Diego, there are a number of groups that organize hikes up the Six-Pack of Peaks. Under current guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) most group hikes have been cancelled until the pandemic crisis passes. Hiking is still possible, when practicing responsible social distancing, but only solo hiking or hiking with others from your household. Hiking with friends is okay, but you need to maintain a minimum of six feet of distance (i.e. no carpooling to the trailhead). With all that in mind, if you’re not comfortable hiking these alone, I would hold off on planning them for the time being. When the COVID-19 threat has passed, here are a few hiking groups you can connect with: https://sixpackofpeaks.com/hiking-groups-clubs/

We have two 4-year old twins who completed the challenge, but they are the exception: https://www.instagram.com/super_hiking_twins/

Personally, I wouldn’t have taken my young kids on the original Six-Pack of Peaks hikes. I’d wait until middle school age. But each family and each child is unique. Are they into it? Are they active? Maybe it’s for them!

David, yes — we have announced the alternate peaks here on our sister site, Social Hiker.

Hi Ashley! Yes, we’ve had several people complete the challenge in six consecutive days. And we’ve had two people complete all six within 48 hours.

Personally, I’ve completed peaks 1-3 in three days, and peaks 4-6 in three days (but with several weeks break between). It can be done, although I wouldn’t even attempt it when the trails have snow and ice.

Hi Christina,

I saw your comment about the Six-Pack of Peaks and just wanted to let you know that we hear you. There are plenty of ways for you and others to be part of the community without signing up — such using and following social posts with the hashtag #sixpackofpeaks, and joining in the SoCal Hikers Facebook group.

The challenge is not about profit. It’s about getting people excited about getting outdoors, going to places they might not have otherwise gone, and giving back. To date, we’ve raised nearly $80,000 for Big City Mountaineers and The Heroes Project.

BCM gives under-served youth an opportunity to experience life-changing wilderness adventures — usually for the first time. And The Heroes Project works with combat veterans who have lost one or both legs, helping them change their perception of what is possible by training with them and supporting climbs up some of the tallest peaks in the world.

Both of these non-profits are great organizations that do wonderful work — and both are tied to the outdoors.

As you noted in your comment, nobody has to pay for the challenge if they want to hike the peaks, and statistically, many more hike them without registering. Not everybody can afford it, and of those that can, not everybody wants to. That’s perfectly okay with us.

We don’t want to exclude anyone who wants to enjoy the outdoors, which is why our forums and FB group are open for anyone to join for free.

Feel free to reach out to me anytime, but until then,

Happy Trails!

Thanks, Gerhard! Good tips. I will update both of those guides accordingly. It’s worth noting that the self-serve permits only applies to day hikes. Overnight trips are still subject to quotas and require a permit application.

If you’ve already done some of the peaks in 2017, they will count. You’ll still need to log them, but they absolutely count. If they were before 2017, sadly, they do not count.

Anyone who knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanks!!

Many thanks for the valuable information on your blog!

Also, I am not familiar with these mountains. I assume you end the challenge in late Oct due to weather in Nov, Dec, etc. Is that correct? Or…are these mountains hike-able late in the year? Thanks.

Welcome to SoCalHiker! To get right to your question, YES there will be a 2016 Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge. Registration will open in December — so stay tuned!

My name is Philip Yoho (Phil). I have just recently taken up hiking as a method of physical conditioning. I am no stranger to exercise. I work out at least 6 days a week (cardio, strength and endurance training). I am a Marine veteran of 20 years so hiking (or as we say humping) is not stranger to me. Hiking at elevation, however, is! I have recently been training to hike the San Jacinto Peak on the Marion trail. We (about twelve of us) are hiking that trail on October 11. In preparation I have done my normal workout routines (which are very strenuous) and have included hiking Potato Chip Rock (twice) and several other 8 to 10 mile hikes locally, None of which have the elevation change that San Jacinto offers. I am hiking the Devils Slide trail this Friday in preparation for the elevation changes. I am really excited about doing the six pack of peaks; however, I know I cannot complete this by the end of this month. So, my question is, will there be a Six Pack of Peaks challenge for 2016? Thank you for the challenges and for your response.

