Yeah, I know...the easiest route AND in 4 days. But I had two guests, and neither one was seasoned in glacier travel or 9000' altitude gain. Route was great, weather was great, views were so-so. The smoke from forest fires in Lake Chelan and BC blocked views to the North and West. Adams, Hood, and St. Helens were clearly visible to the South and East. Two hours on the summit made the guests ecstatic. At least that what I told them they'd feel after getting home and recuperating!
Route Climbed: Kautz Glacier Date Climbed: July 17-20, 2004
Started low (hiking past Comet Falls, not from Paradise) and took our time. Two day approach to high camp (at the Turtle) had good weather. First summit attempt (morning of the 19th) was stymied by weather, however. Second push had perfect weather and great conditions. Chute was good snow and great ice. Routefinding was a bit difficult in the dark. The sunrise was spectacular, and the summit was a cold, windy desert in one crater and a party of ants (or a train of ant-sized parties) in the other.
Beautiful day on the mountain. After dealing with fog, clouds, rain, snow, and winds at Camp Muir, we started up the mountain and got stuck behind a slow party of 12 that caused us to stop right under the icefall on Ingrahms glacier. The rest of the summit day ended up being a great day on the mountain. Had some natural rockfall near the bottom of Disapointment Cleave that just nicked a team of 2 behind us.
Great views, and good crisp weather. Private trip of 4 with 2 of us attempting the summit. My first big mountain trip that I organized and led.
Route Climbed: D.C. Date Climbed: July 19-21, 2004
Successful summit on first attempt with private group. Lucked out on weather -- clear skies and record high temps in the pacific northwest. Took our time with the climb, spending two nights on the mountain -- first night at Muir, second at Ingraham Flats. Great views of Adams, St. Helens and Hood along the way and at the summit.
Route Climbed: Disappointment Cleaver Date Climbed: July 24, 2004
Camped at Ingrahm Flats and left for the summit at 1:30 am. Reached the summit in 4hr 30 min. Nearly got killed on the descent through the DC as a party above dislodged a head size rock that barely missed us. That team was good 100 vertical feet above us so you can imagine the kind of momentum this rock gained as it tumbled towards us!! We barely jumped out of the way. As a matter of fact, Courtney (cp0915) jumped to the left, I jumped to the right and the rock went right between us.
Great climb othewise. Fourth summit of the mountain.
Route Climbed: Tahoma Glacier Date Climbed: June 29, 2004
My colleagues, Scott Patterson and Mark Fowlkes, and I, Stephane Fitch, reached the summit of Rainier at 9 a.m. on June 23. We climbed via the Tahoma Glacier route. The weather was cool and quite windy. It was my most strenuous and also most satisfying climb yet.
Route Climbed: Disappointment Cleaver Date Climbed: July 12, 2004
Awesome climb! I did it through RMI with a group of 9 guys that my good friend Alan put together over the past year. We nailed it for weather. Climbing school was cloudy, so we kept cool. Then for the climb to Camp Muir we had sun and blue skies. The alpine start at 1:30 a.m. was under a clear star filled sky. Sunrise at the top of the Cleaver was cold, but beautiful. We set the standing season record for an RMI group doing the D. Cleaver route in 5 hours and 20 minutes.
Route Climbed: Disappointment Cleaver, Alpine II Date Climbed: September, 1997
Party of 4 made up this ascent, 2 from Nevada, including myself, 1 from Georgia and 1 from Alaska. From the Paradise upper parking lot take the Skyline Trail to Pan Point, continue to Pebble Creek and follow the Muir Snowfield to Camp Muir at 10,100 ft. At Camp Muir, there is a ranger station, guide hut, client hut and toilet facilities. We took a rest day here and enjoyed the camaraderie, even had a gourmet meal. We chose to camp outside at Muir and did not even set up our tents. The moon and stars were great. The views from Muir out at Mount Saint Helens and Adams were spectacular. At about 1:30AM, we took off from Camp Muir, crossed the Cowlitz Glacier to Cathedral Gap and continued along the scree ridge to the Ingraham Glacier and Ingraham Flats at 11,100 ft. Another climbing camp exists here, but I do not see the need if you are in any shape at all. The sunrise soon followed and was postcard perfect.
