CRAZY BOB
New member
Trip Details
Date: Tuesday through Friday, August 24-27, 2010
Mountain: Mt. Rainier
Elevation: 14,410 ft
Trail: Camp Muir, Cowlitz Glacier, Cathedral Gap, Ingraham Flats, Disappointment Cleaver
Distance: A lot
Climbers: Crazy Bob and Dana Seguin w/RMI guides and featuring Jorge Paz, the soloist. And last but certainly not least, Gladys.
Day 1:
After a good night’s sleep in Hood River we load up and head to RMI base camp facilities in Ashford, WA. We meet with the guides at 3:00pm and after a brief introduction they go through our gear checklist and we watch a short video on what we can expect. Afterwards, Jorge drives me up to Paradise so I can see Rainier up close for the first time. Seeing the mountain up close just blew me away.
Day 2:
We leave RMI base camp and drive to Paradise for our mountaineering day school while Jorge tries to secure a solo climbing pass. The school session covered rest stepping, pressure breathing, ice ax arresting and rope travel. The class was worthwhile and although the techniques they showed us I thought I already knew quite well, but if you don’t practice them on a regular basis while hiking you tend the forget the techniques altogether. Right before we returned to Paradise we spotted Jorge who did share with us that the rangers granted him a solo permit and he would try to summit in the morning.
Day 3:
At 9:30am we meet at Paradise (5,400’) and start our 4.5 mile hike up to Camp Muir (10,060). The hike starts on a paved path that quickly turns into a smooth dirt path. Right after lunch we hit the Muir Snowfield for the 3,000 ft climb up to Camp Muir. Upon arriving at Camp Muir we quickly file into the bunkhouse and prep our gear for our summit bid at midnight. After a quick meal Jorge appears at our camp and is quick to tell us he’d successfully summitted Rainier earlier that morning (along with his companion, Gladys). Jorge and I chatted outside for a while so I could get as many details about the route. Jorge was happy to share the information and he wished me luck, handed off Gladys to me and resumed his descent to Paradise. At 6:00pm the lights went out in the bunkhouse and 17 of us tried to catch a few zzzz’s before midnight.
Day 4:
At midnight the guides turned the lights on and gave us one hour to eat, dress and pack our gear before we head out for the summit. That was the best 15 minutes of sleep I’d had in quite a few days! After we put on our helmets, headlights, crampons and warm clothes we assembled our rope teams. The guides lead us onto the Cowlitz Glacier. The temps were in the low 20’s and the winds were in the 40’s. Luckily the clouds were just below 10,000 feet. The guides hoped we would stay above the cloud ceiling but thought we might encounter precipitation. After leaving Cowlitz we ascend Cathedral Gap which was all loose volcanic scree. This proved to be quite tricky w/crampons. RMI’s rules are once you step on the glacier you must wear your helmets, crampons, harness and be roped in. Once we stepped onto Ingraham Glacier the footing was better. At Ingraham Flats we took our first break where a couple of people had already decided to call it a day and head back. The next challenge was the infamous Disappointment Cleaver. At this time of the year the Cleaver does not have much snow and it is a 1,100 ft vertical wall which you switchback on loose rotten volcanic rock. No chance of arresting in this section. At the top of the Cleaver we took a break and the guides told the group that this is the last turnaround spot and if anyone is not 100% at this point, they may want to consider turning back. Five people in our group took the guide’s advice and turned back. I, along with 8 others pushed on to the summit. At this point we stay on the glacier and cross or jump several crevasses and keep moving. At “High Break” we stop to watch the sunrise peering above the storm clouds at 10,000 ft. After “High Break” we jump/cross a few more crevasses, the most notable one had a ladder with 2x4’s crossing it (way cool). The guides were concerned with the high winds and storm at 10,000 ft so our time on top of Rainier lasted only minutes, thus the reason there are no appearances of Gladys at that time. The trip back was fairly straightforward until we returned to the Cleaver. The great thing about climbing at night is that you can’t see all the scary stuff. Now the problem is we’re descending in the light and I much preferred the look of the Cleaver in the pitch black of the night. Descending the Cleaver was okay since we took it slowly and cautiously. By no means should you fall in this area as there would be no hope of arresting. As my good friend Jorge likes to say, “climbing is perfectly safe just as long as you don’t fall”. Back to the “flats” for a quick break with the next stop at Camp Muir. We stop at Camp Muir for one hour to pack our remaining gear and head back down to Paradise. Now it’s time for burgers, beers and sightseeing for a few days. The trip would not have been a success if it wasn’t for Jorge’s guidance and support and Dana’s handling of the logistics and RMI and also for Jorge’s sister and brother-in-law for putting us up for several nights while in Seattle.
