Hi, I plan on hiking Rainier & Hood during the Memorial Day weekend in 2012. Need some help on choosing the guide service for Mt. Rainier.

RMI - they have a strong brand and charge for $970

Alpine Ascents - A friend recommendended them, they charge $1,355

Which one should I pick, any recommendations? Thanks!

-Alex

RMI has a reputation as being a cattle drive. Alpine Ascents may offer more instruction, especially if it is a longer course than RMI's.

ExcitableBoy wrote:RMI has a reputation as being a cattle drive. Alpine Ascents may offer more instruction, especially if it is a longer course than RMI's.

That's what I heard from my friend as well, thank you ExcitableBoy!

+1 on the cattle drive, been there! Also look at Phils program with IMG.

IMG out of Ashford is first class......down the street from RMI. Have been up the Emmons and Kautz with them...as well as overseas....generally climbers with some experience are on your rope....a good thing.

Question - What's wrong with a cattle drive ?

Answer - Unless you're the Lead Doggie, the view never changes ...

Alpine Ascents has a nice program - low client to guide ratio and they do the skills class while on the mountain; so you go to Muir Camp on Day 1, do your skills class on the glacier next to Muir Camp and then move up to Ingram Flats on Day 2, Day 3 is summit day and you get to start from Ingram Flats instead of at Muir Camp like RMI does. They also cook breakfast and dinner for you. At least this is how it was a few years ago when they first started guiding the DC route. I think IMG does it the same way as Alpine Ascents.

thank you guys! will check out IMG and AA!

Pretty much any of the guide services on Rainier will do more than RMI in terms of instruction.

+1 for IMG. Did a glacier skills course with them for 6 days and the guides were top notch. I had a blast.

Alpine Ascents guides were both great guides and cooks. Something to be said for eating gormet food in the cook tent on Ingraham Flats in a snow storm.

Thanks guys, I signed up with IMG for May 29,2012. Looking forward to visiting the Northwest!

Was there a reason you signed up for Memorial Day weekend? Weather that time of year is still very much a crapshoot and will likely be the deciding factor whether or not you have an opportunity to summit. I find July, after the 4th, to be the best nexus of improving, stable weather and good snow conditions (solid snow bridges, not too circuritus, not too icy, etc), and is when I recommend visiting climbers attempt Rainier.

Here is a primer on climbing Mt. Rainier that maybe helpful as you plan for your trip: http://www.summitpost.org/so-you-want-t ... ier/507227

Thanks ExcitableBoy! I actually was about to send them a deposit on Monday...

The reason for signing up at early season is all these guide services are booked in the month of July... Thank you for the tips on the climbing season, I wanted to the best chance to summit and to take advantage of public holidays... I'll call them to see if there are any openings later in the season.

sm0421 wrote:all these guide services are booked in the month of July...I'll call them to see if there are any openings later in the season.

That makes sense. August is usually very good too and some years we enjoy a Native American summer into late September. The guide services do a good job of installing and maintaining fixed lines, fixed pickets, and fixed ladders across crevasses on the D.C. route to extend their season as long as possible.