Gain the cleaver on a ledge system of crumbling rock 300 ft above Ingraham Flats. Watch out for ice-fall from the Ingraham while accessing the lower cleaver. While on the cleaver, be conscientious of other parties that are moving more rapidly or slowly. This is an extremely dangerous area with a high potential for rock-fall. One good size rock took a piece off of my helmet and if it would have been a direct hit, I would not be writing this with normal concentration. We ascended the rocky/snowy cleaver to 12,300 ft. From here, only 2 of us continued on. Matt and I climbed the Ingraham Glacier to the summit, negotiating crevasses and unstable snow bridges. You will reach the crater rim at 14,150 ft. It's about a 30 to 45 minute round trip walk to the true summit (14,411 ft) and climber register. Great day even made a cellular phone call home from the crater.
We descended all the way out to the parking lot and spent a night at the Paradise Hotel.
Route Climbed: Disappointment Cleaver Date Climbed: July 5th, 2004
We could'nt have asked for better weather. Our summit day was nearly perfect. Myself and six other team members climbed to the true summit of this awesome mountain. What a great time with great friends!
Route Climbed: Disappointment Cleaver Date Climbed: June 25,2004
Dave & Jared Cook , Kevin Clawson (Rochester, NY); Ryan, John, Justin, Colin Holbrook (Spokan, WA); summit at 6:30 am, back at Paridise by 1:30. Great trip. Gumby legs on the return.
Route Climbed: Emmons-Winthrop Date Climbed: June 21-23
Enjoyed a wonderful trip with three climbing partners in warm conditions. Late start on Monday got us to the Inter Glacier. Slept in and eventually made it to camp Schurman on Tuesday. 2 AM start in soft snow made for slow going at first but it finally firmed up and the summit was reached at 9 AM. Cold and windy on top. Only two other climbers on the route. Advantage of going during the middle of the week I assume.
Route Climbed: (1) Emmons-Winthrop, and (2) Disappointment Cleaver Date Climbed: (1) June 21, 1994, and (2) mid-August, 1999
Once you see Rainier, if you have the slighest disposition toward adventure, you have to climb it, and, having lived in its literal shadow for two years, I did. Twice. Or at least I tried.
The first time was in 1994, as part of a (too-) large party up the Emmons-Winthrop route. We got to 13,700ft., could see the rocks on the crater rim, and turned around. The descent was where most of my memories come from, and I have a trip report I wrote from two perspectives--mine and my rope-team member's. (The names of the others have been change to protect the, er, innocent.)
The second time was five years later, in 1999, when I went up the Disappointment Cleaver, solo and successfully. That climb was all about the back-story, for me. An (off-site) trip report can be found here and here.
Route Climbed: Disappointment Cleaver Date Climbed: June 22, 2004
Brother Mark and I summited via the DC. Warm day with high freezing level made for a beautiful early a.m. climb but a hot and slippery descent (especially on the Cleaver itself). Awsome mountain!
Route Climbed: Emmons-Winthrop Date Climbed: June 19, 2004
Nearly 10 years to the week from my first attempt, I summitted in perfect conditions. Som blue ice near the top, and we took a little too long to get down (post-hole city), but other than that, it was a nice clean route and some beautiful weather. Good times. Pulled off one crazy glissade back down the Interglacier...
My team summited Mount Rainier this past week by way of the D.C route. Our summit team included Bob McCullar, Russell McCullar and myself. The day we left Camp Muir (May 23) REI turned 3 ropes teams back due to a wind slab at about 12400 ft. Our team left Muir and set up a high camp at Ingram Flats. We left Ingram at 3 am on the 24th and Summited in six hours. The slab didn't look like it was in any immeadiate danger of releasing but it should be noted by other teams. After reacing the crater rim we rested and descended back down the DC. Once back at Ingram we packed our site and went back down to Paradise. The total time of decent wasabout 4 hours.
