So you want to climb Mt Rainier.

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So you want to climb Mt Rainier.

Page Type: Article

Activities: Mountaineering

Page By: ExcitibleBoy

Created/Edited: Apr 19, 2009 / Apr 27, 2009

Object ID: 507227

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Page Score: 90% - 37 Votes

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Table of Contents

So you want to climb Mt Rainier.

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So you want to climb Mt Rainier.

There are a few things you should know. Here are some tips I have gleaned from two decades and dozens of climbs on ‘The Mountain’.

What to know
Mt Rainier is a heavily glaciated mountain and anyone attempting to climb it should have some basic skills. In addition to the mountain traveler's knowledge of weather, route finding, winter camping, etc. one should be proficient in the following techniques for safe glacier travel:

Traversing Gib Ledges

Ice axe use (arrest, self belay, etc)
Belaying techniques on snow and ice (boot axe, sitting hip, ice screw, etc)
Use of crampons
Roped travel
Ascending a rope with prussiks/mechanical ascenders
Setting snow and ice anchors (ice screws, pickets, bollards, dead men, flukes)
Build a z hauling system (ZxC if in a two person party)
Hazard recognition (seracs, rock fall, crevasses)

If you are not absolutely proficient in these techniques, you must learn them from a qualified instructor prior to a summit attempt. An excellent primer on these techniques can be found in Freedom of the Hills, 7th ed. Many climbers choose to hire a guide service. This can increase a new climber's chance of summitting while decreasing the chance of making poor decisions.

When to go
The typical climbing season starts in April and runs through September. Weather is king on Mt Rainier and more trips are spoiled by poor weather than any other factor. Weather improves throughout the season and becomes much more stable after the first week of July. The flip side is crevasses open up, snow bridges become weaker, and routes become more circuitous. Some routes are only appropriate early in the season as rock fall becomes increasingly problematic as the ice holding the rock together melts. The trick is to find the sweet spot when conditions are good and weather is stable. I have found that July is the best month for this. Before you go check the weather and insist on a good forecast: http://www.atmos.washington.edu/data/rainier_report.html

Choosing a route

Crevasses on DC

There are many good route choices depending upon your experience level. If you are fairly new to climbing your best choices are Ingraham Glacier Direct, Disappointment Cleaver, or the Emmons Glacier. These, however, are the most popular routes and during the height of the climbing season it may be difficult to get a camping spot. If you want to be assured of a spot apply for a permit early: http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/climbing.htm. Less crowded, but slightly more technical routes are the Kautz Glacier and Fuhurer Fingerroutes. For a true wilderness experience the
Tahoma Glacier is hard to beat. There are several guide books available that cover Mt Rainier:

Mount Rainier: A Climbing Guide by Mike Gauthier
Cascade Alpine Guide: Climbing and High Routes: Vol 1- Columbia River to Stevens Pass (3rd Ed.) by Fred Beckey
Selected Climbs in the Cascades, Vol I and II by Jim Nelson and Peter Potterfield

Training
Any reasonably fit person can climb Mt Rainier but a focused, specific training regimen will make your climb more enjoyable. Tailor your program to mimic the demands of climbing a big mountain. Summit day will likely be an 8 -12 hour affair so it is important to train long. Load up a pack and hike your local hills, or do long trail runs or bike rides. Lift weights to strengthen your core, shoulders, back and legs. Don’t neglect high intensity cardio like interval work. You want the ultra runner’s endurance, the sprinter’s speed, and the weight lifter’s power. Your goal is to become an all around athlete.

Extreme Alpinism, Climbing Light, Fast, and High by Mark Twight is still one of the best books on training in particular and climbing in general.

