U.S. warns hikers against maneuver

OFFICIALS with the U.S. Forest Service are warning Mt. Whitney hikers about glissading down ice chutes after an El Cerrito man died attempting the risky maneuver this month.

Friends describe Stephen Tom, 45, as a cautious climber, but he was killed when he and another hiker slid down a chute to save time descending a 13,777-foot crest and arduous switchbacks.

Glissading is a technique experienced hikers use to descend steep slopes by using crampons, ice axes or walking sticks to control their slide.

While hiking to the summit, Tom decided conditions were too dangerous and turned back, says Inyo National Forest spokeswoman Nancy Upham. He hit a patch of ice, became airborne and struck a boulder as he was glissading to a base camp, Upham says.

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Hugo Martin