Peak condition

John RADOVICH fords Big Tujunga Creek at the base of Mt. Lukens, knee-deep in the churning daiquiri mix studded with slimy rocks.

“I’ve changed clothes three times, and we haven’t even started climbing yet,” he says after crossing the frosty stream. He sits down to dry feet that are chilled to a bright pink, then tucks them into thick socks and a pair of well-worn 8-year-old Hi-Tecs. Over the span of 10 minutes and a measly quarter-mile, he already has removed his boots, strapped on a pair of Teva sandals, changed back to his boots and shed his gray long-sleeved shirt in favor of an orange T-shirt.

On this late-May hike, Radovich, 52, a tall, fit boat carpenter who works for the Los Angeles Harbor Department, resumes the slog to the 5,074-foot summit of Lukens. But his sights are set on a peak almost three times as high and about 200 miles to the north, a monster that makes you push yourself “until it feels like your muscles are on fire and you’re going to puke,” according to one hiking pro. Radovich is training for Mt. Whitney.

For him, the Stone Canyon Trail up Lukens is an excellent Whitney primer, an ankle-challenging rocky route that narrows to a steep path overlooking Big Tujunga Canyon. And though it’s low by Whitney standards, Radovich will ascend 3,000 feet over 4 1/2 miles by the time he reaches the highest point in the city of Los Angeles, a punishing course that builds muscle and endurance for the big hike to come. For now, he and three buddies concentrate on the wildflowers and poison oak choking the trail rather than the relentless steepness of the mountain mercifully obscured by deep mist.

At this time of year, Whitney’s appeal as a nontechnical, high-elevation mountain turns Southern California trails into prime training turf. Though the upper reaches of the 14,497-foot peak above Lone Pine in the Eastern Sierra are still snow-clogged from winter’s big blast, hikers and backpackers aiming for late-summer ascents are swarming local mountains to condition their bodies -- and minds -- for the highest peak in the Lower 48.

Those who decide to backpack to the summit will spend the first day gaining about 3,700 feet in elevation before stopping at Trail Camp, a treeless, boulder-strewn flat point that sits a mere couple thousand feet below the top. On the second day, they’ll trudge up the 90-plus switchbacks to Trail Crest -- the first glimpse into the heart of the Sierra at 13,000 feet -- and straggle the last mile and a half to the rocky summit. Others will do it all in one day: a 22-mile hike-a-thon with more than 6,100 feet of gain.

Before his first-time face-off with Whitney on Sept. 21, Radovich will boost his endurance by working out in the gym and walking to build up his mileage. His friends will log about 12 miles a week, hiking trails in the South Bay and Griffith Park. On weekends, the group will hike up progressively steeper and more challenging local peaks, saving the toughest ones above 9,000 feet for the weeks closest to the trip -- high peaks that will help them acclimatize to Whitney’s thin air.

On each hike, the group also will increase the weight they carry in their backpacks to the 45 pounds they’ll tote up the main Whitney Trail to camp overnight. With their wilderness permits secured -- 60 permits a day are handed out for overnight stays, 100 for day hikers -- and gear assembled, Radovich and the others are concentrating on intense physical conditioning, which separates successful summitters from the what-was-I-thinking crowd.

Bill Kirk, a five-time Whitney summitter who already snow-camped on the mountain earlier this year, recommends a 45-minute exercise regimen four to five times a week over several months, leading up to a couple of 16-mile day hikes at elevations higher than 4,500 feet shortly before attempting Whitney.

Mountaineering expert Greg Patrick, who gave a recent Mt. Whitney clinic at REI Redondo Beach, emphasizes the need to train, train, train.

“You need to push yourself until you’re in ‘the zone,’ where you can’t sing, your lungs are exploding, then stop, wait five or 10 minutes, and work up to longer intervals,” Patrick told a group of 30 hikers. “Push yourself hard over short intervals.”

He added that the harder hikers train mentally and physically before the trek, especially if they’re not already fit, the better they’ll do on the real deal. “The question is whether you want to suffer a little during training, or a lot the day of the climb,” he says.

Despite the rigorous training schedule, Catherine Whittington, 61, a soft-spoken escrow company assistant, had no problem persuading Radovich and Sierra Club hike leader George Denny to accompany her up Whitney this year. She met them and fellow hiker Barbara Brown last year at a wilderness skills course sponsored by the local chapter of the club. Whittington took Denny’s navigation class, and the pair found that compasses and topographical maps weren’t their only reasons to show up each week.

“Our first date was a hike,” Whittington says, “and we’ve been hiking together ever since.”

The four don’t shy away from difficult hikes, and all have been training for the Big One off and on since early this year. Though they’ve experienced their share of aching legs and bursting lungs climbing Mt. Wilson and other local peaks, the group favors spreading their training hikes over a long period as a way of gradually building strength. “It’s better to regulate your training, hiking regularly during the year, increasing the weight you carry as you get closer to the trip,” says Denny, 63, a five-time Whitney veteran.

Despite complaints about asthma and sore quadriceps, Brown takes an early lead, outpacing her companions by about 100 feet. The special-education teacher will summit Whitney for the fifth time in August as part of a 211-mile trek on the John Muir Trail. An avowed ultralight backpacker, Brown, 46, carries her share of weight up Lukens with essentials such as a flashlight, matches, mirror and rope, plus layers of clothing, lunch and a change of shoes.

