Читать книгу The John Muir Trail. Through the Californian Sierra Nevada онлайн

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There is little in the way of exposure along the entire length of the JMT, no scrambling is involved and no particular head for heights is required. The only exception is perhaps on the descent from the Forester Pass, but most mountain walkers would hardly give even this a second thought. The ascent of Half Dome, which is not part of the JMT, is a rather different matter. The climb to the top of the mountain is over very steep and polished granite, but the route is well protected and those with some scrambling ability in the mountains should again have no worries. Navigation along the Trail is relatively straightforward, and users of this guidebook who also carry the recommended maps for the JMT should experience few route-finding problems. The Trail is well waymarked on the ground. Note that the above analysis, of course, applies only to good summer conditions; snowedand iced-up passes and rivers in spate would be altogether far more difficult and dangerous.

The Route

While the official Trail runs for 216 miles, the fact that it terminates on the top of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the 48 contiguous States of the US, means that the route is, in reality, somewhat longer, as walkers must descend and return to civilisation. There is a good continuing trail from Mount Whitney down to the roadhead at Whitney Portal to the east, and this is the one usually used to finish the JMT.