What to bring

Appropriate pack size for Rainier

The old adage “light is right” couldn’t be truer for Mt. Rainier. When choosing gear look for the lightest possible piece that will meet your needs. Your total pack weight should be around 30 pounds. Below is a gear list that works for me from May through September.

sun hat
warm hat
sun glasses Dark with side shields
headlamp
extra batteries lithium last longer and are unaffected by the cold
helmet

boots Either plastic or insulated leather
liner socks (2 pair)
heavy socks (2 pair)
gaitors

liner gloves The cheap poly pro work well
heavy glove Fleece liner with a nylon type shell work well

pants Soft shells work great
long underwear mid weight (add a pair of light weight early season)

shirt short sleeve light colored synthetic
fleece jacket light weight fleece
wind shirt Lightly insulated nylon jacket is very versatile e.g Marmot Driclime
shell Light weight jacket e.g. Marmot Precip
insulated parka lightweight synthetic or down with a hood

crampons 12 point steel with anti balling plates
ice axe
harness
locking carabiner
picket
pulley
prusiks 5-6mm perlon or Tiblocs
slings 2 single, 2 double
carabiners 6 wire gate, 3 lockers
rope 30 - 50 meters 8 - 9 mm
sleeping bag 20 degree
tent or tarp
pad
backpack 45-50 liters is about right. Any larger and you’re not going light.
trekking poles
stove
fuel
pot
pot lifter
knife
lighter
map compass
water bottles (2) I like to bring one bladder and one Nalgene to use as a mug
bowl I like to use the disposable ‘Tupperware’ type such as Ziplock
spoon

sunblock I like to use SPF 40
lip balm At least SPF 15
toilet paper
blue bags
first aid kit For blisters and small wounds

Random tips

Relaxing at the Muir hut

Start your days early so you roll into camp with plenty of time to relax, rehydrate, and acclimatize.

Drink a lot. Bring herbal tea, drink mixes, thin soup mixes, hot jello, etc. I find that having something flavorful helps me to drink more.

Apply sun screen to all exposed skin frequently. Don’t forget the lips and the bottom of the nose.

Pace yourself. You will spend the better part of every day working towards your goal. Be the tortoise, the hare will burn out.

Start your summit day early. Aim to leave camp by 3 am at the very latest; many parties leave at midnight. Expect to take an hour getting ready and plan your wake up time accordingly.

Do not climb up into a storm.

If you are staying in the public shelter at Camp Muir be mindful and courteous of fellow climbers. Don’t smoke in the hut, turn the fans on when cooking, keep your voices low when others are sleeping, clean up after yourself.

If the weather cooperates and you have your systems dialed and have trained appropriately, you may find yourself here:

Sunrise on the summit of Rainier

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Comments

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Viewing: 1-19 of 19

mvs

Awesome Dan!

Voted 10/10

Great knowledge sharin'. I would also mention the importance of walking down from Camp Muir in the right direction. People should know that traveling straight downhill leads to the Nisqually. You need to angle leftward for a long time. I was on a winter attempt where a guy didn't know this and zoomed ahead of us straight downhill. We couldn't get his attention in the "ground blizzard" for a really long time. Kind of stressful.

Posted Apr 20, 2009 1:46 pm

JanG

Nice Report

Voted 10/10

Your sound advice is very relevant for those attempting the climb without guides. It should be noted that for those mountaineers wishing to use a guide for the climb (always the best way for newcomers to the area) Rainier Mountaineering has almost exclusive monopoly!

This option implies booking long before (months or even the year before) and RMI also demands participation in the compulsory snow & ice training course on the day before the actual climb. Their guides are very experienced but the climb itself can be very regimented (almost reminds of "boot camp"). Nevertheless it is the safest way to avoid weather related disasters!

JanG

Posted Apr 20, 2009 8:27 pm

MOCKBA

Links to routes are hanging

Voted 10/10

due to an extra "http://". Nice work otherwise, I would mention the rough estimates of days to allocate for this.

Posted Apr 27, 2009 12:43 pm

ExcitibleBoy

Links to routes are hanging

Hasn't voted

Thanks for the heads up on the links, I fixed them.

Posted Apr 27, 2009 2:43 pm

rpc

generous

Voted 10/10

when people with the experience/know-how choose to share. very useful article.

Posted Apr 29, 2009 4:21 pm

ExcitibleBoy

generous

Hasn't voted

Thanks so muc rpc! That means a lot coming from you!

Posted Apr 29, 2009 9:06 pm

welle

What type of Tent in August?

Hasn't voted

Thanks a lot for the article! I have a question re: gear.
I'm planning on a self-guided climb in late August via DC. My question is, do I need a 4-season tent, or 3-season would be sufficient to camp either at Camp Muir or Ingraham Flats? Don't want to bring any unnecessary weight... TIA! Or do you think I have a fair chance to get a spot at the public shelter at Camp Muir?

