A dozen teams turned back that morning due to the lightning storm that had pickets and ice screws buzzing and sparking in the night. Shrouded by clouds, lightning exploded all around but we raced on through the storm for three hours before it subsided to pitch black winds. When the morning finally came, only one other party of 12, the Climb for Cancer Foundation, made the summit. This trip kicked ass. 10 years and one week earlier, my best friend died in my arms at Camp Schurman from a lethal asthma attack and this trip marked my only time back to Rainier since. Very emotional summit for me. Epic in every sense of the climb!
cms829 - Apr 9, 2009 4:11 pm Date Climbed: Jun 16, 2008
two good tries
First try on the fuhrer finger....MASSIVE slab avalanche on the lower wilson kept us down low and we made the decision to bail. 2nd try on the dc due to time constraints....turned back at 13,200 feet due to a member coming down with symptoms of AMS and whiteout conditions. Def could of summited. back in 09 for lib ridge and the finger.
BAMFclimber - Apr 1, 2009 10:16 pm Date Climbed: Mar 13, 2009
Gib Ledges Winter
My climbing partners and I all bought plane tickets two months before our trip to Rainier and couldn't have timed it with the weather any better.
Had three beautiful days while we were up there and summit day was very clear. Gib Ledges was in great condition. High winds (75mph+) and a whiteout started soon after we returned to Camp Muir from the summit.
Descended to Paradise in a whiteout the following day.
Amazing trip!
It was some time ago, what a great climb though, time to head back!
grabbs146 - Mar 25, 2009 10:35 am Date Climbed: Aug 31, 2007
DC route late season
awesome climb!!! I climbed with a large group through RMI and we were the only group on the mountain and we had good weather!!!! You can't ask for more than that, but it did get pretty windy at the summit.
climbed with adrian via DC. Waaay to many people. Plan to do via less popular or harder routes. good trip
punchline - Mar 11, 2009 8:45 am Date Climbed: Aug 21, 2005
Great Trip
Denali Prep trip. After living in Seattle and staring at Rainier for 34 years it was funny to have to fly back to Seattle (after moving to Michigan) to climb it. Took the Emmons Glacier Route and had an uneventual trip except for the Scarpa's that made hamburger out of my feet .... note to self .... not good to break in new boots on Rainier!
skydiver777 - Mar 5, 2009 4:38 pm Date Climbed: Jul 5, 2007
Rainier Summit #2
This was my second summit of Rainier. This was done with my outdoor Group S.O.L.A.R from Michigan. We had two rope teams of 3. All were succesful. The weather was great the whole climb. We camped just below Muir and then at Ingraham flats. This trip was different from my last in that above the Cleaver, we had to traverse ccw around the mountain about 0.5 miles to avoid Cevasses.
skydiver777 - Mar 5, 2009 4:31 pm Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2006
1st Summit w/ RMI
This was my first experience with Alpine / Glacier mountaineering. Three skydiving friends and I did the 4 day custom climb with RMI on the Disappointment cleaver route. We had great guides, Cory Ravio and Gary Talcot. The first day we hiked up the Muir Snowfield from Paradise to just below Camp Muir. The next day we made a short hike to Camp Muir (10,000 feet) and practiced falls and learned rope travel. We then continued up another 1,000 feet to Ingraham Flats at 11,000 feet. We went to bed early, 6pm, for a 12am summit push. At 12am, our guides told us we were waiting for the gusting 60mph winds to calm down before climbing. We eventually started climbing at 3am. With a full moon, and twilight at 4am, we hardly used our headlamps. The cleaver was very icy that morning. The pick of my Ice axe barely made a dent in the ice on the cleaver. Scary. By the time we made it to the top of the cleaver, the sun was up, still the winds were gusting 40mph. We summited by 8am. The crater was less windy than the actually summit. We had two rope teams. (two guides, 4 from michigan, and a son and mother from Seatle) Four of us had enough energy to sign the summit log and stand on the actual summit on liberty ridge. It was only a 5 min hike extra, big deal. Since it was a very clear day, and just after the summer solsist. The snow/ice warmed up very fast. We didn't stay long on the summit as a result. Hazzards of ice and rock fall. By the time we got to the Cleaver, the previous ice turned into a silkly/slippery mess. We moved fast at this point to avoid rock and ave 's. Over all, I had a great time. Took great photos.