Route Climbed: Ingraham Direct Date Climbed: May 24, 1997
We were awakened in our tent at Camp Muir at 2:00 AM, 4:00 AM and 4:30 Am by guided parties getting ready to leave. We didn't get away until after 7:00 and worried that we were being foolish for the late start. But one by one those guided parties came by us on their way down in defeat as we ascended. We summitted a little before 2:00 PM, the only party to summit that day from Camp Muir.
Route Climbed: Dissappointment Cleaver Date Climbed: August 16, 2004
My two buddies, Scott Patterson and Clay Parks, and I reached the summit in a GALE. Started out from Ingraham Flats. It began as a very calm night, then the wind and clouds blew in at about 3 a.m., just as we reached the top of the cleaver. I kept wondering when it would get bad enough to force us to turn around. Then, at about 4:30 or so, it hit me: We weren't turning around. The winds on the crater rim must have been around 70 mph. Our eyelashes were frosted. But boy, were we happy. We had the summit to ourselves but ran into a ton of climbers on the way down. I was surprised and pleased to find three teams of guided climbers behind us. By 10 a.m., the weather was clearing and stayed beautiful for the next several days. No regrets about summitting in bad weather. It added to the drama.
sixsigmafool - Aug 16, 2004 3:44 pm
Route Climbed: DC Date Climbed: July 26-30, 2004Yeah, I know...the easiest route AND in 4 days. But I had two guests, and neither one was seasoned in glacier travel or 9000' altitude gain. Route was great, weather was great, views were so-so. The smoke from forest fires in Lake Chelan and BC blocked views to the North and West. Adams, Hood, and St. Helens were clearly visible to the South and East. Two hours on the summit made the guests ecstatic. At least that what I told them they'd feel after getting home and recuperating!
forkliftdaddy - Aug 16, 2004 2:06 pm
Route Climbed: Kautz Glacier Date Climbed: July 17-20, 2004Started low (hiking past Comet Falls, not from Paradise) and took our time. Two day approach to high camp (at the Turtle) had good weather. First summit attempt (morning of the 19th) was stymied by weather, however. Second push had perfect weather and great conditions. Chute was good snow and great ice. Routefinding was a bit difficult in the dark. The sunrise was spectacular, and the summit was a cold, windy desert in one crater and a party of ants (or a train of ant-sized parties) in the other.
Johnhl94563 - Aug 7, 2004 3:49 pm
Route Climbed: D.C Date Climbed: July 11, 2004Beautiful day on the mountain. After dealing with fog, clouds, rain, snow, and winds at Camp Muir, we started up the mountain and got stuck behind a slow party of 12 that caused us to stop right under the icefall on Ingrahms glacier. The rest of the summit day ended up being a great day on the mountain. Had some natural rockfall near the bottom of Disapointment Cleave that just nicked a team of 2 behind us.
Great views, and good crisp weather. Private trip of 4 with 2 of us attempting the summit. My first big mountain trip that I organized and led.
paclimber - Aug 4, 2004 11:40 am
Route Climbed: D.C. Date Climbed: July 19-21, 2004Successful summit on first attempt with private group. Lucked out on weather -- clear skies and record high temps in the pacific northwest. Took our time with the climb, spending two nights on the mountain -- first night at Muir, second at Ingraham Flats. Great views of Adams, St. Helens and Hood along the way and at the summit.
esugi - Jul 26, 2004 11:02 pm
Route Climbed: Disappointment Cleaver Date Climbed: July 24, 2004Camped at Ingrahm Flats and left for the summit at 1:30 am. Reached the summit in 4hr 30 min. Nearly got killed on the descent through the DC as a party above dislodged a head size rock that barely missed us. That team was good 100 vertical feet above us so you can imagine the kind of momentum this rock gained as it tumbled towards us!! We barely jumped out of the way. As a matter of fact, Courtney (cp0915) jumped to the left, I jumped to the right and the rock went right between us.