Posted Apr 30, 2009 10:54 am

ExcitibleBoy

Tent in August

Hasn't voted

Hello welle,

Getting a spot in the public shelter during the height of the season, especially on a weekend, is a crap shoot. I would recommend bringing a tent with you and when you register for the climb at the Ranger station you can find out if there is room left. Then you can make a decision whether or not to pack the tent.

Camp Muir and Ingraham Flats are both somewhat sheltered so if the weather is not completely terrible you can get away with a 3 season tent. August typically has very stable weather. I personally use a tarp (Black Diamond Betamid) on Rainier, however, I insist upon good weather for my climbs, something I can do since I live within 2 hours of the mountain.

Best of luck on your trip!

Posted Apr 30, 2009 11:47 am


	welle	Re: Tent in August
	Hasn't voted	Thanks, EB! I noticed both Alpine Ascents and RMI list avalanche transceivers on their gear lists even for their Camp Muir-DC routes. Are avalanches an issue in August? Thanks again.
		Posted May 1, 2009 10:57 am

ExcitibleBoy

Avalanche transceivers

Hasn't voted

Avalanches can and have occurred during the summer months. A few years ago a party was descending the cleaver when the uphill climber caused an avalanche that swept several members of the rope team off the cleaver. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jun/12/news/mn-59293

That said I personally do not wear an avalanche transceiver except in the winter.

Posted May 1, 2009 12:08 pm

rlshattuck

bottom of the nose?????

Hasn't voted

why the hell didn't you tell me this earlier? Ha! . . . yeah, I knew all about the bottom of the nose, but . . . Just did Rainers' little brother (or cousin?) to the south, SHASTA and for some reason, did not apply sunscreen all the time, but once. I am paying for it now with a face that feels dry and painful when I move it and my nose too the worst of it. Ouch! great write up and will certainly go , 'hard copy' and into my file. thanks

Posted May 2, 2009 4:17 am

kwiatek	speed of a sprinter?
Hasn't voted	Cool article. (but) I'm not experienced at all, but why exactly do you need speed to climb this (or any other) mountain? Sprinter's speed, as I understand it, is extreme speed you can use only for a very short time. Do you need to make a sudden "rush" at any point in the climb?
	Posted May 3, 2009 11:32 am

ExcitibleBoy

speed

Hasn't voted

I do not necessarily mean running fast, but the ability to work at (and beyond) your aerobic threshold and recover quickly. On Rainier there are definitely situations that call for short bursts of hard effort, for example post holing at 14,000 feet or pulling over the bergschrund below Liberty Cap. Developing the power and the ability to quickly recover from hard effort is a necessary component of climbing mountains. Furthermore, the more speed and power you have the easier it will be to slog at a sustained pace. I urge you to read Extreme Alpinism, Climbing Light, Fast, and High by Mark Twight for an excellent treatise on training for alpine climbing.

Posted May 3, 2009 12:09 pm


	kwiatek	Re: speed
	Hasn't voted	thanks for the info and reference. I'll definitely read it. cheers
		Posted May 3, 2009 1:32 pm

Rob Ricks

NW Icon

Voted 10/10

Thanks for the outstanding summary. Rainier is why I started climbing. Like for many PNW climbers it will always be a part of me. RR

Posted May 5, 2009 5:16 am

Brad Marshall

Nice Article

Voted 10/10

Good job ExcitibleBoy. Very interesting and straightforward information. Nice gear list.

Posted May 13, 2009 3:14 pm


	ExcitibleBoy	Re: Well done
	Hasn't voted	Thank you! This was my first article and all the postive feed back has been wonderful!
		Posted May 18, 2009 10:11 am

TJ311

Rainier is on my list

Voted 10/10

And this article will definitely be of use when I start preparing for my trip. Thanks for all the great info.

Posted May 24, 2009 1:38 pm

cbcbd

Succint...

Voted 10/10

...to the point.
Said it all in few words. Good stuff!

Posted May 27, 2009 3:49 pm

Viewing: 1-19 of 19