After two “non-summit” years on Everest, I was down and wanted a summit. I contacted new and old friends about a Rainier climb, and the Rainier 9 was born. We trained together and virtually for a year to prepare; for many of the team, this would be their first true snow climb.
Since we signed up with RMI, we booked our non-climbing nights at Whittaker’s Bunkhouse in the small town of Ashford, Washington. A mix-up in the reservation made months earlier made for a poor start with RMI, as they said they could only accommodate five of our nine for our stay. Even a talk with Lou Whittaker himself couldn’t change anything, so we were evicted and relocated to the Gateway Inn outside the park boundary. Sarah Whittaker, daughter-in-law – married to Win, sought us out later to make amends. She restored our faith in the customer orientation of RMI with her personal touch.
Our team arrived on Friday night, July 10, 2004, and rendezvoused at the Gateway Inn. We had a nice dinner at the Copper Creek restaurant, complete with blackberry dressing, blackberry sauce and blackberry pie for dessert. The next day was climbing school, and then we had an early evening for the two-day climb ahead.
We returned to RMI Sunday to meet our guides: Jeff Justman (JJ), David Conlan, and Corey Raivio. This was JJ’s 96th summit, while Dave and Corey were first-year guides with less than seven summits under their belts. They were polite, professional, and humorous as they walked us through the routine. We loaded into a small bus with all our gear for the forty-minute ride to where the climb starts near the National Park Service lodge at Paradise, Washington, within the Mt. Rainier National Park boundaries.
There are four legs to climb Rainier: Paradise to Camp Muir, Camp Muir to the summit, and back to Muir and Paradise. The first leg started by following an asphalt trail that helps non-climbers get a little closer to nice views Rainier (on a clear day!). We carefully got in a single file line to avoid overrunning the tourists. It had been rainy for the two previous days, and none of our team had seen the mountain, so when the clouds broke from the summit, we paused to take some pictures along with the Grand Ma’s and kids on the trail.
After passing Pebble Creek at 7,200′, we stepped onto the Muir Snowfield. This large snow slope leads to Camp Muir at 10,040’—some relatively steep sections along the way and a few small (15′) walls. Everyone did fine as we enjoyed the views. Rainier became huge before us as the clouds cleared, and the sun shone bright and hot. We were dressed in light clothes, but shorts and T-shirts would have been more appropriate. I thought of carrying my double plastic boots in my pack, but it was too much, so I plodded along in my Koflach’s without crampons.
Our packs were loaded with food for the next 24 hours, snacks, and water. We all had a full-down jacket for the rest stops on the high mountain, plus the requisite Gortex shells and pants. Three layers of gloves, crampons, an ice axe and a sleeping bag rounded out the load, which totaled about 40 lbs.
After 4250′ and 5 hours 20 minutes later, including a couple of breaks, we arrived at Camp Muir. I must say that I was pretty surprised at just how primitive the sleeping hut was. This was rustic beyond imagination after spending time in New Zealand and Colorado Huts. I didn’t expect luxury, but the box was nothing more than a box. It had wooden shelves on both end walls on three levels, accommodating 35 people sleeping side by side. JJ gave us a clue to grab “one of the better spaces” quickly as the next RMI team approached the camp.
We put our packs on a rock ledge above the Box and took our sleeping bags inside. RMI does provide sleeping pads, but they are old and thin. Their full-time “cook” brought down hot water and provided plenty of cold water to rehydrate. JJ informed everyone at a briefing inside the stinky box that all three RMI teams would leave for the summit climb as soon after the wake-up call as possible. And that “lights out” was at 6:00 PM, only three hours from now.
We checked our gear and ensured we had our climbing clothes inside the Box as we drank plenty of water and made dinners. I was glad to have chosen a simple freeze-dried meal that involved eating directly from the bag – easy to make, easy to eat, easy to clean up! I crawled into my bag about six and put my MP3 earbuds in. This was my key to getting any sleep with 30 people moving around, talking, farting, snoring, groaning, laughing, well you get the idea. But still, midnight came none too soon!
Once JJ announced it was time to “Rock and Roll,” everyone dressed quickly, including putting on the avalanche beacons required by RMI insurance. Helmets and harnesses were also provided at the hut. The Rainier 9 was to be the first up the mountain, so we gathered outside the box to attach our crampons and rope up. The sky was perfectly clear, with little wind and a temperature around freezing.