Great climb othewise. Fourth summit of the mountain.
cp0915 - Jul 26, 2004 10:35 am
Route Climbed: DC Date Climbed: July 24, 2004Great climb. Way easier than I'd anticipated.
agorokhov - Jul 24, 2004 6:09 pm
Route Climbed: DC Date Climbed: July, 5 2004Great climb. Great partners.Great weather.
StephaneFitch - Jul 21, 2004 5:36 pm
Route Climbed: Tahoma Glacier Date Climbed: June 29, 2004My colleagues, Scott Patterson and Mark Fowlkes, and I, Stephane Fitch, reached the summit of Rainier at 9 a.m. on June 23. We climbed via the Tahoma Glacier route. The weather was cool and quite windy. It was my most strenuous and also most satisfying climb yet.
shanrickv - Jul 14, 2004 9:55 pm
Route Climbed: Disappointment Cleaver Date Climbed: July 12, 2004Awesome climb! I did it through RMI with a group of 9 guys that my good friend Alan put together over the past year. We nailed it for weather. Climbing school was cloudy, so we kept cool. Then for the climb to Camp Muir we had sun and blue skies. The alpine start at 1:30 a.m. was under a clear star filled sky. Sunrise at the top of the Cleaver was cold, but beautiful. We set the standing season record for an RMI group doing the D. Cleaver route in 5 hours and 20 minutes.
Dow Williams - Jul 12, 2004 4:39 pm
Route Climbed: Disappointment Cleaver, Alpine II Date Climbed: September, 1997Party of 4 made up this ascent, 2 from Nevada, including myself, 1 from Georgia and 1 from Alaska. From the Paradise upper parking lot take the Skyline Trail to Pan Point, continue to Pebble Creek and follow the Muir Snowfield to Camp Muir at 10,100 ft. At Camp Muir, there is a ranger station, guide hut, client hut and toilet facilities. We took a rest day here and enjoyed the camaraderie, even had a gourmet meal. We chose to camp outside at Muir and did not even set up our tents. The moon and stars were great. The views from Muir out at Mount Saint Helens and Adams were spectacular. At about 1:30AM, we took off from Camp Muir, crossed the Cowlitz Glacier to Cathedral Gap and continued along the scree ridge to the Ingraham Glacier and Ingraham Flats at 11,100 ft. Another climbing camp exists here, but I do not see the need if you are in any shape at all. The sunrise soon followed and was postcard perfect.
Gain the cleaver on a ledge system of crumbling rock 300 ft above Ingraham Flats. Watch out for ice-fall from the Ingraham while accessing the lower cleaver. While on the cleaver, be conscientious of other parties that are moving more rapidly or slowly. This is an extremely dangerous area with a high potential for rock-fall. One good size rock took a piece off of my helmet and if it would have been a direct hit, I would not be writing this with normal concentration. We ascended the rocky/snowy cleaver to 12,300 ft. From here, only 2 of us continued on. Matt and I climbed the Ingraham Glacier to the summit, negotiating crevasses and unstable snow bridges. You will reach the crater rim at 14,150 ft. It's about a 30 to 45 minute round trip walk to the true summit (14,411 ft) and climber register. Great day even made a cellular phone call home from the crater.
We descended all the way out to the parking lot and spent a night at the Paradise Hotel.
mdostby - Jul 9, 2004 1:31 am
Route Climbed: Disappointment Cleaver Date Climbed: July 5th, 2004We could'nt have asked for better weather. Our summit day was nearly perfect. Myself and six other team members climbed to the true summit of this awesome mountain. What a great time with great friends!
davecook - Jun 28, 2004 1:03 pm
Route Climbed: Disappointment Cleaver Date Climbed: June 25,2004Dave & Jared Cook , Kevin Clawson (Rochester, NY); Ryan, John, Justin, Colin Holbrook (Spokan, WA); summit at 6:30 am, back at Paridise by 1:30. Great trip. Gumby legs on the return.
mcmedved - Jun 28, 2004 9:21 am
Route Climbed: DC Date Climbed: June 22, 2004Great climb on a beautiful day. My first big mountain summit; climbed with brother Doug. Fantastic views.