Phil

Having said that, I’ve also done both San Jacinto and San Gorgonio as overnight trips. This can be a nice option and let’s you spread the milage over a couple days. The trick here is that you’re carrying more weight and you have to consider what you’ll do about water — especially in this dry year.

If you look at each of the detailed hike guides, you’ll get a sense of how long it took from the photos. Usually the first photos on the trail are before or soon after sunrise, and the last ones are often at dusk.

One piece of advice: Know your average pace and you’ll be able to estimate how many hours of hiking you’ll do. Then have a cut-off time that’s roughly half of that. If you don’t make the summit by the cut-off, turn around and head back down. The mountain will be there tomorrow.

As Ed Viesturs says, “Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.”

Gabe – When it comes to heat, use common sense. On the Six-Pack, I always try to start as early as possible — usually around 7am. The altitude on these mountains is high enough that the heat isn’t usually a big problem — except for the climb up.

Red,

Welcome to Southern California! As you’re discovering, there’s a wealth of great hiking trails across a very diverse eco-system.

The Six-Pack of Peaks are spread over a big area. While there might be a way to string them together, it would probably take a couple weeks to hike due to the distances.

If you’re looking for a strenuous multi-day trek, I suggest the Trans-Catalina Trail or section hikes on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Caleb, all mileage is total (round-trip). Because… that’s how I do it. 🙂

As for the Six-Pack, Mt Wilson is usually hike-able year round, although when a cold snap comes in and snow is dumped, the snow level can drop below 5,000 feet.

The other peaks often have lots of snow. Even so, if you’re prepared for it, a lot of people do Baldy and San Jacinto in the winter and it can be quite beautiful in the snow. I would only recommend it if you’re confident, equipped for it, and have someone experienced to lead the way (navigation in snow gets dicey).

The TCT on the other hand would be AWESOME to do in February. There’s always the chance of rain and it will get chilly, but it’s a beautiful trail worth hiking. And that time of year, the hills will be green and the wildflowers might even be starting to bloom.

If you have more questions, post them in the forums here (link in the menu bar).

Happy trails!

Thanks Jeff! That sounds like great advise. I’ll keep you updated on my progress.

Robert, I just turned 50 last month, so I know how it feels! It’s great that you’re taking hour long walks with your dog. That’s a great place to start, and you’ve got a built in hiking buddy.

The key to building up to something like Whitney is consistency over time. The hour-long dog walks are great for weekdays, but you’ll want to start doing a longer hike on the weekends. I would suggest checking out some of the local hiking clubs (Meetup.com is a great resource). These are great not only for finding longer, more challenging trails in your area, but it’s usually more fun to hike with others.

The Six-Pack of Peaks is what I would prescribe when training for Whitney, but you’ll need to do much more than just six hikes. When I was training for the JMT, I hiked three times a week: a six mile hilly hike on Monday nights, a 4.6 mile hilly hike on Wednesday night, and a long hike on Saturday. This gives your legs a chance to recover in between, and ultimately conditions you for the elevation gain and altitude you’ll experience on Whitney.

Of course, I’m no doctor, so you’ve got to do the smart thing and check with your doc beforehand. Let them know what you’d like to do and your plan to work up to it, and make sure that knee or other problems won’t get in the way. My training plan was six months, but your mileage may (literally) vary.

One thing I will recommend that will help save your joints is a good pair of trekking poles. Just be sure to learn how to use them properly. You can check out my trekking pole advice with videos on proper form under the gear section here on SoCal Hiker.

Good luck, and let me know how it goes!

I meant Whitney. Mt Whitney is my goal. Where do I start?

Thanks, Tim. I checked out your site. I was in Vegas late last summer and did some short hikes in the Red Rock area. Next time I visit, I’ll lookup your trail reports and find some more serious hikes to tackle.