Preparation:

Q: How should I prepare for the climb?
A: Focus on aerobic capacity, muscular strength and attitude. Even though it is only 14,000', the elevation will stress your lung capacity needed to provide oxygen to your muscles. Also you will carry 15 to 40lbs throughout the climb. Your legs will hurt on the climb up and your knees on the way down. You may have some pains in your back depending on your overall condition. So, get in shape before climbing this hill! I run, lift weights, stretch and use visualization techniques to address these areas. Check out my Everest pages for more details on how I trained for Everest.

Q: Is the climbing school RMI requires really worth it?
A: Yes. Even with all my experience, I found it fun and educational. You can never minimize the importance of good technique in the mountains. Also, by doing it with my team, we created greater bonds which are invaluable in the mountains

Gear

Q: What kind of gear do I need?
A: This is a technical climb with the risk of extreme weather thus you need layer: wicking, warmth and wind/snow protection. Then you need the technical gear: harness, rope, carabiners, ice axe, crampons, helmet. Finally food and water. Also if you are not with an organized guided trip, you must have provisions for an emergency: tent, sleeping bag, extra food and water, first aid, etc. I selected my gear from the 8,000 list on my gear page as a reference.

Q: What kind of clothing?
A: Layer your clothing and be prepared for rain, sun and wind. Never wear blue jeans or cotton clothing since they will not dry quickly enough when wet and thus increasing your chances for hypothermia if you get cold. A hat and sunglasses with sunscreen are a must. Your will need boots that support crampons. Most climbers use double plastic boots like Koflachs. You will need a change of socks after getting to Camp Muir and again on the way down. Bring warm gloves and a headlamp plus a basic first aid kit. Finally, a warm down jacket preferably with hood is required for staying warm during rest breaks or in the event of blizzard conditions along with a Gortex shell and pants.

Q: What about food and water?
A: Obviously you need to carry everything with you. There is water at Camp Muir but none high up on the mountain. From Camp Muir, I suggest 2 liters of water - one on the way up and one for the return. Also a liter to be consumed before you start the climb - over breakfast, etc. I have found by drinking a reasonable amount of water before you start, you stay ahead of the water loss game. If you feel thirsty, it is too late! Food should be easily digestible snacks. I like Cliff bars and bagels with peanut butter. You need calories during any climb. This is not the time to work on losing weight! It will happen no matter what you eat and if you don't keep your body fueled, you will be miserable and probably not summit.

Climbing Mt. Rainier

Q: Which route is most popular?
A: The Disappointment Cleaver or Ingraham Glacier by a huge margin. There are over 60 named routes, many of the very technical. Most have altitude gains of 9,000' with 30-45 degree grades. The Liberty Ridge is famous for it's difficulty and deaths. It has a gain of 11,400' with a maximum grade of 55 degrees. Another route, the North Mowich Ice Cliff has a maximum grade of 85 degrees - almost vertical!

Q: Do I really need a Guide?
A: It depends. 6,000 climbers a year try without a guide and their success rate is in the low 40% range. Rainier Mountaineering Inc (RMI) takes another 3,000 and about 70% make it with their guides. The difference is experience and knowledge. The RMI guides have years of experience and know the mountain as well as anyone. We used RMI since most of our team had limited experience in these climbing conditions. We had excellent weather and the route was well marked so they didn't have to work that hard. But if we had bad weather or one of our party became ill or got hurt, the guides would had been invaluable. As with most things in life, you don't appreciate them until you really need them.

Q: Are there other guides for Rainier other than RMI?
Yes. As of October 2006, The National Park Servce made a major change to the guiding permits on Rainier. RMI can now guide up to 24 climbers each night through Camp Muir, International Mountain Guides (IMG) and Alpine Ascents (AAI) can take up to 12 climbers nightly on the Muir route. The Emmons Glacier climb will be divided evenly among Alpine, IMG and RMI.

Also, one-third of the more than 50 summit routes will be off-limits to paid guide services. Additionally, commercial climbing will be restricted to Sunday night through Thursday night. Only private, non-commercial ascents will be allowed on weekends as well as weekdays.

Q: How did RMI perform on your climb?
A: Very well. The senior guide had summited 96 times and obviously knew Rainier well. The other two were first year guides and showed great maturity. But the common theme was their commitment to our team's safety and summit success - in that order. RMI has a monopoly in guiding Rainier and the NPS is looking at allowing other Guiding companies to enter the market. I think this will be good for climbers. With increased competition prices will drop and quality will improve. But overall, RMI did an excellent job and I would highly recommend them. My only grouse was a serious mix-up at Whitaker's Bunkhouse and the incredible poor quality of the "hut" at Camp Muir. But the first was addressed to our limited satisfaction and the second seems to come with climbing Rainier (bring a tent and sleep outside!)

Q: How long will it take?
A: Two days. From Paradise to Camp Muir, it takes about 5 hours at a leisurely pace. Then from Muir to the summit, using the Disappointment Cleaver route, the climb should take anywhere from 6 to 8 hours, depending on weather and your level of fitness. The return to Muir takes about half the time. We had a very fit team and made the summit in 5 hours 20 minutes and the return in just under 3 hours. The return to Paradise took 3 hours. Most people plan on leaving Muir about 1:00 AM. This being said, a 78 year-old woman made it from Paradise to the summit and back on one day in 2004!

Q: What kind of weather conditions will I experience?
A: Hot and sunny, cold and windy! Temperatures can range from 0 to 90 degrees in the summer and drop dramatically with a Pacific cold front moves in. Because of the elevation, on a sunny day, the sun is oppressive. The winds are one of the biggest problems. As we were descending, we experienced strong winds and a lenticular formed over the summit indicating strong winds. If we had been up there, we would have had to bivy or get down quickly since this can be a dangerous situation.

Q: Will altitude sickness a problem?
A: Altitude can be a problem for anyone above 8,000'. Especially if you live at low elevations and come to Washington and jump on a trail without spending a few days letting your body adjust. The trailhead is at 5,000' so you need some time to acclimatization. The best you can do is drink as much water as you can on the climb, protect yourself from the sun and wind and if you feel light-headed or nauseated take a break, have some water and food. Use your best judgment if you should go on. The only cure for altitude sickness is to go lower as fast as possible. Usually you need to descend 1,000' to start feeling better.

Q: What is the biggest problem most people face?
A: Some people underestimate this mountain. You can see it from Seattle and many highways. You hear about "everyone" climbing it and then see all ages, shapes and sizes on the trail. Surely I can make it! And, about half do. Many people get discouraged beyond Camp Muir when you deal with rocks, snow and steep climbs. They did not drink enough water and are dehydrated.

Q: Is it dangerous?
A: Absolutely. You should attempt Mt. Rainier with an appropriate amount of care. There have been many deaths throughout the years. Three to five people is the annual death toll. Most deaths are attributed to weather but most could have been avoided with better judgment as to turning around. Also poor fitness creates many problems. You need to be in excellent shape as Rainier demands strength and stamina. There are hidden crevasses, falling rock, steep slopes and extreme exposure on some routes. This is not a mountain to take chances.

Q: Can I do it?
A: What kind of shape are you in? Do you give up easy? Do you follow advice? Do you have a buddy that you share the experience with and lean on when it gets hard? Do you really want to climb Mt. Rainier? The bottom line is that with proper preparation and a positive attitude, you can do it! But if you don't try, you will never know. Mt. Rainier is a beautiful climb with so much variation that just being out there feels good. And remember, that standing on the summit of any mountain is not the end-game. It is having fun and telling all those lies the next day!