Denny and Whittington carry a movable feast of turkey, cheese, vegetables, pita bread, trail snacks, water and other items merely to increase their packs’ weight -- Whittington hauls 20 pounds this day -- and give their backs a sample of what’s to come in September. Radovich, who claims he never backpacks with fewer than 40 pounds, travels light, nibbling on beef jerky and carrying water and a change of clothes. Some use hiking poles to reduce the wear-and-tear on their knees and help boost endurance, an assist recommended by hiking pros.

Denny eventually takes over as frontman, encouraging two of his mates to bravely sample some yucca-tree blossoms. Halfway up the mountain, the steep terrain delivers a gut-punch, and he relinquishes the lead to Radovich.

“I get to the point when I’m gasping and have to stop,” says Denny. The rest of the group happily take a five-minute rest, the longest trail break of the day.

The group’s frequent encounters with foxtails and nettles leave a relief-map of dermatological woes on exposed skin. But on Whitney, the real danger goes way beyond the greenery. Altitude sickness caused by thin air that robs hikers of oxygen is a big impediment to getting to the top, Patrick said.

“It’s the major reason people fail to summit,” Patrick said, adding that severe cases can be life-threatening. Symptoms include breathing difficulties, headache, weakness, nausea and vomiting, brought on by exhaustion and dehydration. About 40% of climbers, particularly those who fail to properly acclimatize, exhibit severe symptoms, mountaineering experts say. The worst cases must be taken to a lower elevation immediately.

To avoid that nightmare, Whittington started her acclimatization process by recently climbing Mt. Baden-Powell, at nearly 10,000 feet, and she, Denny and Radovich will summit at least one of the high-elevation local peaks in July and August. In addition to acclimatizing, Brown says she will take a prescription medication called Diamox that eases high-altitude symptoms on the day she summits Whitney.

A good night’s sleep before the hike and drinking adequate amounts of water on the way up help offset altitude sickness, Patrick said.

Most important, though, hikers should take one to three days to acclimatize to the high altitude, spending at least one day above 10,000 feet before attempting the summit. Experts also strongly encourage hikers to climb one or more of the tallest Southern California peaks -- such as Mt. Baldy in the San Gabriels and San Gorgonio in the San Bernardinos -- a week before tackling Whitney.

“You always can spot the climbers who don’t acclimatize,” said Niles Sorenson, a Yorba Linda orthodontist and veteran hiker. “They think they’ll do as well on Whitney as they do in the hills of Arcadia. They couldn’t be more wrong.”

Enduring months of conditioning on hot, mosquito-infested mountains; trying to avoid altitude sickness, and coming home with blisters and sore calves raise the question: Why bother?

“Whitney is good training for Mt. Kilimanjaro,” says Radovich, who plans to tackle the 19,340-foot Tanzanian peak next summer. Whittington waxes a bit more philosophical: “I think of Whitney as looking fear in the face and doing it anyway.”

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TIPS

Get ready, get set. Then go.

Whether you are hiking up Mt. Whitney in a day or staying overnight, do your homework.

Walk at least 20 miles per week.

Work your way up to some of Southern California’s tallest peaks to improve conditioning. (See chart at left.)

Acclimatize to altitude by climbing a peak of 10,000 feet or more a week before you head up Whitney.

Get a permit. Though the lottery for a $15 wilderness permit to day hike or backpack started Feb. 1, there are still some dates available this season. Go to www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/index.shtml.

Attend a Mt. Whitney training clinic at an outdoor store such as REI or Adventure 16.

Don’t leave home without proper gear, clothing and food, including these essentials:

Topographic map and compass

Flashlight with spare batteries

Two quarts of water (and replenish by purifying water along the way)

First aid kit: supplies for blisters and minor injuries, ibuprofen

Footwear: heavy-duty, waterproof mountaineering boots; thin boot liners and wool socks

Layered clothing: shorts, midweight long underwear, short- and long-sleeved shirts, lightweight pants, fleece or windbreaker, parka with hood or down jacket for overnight stays, hat with a brim

Food: 8 ounces of protein and 8 ounces of carbohydrates a day, fruit and plenty of snacks

DEET mosquito repellent

UV-blocking sunglasses

Waterproof matches

Sunscreen

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SNAPSHOT

It’s high time

Here are some tough Southern California peaks to tackle before heading up Mt. Whitney. The steeper the trail, the better the conditioning -- and peaks above 10,000 feet help hikers acclimatize to the thin air at 14,497 feet. Elevation gains on some of these hikes vary depending on the starting point.

Mt. Lukens

Summit: 5,074 ft.

Elevation gain: 2,800 to 3,200 ft.

Mt. Wilson

Summit: 5,710 ft.

Elevation gain: 4,500 ft.

Mt. Baden-Powell

Summit: 9,399 ft.

Elevation gain: 2,800 to 3,300 ft.

Mt. Baldy

Summit: 10,064 ft.

Elevation gain:

3,800 to 6,000 ft.

Mt. San Gorgonio

Summit: 11,499 ft.

Elevation gain: 5,700 ft.

Mt. Whitney

Summit: 14,497 ft.

Elevation gain: 6,100 ft.

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Sources: “Trails of the Angeles” by John W. Robinson; “101 Hikes in Southern California” by Jerry Schad

Diane Wedner can be reached at diane.wedner@latimes.com.