mthomas - Mar 1, 2009 11:34 am Date Climbed: May 29, 2007
Liberty Ridge
Very nice climb, spent last night camped on the crater just below the summit. Conditions were not quite formed yet for ice. It was more of a snow slog, but still lots of fun! Glissading descent a blast! Climbed with Pablo Puruncajas.
farrisgl - Feb 28, 2009 2:05 am Date Climbed: Sep 2, 2002
Disappointment Cleaver Route
Last time up Rainier. Reached the summit on the forth day of an expedition training course. Excellent training regardless. Summit cloud covered the mountain upon our arrival at Columbia Crest. Good news was the weather broke when we arrived at the sign in box on the other side of the crater. Mostly clear on the decent. WHAT A VIEW!!!
mcpherma - Feb 6, 2009 11:00 pm Date Climbed: Sep 13, 2008
DC
Perfect weather, perfect conditions, perfect climb. First time on Rainier. Unbelievable. We will be going back.
skier25 - Jan 14, 2009 1:09 pm Date Climbed: Jul 15, 2008
Late To Sign
Up the Emmons Glacier, did a sunset climb. Left Camp at 2:15 and were back by 11 pm. Great Climb.
nickmech - Jan 1, 2009 4:35 pm Date Climbed: Jun 28, 2003
Dc-Ingraham Direct-Emmons
Biggest and best mountain in the Northwest. Have summited several times by different routes. Allways a joy to climb Rainier.
browndogg04 - Dec 30, 2008 3:06 pm Date Climbed: Jun 24, 2008
DC Route
Great Climb, perfect weather!
Curtissimo - Dec 13, 2008 4:26 pm Date Climbed: Jul 23, 1998
big TAHOMA is the real name
made it via Camp Muir route with Stephen Wilcox & Thomas Straub of New Haven Connecticut. They were trained in one day and made it up and back alive to tell about it.
bfrench - Apr 28, 2009 12:21 am
RainierDC route. 3 hours from Muir to summit. Perfect weather.
bruceg - Apr 24, 2009 8:01 pm Date Climbed: Jul 21, 1990
Emmons GlacierPerfect weather
Dave Hahn was the lead guide
rongaines1 - Apr 17, 2009 5:20 pm Date Climbed: Aug 12, 2004
Rainier Expedition5 day expedition to try and acclimatize from Florida. We took the Kautz route for challenge and it was as advertised. Great group and RMI giudes.
junoiceclimber - Apr 13, 2009 6:22 pm Date Climbed: Jul 4, 2006
Bombs Bursting in AirA dozen teams turned back that morning due to the lightning storm that had pickets and ice screws buzzing and sparking in the night. Shrouded by clouds, lightning exploded all around but we raced on through the storm for three hours before it subsided to pitch black winds. When the morning finally came, only one other party of 12, the Climb for Cancer Foundation, made the summit. This trip kicked ass. 10 years and one week earlier, my best friend died in my arms at Camp Schurman from a lethal asthma attack and this trip marked my only time back to Rainier since. Very emotional summit for me. Epic in every sense of the climb!
cms829 - Apr 9, 2009 4:11 pm Date Climbed: Jun 16, 2008
two good triesFirst try on the fuhrer finger....MASSIVE slab avalanche on the lower wilson kept us down low and we made the decision to bail. 2nd try on the dc due to time constraints....turned back at 13,200 feet due to a member coming down with symptoms of AMS and whiteout conditions. Def could of summited. back in 09 for lib ridge and the finger.
BAMFclimber - Apr 1, 2009 10:16 pm Date Climbed: Mar 13, 2009
Gib Ledges WinterMy climbing partners and I all bought plane tickets two months before our trip to Rainier and couldn't have timed it with the weather any better.
Had three beautiful days while we were up there and summit day was very clear. Gib Ledges was in great condition. High winds (75mph+) and a whiteout started soon after we returned to Camp Muir from the summit.
Descended to Paradise in a whiteout the following day.
Amazing trip!
Groundswell - Mar 27, 2009 1:00 am
Almost missed my weddingmy friend took a little slide above Ingram Flats. Good thing I was able to stop him or I would have missed my wedding which was in 3 months.
Pablohoney - Mar 26, 2009 11:32 pm
DCIt was some time ago, what a great climb though, time to head back!
grabbs146 - Mar 25, 2009 10:35 am Date Climbed: Aug 31, 2007
DC route late seasonawesome climb!!! I climbed with a large group through RMI and we were the only group on the mountain and we had good weather!!!! You can't ask for more than that, but it did get pretty windy at the summit.