I anchored the lead rope with JJ in front and two teammates in between. We started steadily at 1:20 AM, utilizing pressure breathing and the rest step. This was to be routine for the next nine hours. The route started as an easy traverse across the Cowlitz glacier from Camp Muir with little altitude gain. Once we hit the Cathedral Rocks, we left snow and hit a mix of dirt, rock and boulders, aka scree. This was the first hint of things to come. The trail was well-worn through the Cathedral Gap as we made our way up about 300′ to the Ingraham Glacier.
It was dark, so we could not appreciate the views in front of us, but we knew we were climbing higher as we approached the first rest stop at Ingraham Flats after a 1000′ gain and one hour of climbing. As it became routine, we dropped our packs, put on our down jackets, drank half a liter of water and ate a Cliff Bar or other snack. Each break only took about 10 to 15 minutes, maximum.
Back on the route, we approach the “crux” of our climb: Disappointment Cleaver. This 1,000-foot crumbly rock bulge was safer to ascend than the crevasse-ridden Ingraham. We would see the difference upon our return later that day. One section of the route along the Cleaver tracks underneath a rock wall, thus the need to stay focused on the trail and alert for falling rock. Even with helmets, it would be serious if one of these large rocks released on top of you!
Once past the “Backboard,” we steadily climbed the cleaver. Switchbacks were mainly at a steady rate. We continued our 1,000-foot-an-hour pace until the next break on top of the Cleaver. The sun was just starting to rise in the east, making the entire area softly lit. At the break, there was a little talking as we ate and drank and took in the views of Mt. Adams, Hood and St. Helens to the south. With the crux behind us, JJ announced we were almost to the summit. However, we were at 12,300′ with another 1,811 to go! It was about 4:15 AM.
Now focused on the final legs, we climbed the Emmons Glacier to our last break at “High Break,” or 13,500′. With dawn complete, we could easily see the route but not exactly where the summit was. Some team members began to feel the altitude, but everyone maintained their pace with good resting steps and pressure breathing techniques. And then we were there! The summit crater. It was a nice rounded area with fifty-foot walls, thus defining the crater. It was filled with snow but not deep.
We waited for the last Rainier 9 members to arrive and continued up to Columbia Crest, the true summit of Mt. Rainier. Even though volcanists define a volcano’s summit as the crater, mountaineers claim the highest spot at the summit, so off we went. The views were impressive: Washington and Oregon volcanoes to the south and the north, the sub-peaks of Point Success and Liberty Cap, with the infamous Liberty Ridge just out of sight. After a few pictures and a summit video, we returned to sign the log book nestled in some rocks near the west side of the crater.
After an hour, we left for Camp Muir. We all felt pretty good but a little tired. We would have felt better if we had known we had made it from Camp Muir to the summit in 5 hours and 20 minutes, which was a season speed record for an RMI team in 2004.
The downclimb to the Cleaver was steep. I have always maintained that it is much easier to go up than down – especially with bad knees! But we pushed on through the Cleaver with no real surprises until we approached the Backboard- where rocks fall on top of your head! Now, the real dangers of Rainier revealed themselves: deep, long crevasses, sharp rock walls and ice cliffs – even in July. We went down to the Ingraham Glacier, where we took our final break and reflected on our climb with our Guides.
Finally, we were back at Camp Muir. The return trip took 3 hours and 11 minutes. We drank some more water and repacked our sleeping bags and other gear for the final leg to Paradise. The guides and Canadians boot-skied down, but we slow folks took about two and a half hours. Once there, we took the bus back to RMI headquarters for a cold beer.
Rainier was an excellent climb for me. It was good to be back on steep snow slopes in crampons with my ice axe. The Rainier 9 was a fantastic team that made the trip even more fun. Our guides did a first-rate job of getting us to the top and back down safely and enjoyably.
Mt. Rainier is “only” 14,111 feet high, but it is a world-class mountain in every aspect. It has difficulty, mixed terrain, and weather and, like all other mountains, is unforgiving of mistakes. We were fortunate to have almost perfect conditions. As we were trekking out, a lenticular cloud formed on the summit. It was almost like she said, “You got me this time, but watch out next!”
Rainier Resources
- Rainier Home
- Rainier Summit Climb 2015 Report
- Rainier Summit Climb 2012 Report
- Rainier Summit Climb 2004 Report
- Rainier FAQ
