I took the "shorter" route when I went a few years ago.

"There are other routes ... that lead to Mt. Whitney. They begin at less heavily-used trailheads, but require a much longer hike to reach the summit. The High Sierra Trail leaves from Giant Forest on the west side of Sequoia National Park, and is about 60 miles (100 km) one-way. It takes a minimum of 6 days (one way) or 10 days (round trip) to complete."

Met people on the trail who did that. Not for me.

nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/whi