Jeff H - Jun 25, 2004 7:05 pm
Route Climbed: Emmons-Winthrop Date Climbed: June 21-23Enjoyed a wonderful trip with three climbing partners in warm conditions. Late start on Monday got us to the Inter Glacier. Slept in and eventually made it to camp Schurman on Tuesday. 2 AM start in soft snow made for slow going at first but it finally firmed up and the summit was reached at 9 AM. Cold and windy on top. Only two other climbers on the route. Advantage of going during the middle of the week I assume.
Ratballs - Jun 23, 2004 9:27 pm
Route Climbed: (1) Emmons-Winthrop, and (2) Disappointment Cleaver Date Climbed: (1) June 21, 1994, and (2) mid-August, 1999Once you see Rainier, if you have the slighest disposition toward adventure, you have to climb it, and, having lived in its literal shadow for two years, I did. Twice. Or at least I tried.
The first time was in 1994, as part of a (too-) large party up the Emmons-Winthrop route. We got to 13,700ft., could see the rocks on the crater rim, and turned around. The descent was where most of my memories come from, and I have a trip report I wrote from two perspectives--mine and my rope-team member's. (The names of the others have been change to protect the, er, innocent.)
The second time was five years later, in 1999, when I went up the Disappointment Cleaver, solo and successfully. That climb was all about the back-story, for me. An (off-site) trip report can be found here and here.
dmuja - Jun 23, 2004 5:34 am
Route Climbed: Disappointment Cleaver Date Climbed: June 22, 2004Brother Mark and I summited via the DC. Warm day with high freezing level made for a beautiful early a.m. climb but a hot and slippery descent (especially on the Cleaver itself). Awsome mountain!
dmuja
seth - Jun 21, 2004 1:17 pm
Route Climbed: Emmons-Winthrop Date Climbed: June 19, 2004Nearly 10 years to the week from my first attempt, I summitted in perfect conditions. Som blue ice near the top, and we took a little too long to get down (post-hole city), but other than that, it was a nice clean route and some beautiful weather. Good times. Pulled off one crazy glissade back down the Interglacier...
wintertreker - May 31, 2004 5:14 pm
Route Climbed: D.C Date Climbed: May 24, 2004My team summited Mount Rainier this past week by way of the D.C route. Our summit team included Bob McCullar, Russell McCullar and myself. The day we left Camp Muir (May 23) REI turned 3 ropes teams back due to a wind slab at about 12400 ft. Our team left Muir and set up a high camp at Ingram Flats. We left Ingram at 3 am on the 24th and Summited in six hours. The slab didn't look like it was in any immeadiate danger of releasing but it should be noted by other teams. After reacing the crater rim we rested and descended back down the DC. Once back at Ingram we packed our site and went back down to Paradise. The total time of decent wasabout 4 hours.
mtn runr - May 17, 2004 9:32 pm
Route Climbed: Ingraham Direct Date Climbed: May 24, 1997We were awakened in our tent at Camp Muir at 2:00 AM, 4:00 AM and 4:30 Am by guided parties getting ready to leave. We didn't get away until after 7:00 and worried that we were being foolish for the late start. But one by one those guided parties came by us on their way down in defeat as we ascended. We summitted a little before 2:00 PM, the only party to summit that day from Camp Muir.
StephaneFitch - May 12, 2004 3:47 pm
Route Climbed: Dissappointment Cleaver Date Climbed: August 16, 2004My two buddies, Scott Patterson and Clay Parks, and I reached the summit in a GALE. Started out from Ingraham Flats. It began as a very calm night, then the wind and clouds blew in at about 3 a.m., just as we reached the top of the cleaver. I kept wondering when it would get bad enough to force us to turn around. Then, at about 4:30 or so, it hit me: We weren't turning around. The winds on the crater rim must have been around 70 mph. Our eyelashes were frosted. But boy, were we happy. We had the summit to ourselves but ran into a ton of climbers on the way down. I was surprised and pleased to find three teams of guided climbers behind us. By 10 a.m., the weather was clearing and stayed beautiful for the next several days. No regrets about summitting in bad weather. It added to the drama.