Groundswell - Mar 23, 2009 5:46 pm
DC Cattle routeclimbed with adrian via DC. Waaay to many people. Plan to do via less popular or harder routes. good trip
punchline - Mar 11, 2009 8:45 am Date Climbed: Aug 21, 2005
Great TripDenali Prep trip. After living in Seattle and staring at Rainier for 34 years it was funny to have to fly back to Seattle (after moving to Michigan) to climb it. Took the Emmons Glacier Route and had an uneventual trip except for the Scarpa's that made hamburger out of my feet .... note to self .... not good to break in new boots on Rainier!
skydiver777 - Mar 5, 2009 4:38 pm Date Climbed: Jul 5, 2007
Rainier Summit #2This was my second summit of Rainier. This was done with my outdoor Group S.O.L.A.R from Michigan. We had two rope teams of 3. All were succesful. The weather was great the whole climb. We camped just below Muir and then at Ingraham flats. This trip was different from my last in that above the Cleaver, we had to traverse ccw around the mountain about 0.5 miles to avoid Cevasses.
skydiver777 - Mar 5, 2009 4:31 pm Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2006
1st Summit w/ RMIThis was my first experience with Alpine / Glacier mountaineering. Three skydiving friends and I did the 4 day custom climb with RMI on the Disappointment cleaver route. We had great guides, Cory Ravio and Gary Talcot. The first day we hiked up the Muir Snowfield from Paradise to just below Camp Muir. The next day we made a short hike to Camp Muir (10,000 feet) and practiced falls and learned rope travel. We then continued up another 1,000 feet to Ingraham Flats at 11,000 feet. We went to bed early, 6pm, for a 12am summit push. At 12am, our guides told us we were waiting for the gusting 60mph winds to calm down before climbing. We eventually started climbing at 3am. With a full moon, and twilight at 4am, we hardly used our headlamps. The cleaver was very icy that morning. The pick of my Ice axe barely made a dent in the ice on the cleaver. Scary. By the time we made it to the top of the cleaver, the sun was up, still the winds were gusting 40mph. We summited by 8am. The crater was less windy than the actually summit. We had two rope teams. (two guides, 4 from michigan, and a son and mother from Seatle) Four of us had enough energy to sign the summit log and stand on the actual summit on liberty ridge. It was only a 5 min hike extra, big deal. Since it was a very clear day, and just after the summer solsist. The snow/ice warmed up very fast. We didn't stay long on the summit as a result. Hazzards of ice and rock fall. By the time we got to the Cleaver, the previous ice turned into a silkly/slippery mess. We moved fast at this point to avoid rock and ave 's. Over all, I had a great time. Took great photos.
mthomas - Mar 1, 2009 11:34 am Date Climbed: May 29, 2007
Liberty RidgeVery nice climb, spent last night camped on the crater just below the summit. Conditions were not quite formed yet for ice. It was more of a snow slog, but still lots of fun! Glissading descent a blast! Climbed with Pablo Puruncajas.
farrisgl - Feb 28, 2009 2:05 am Date Climbed: Sep 2, 2002
Disappointment Cleaver RouteLast time up Rainier. Reached the summit on the forth day of an expedition training course. Excellent training regardless. Summit cloud covered the mountain upon our arrival at Columbia Crest. Good news was the weather broke when we arrived at the sign in box on the other side of the crater. Mostly clear on the decent. WHAT A VIEW!!!
mcpherma - Feb 6, 2009 11:00 pm Date Climbed: Sep 13, 2008
DCPerfect weather, perfect conditions, perfect climb. First time on Rainier. Unbelievable. We will be going back.
skier25 - Jan 14, 2009 1:09 pm Date Climbed: Jul 15, 2008
Late To SignUp the Emmons Glacier, did a sunset climb. Left Camp at 2:15 and were back by 11 pm. Great Climb.
nickmech - Jan 1, 2009 4:35 pm Date Climbed: Jun 28, 2003
Dc-Ingraham Direct-EmmonsBiggest and best mountain in the Northwest. Have summited several times by different routes. Allways a joy to climb Rainier.
browndogg04 - Dec 30, 2008 3:06 pm Date Climbed: Jun 24, 2008
DC RouteGreat Climb, perfect weather!
Curtissimo - Dec 13, 2008 4:26 pm Date Climbed: Jul 23, 1998
big TAHOMA is the real namemade it via Camp Muir route with Stephen Wilcox & Thomas Straub of New Haven Connecticut. They were trained in one day and made it up and back alive to tell about it.