I am excited to be planning to hike Mt. Whitney this August! Mt. Whitney is the highest peak in the contiguous 48 states, reaching 14,505 feet elevation, and is a major "bucket list" item for many hikers. I am so lucky to get a chance to climb this peak: One of my friends from college drew a permit and invited me to join her group. How to prepare for this adventure? The two biggest challenges I see a major need to train for are 1) the time on my feet (12-14 hours hiking is a long time!) and 2) to be walking on an unstable surface for that length of time/distance.