making temperature swings of over degrees possible in a single day. The ride is a small event, with an average number of riders in the 50s. Riders may ride as individuals or as a team. Due to the heat, the cold, the length, the hills, the dark, and a number of other factors, it is not unusual for 25-50% of the participants not to finish.

History

The Whitney Classic started in 1981 as a fundraiser for Summit Adventure, a non-profit wilderness ministry in

Bass Lake, California Bass Lake is a census-designated place in Madera County, California, United States. It is located southeast of Yosemite Forks, at an elevation of . The population was 575 at the 2020 census. Bass Lake is situated in the Sierra National Forest ...

, and still serves as a major fundraiser for the organization. There are multiple races and runs that travel the same course, including the Badwater Ultramarathon, held in July every year. The ride was originally conceived as a Badwater to the summit of Whitney bike-hike event, making it the lowest to highest. In later years, as the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...

required summit permits to climb Mt. Whitney, the official course was shortened to end at Whitney Portal. Forest Service regulations do not allow competitive events in the

John Muir Wilderness The John Muir Wilderness is a wilderness area that extends along the crest of the Sierra Nevada of California for , in the Inyo and Sierra National Forests. Established in 1964 by the Wilderness Act and named for naturalist John Muir, it encompa ...

, however, many riders choose to continue tradition and complete the ascent to Mount Whitney's summit on their own.

References

{{Reflist

External links

The Official Whitney Classic Page

Ride Reports

Photos