Link to Pictures:http://community.webshots.com/album/578572444hmoRex?vhost=community
Date: Tuesday through Friday, August 24-27, 2010
Mountain: Mt. Rainier
Elevation: 14,410 ft
Trail: Camp Muir, Cowlitz Glacier, Cathedral Gap, Ingraham Flats, Disappointment Cleaver
Distance: A lot
Climbers: Crazy Bob and Dana Seguin w/RMI guides and featuring Jorge Paz, the soloist. And last but certainly not least, Gladys.
Day 1:
After a good night’s sleep in Hood River we load up and head to RMI base camp facilities in Ashford, WA. We meet with the guides at 3:00pm and after a brief introduction they go through our gear checklist and we watch a short video on what we can expect. Afterwards, Jorge drives me up to Paradise so I can see Rainier up close for the first time. Seeing the mountain up close just blew me away.
Day 2:
We leave RMI base camp and drive to Paradise for our mountaineering day school while Jorge tries to secure a solo climbing pass. The school session covered rest stepping, pressure breathing, ice ax arresting and rope travel. The class was worthwhile and although the techniques they showed us I thought I already knew quite well, but if you don’t practice them on a regular basis while hiking you tend the forget the techniques altogether. Right before we returned to Paradise we spotted Jorge who did share with us that the rangers granted him a solo permit and he would try to summit in the morning.
Day 3:
At 9:30am we meet at Paradise (5,400’) and start our 4.5 mile hike up to Camp Muir (10,060). The hike starts on a paved path that quickly turns into a smooth dirt path. Right after lunch we hit the Muir Snowfield for the 3,000 ft climb up to Camp Muir. Upon arriving at Camp Muir we quickly file into the bunkhouse and prep our gear for our summit bid at midnight. After a quick meal Jorge appears at our camp and is quick to tell us he’d successfully summitted Rainier earlier that morning (along with his companion, Gladys). Jorge and I chatted outside for a while so I could get as many details about the route. Jorge was happy to share the information and he wished me luck, handed off Gladys to me and resumed his descent to Paradise. At 6:00pm the lights went out in the bunkhouse and 17 of us tried to catch a few zzzz’s before midnight.
Day 4:
At midnight the guides turned the lights on and gave us one hour to eat, dress and pack our gear before we head out for the summit. That was the best 15 minutes of sleep I’d had in quite a few days! After we put on our helmets, headlights, crampons and warm clothes we assembled our rope teams. The guides lead us onto the Cowlitz Glacier. The temps were in the low 20’s and the winds were in the 40’s. Luckily the clouds were just below 10,000 feet. The guides hoped we would stay above the cloud ceiling but thought we might encounter precipitation. After leaving Cowlitz we ascend Cathedral Gap which was all loose volcanic scree. This proved to be quite tricky w/crampons. RMI’s rules are once you step on the glacier you must wear your helmets, crampons, harness and be roped in. Once we stepped onto Ingraham Glacier the footing was better. At Ingraham Flats we took our first break where a couple of people had already decided to call it a day and head back. The next challenge was the infamous Disappointment Cleaver. At this time of the year the Cleaver does not have much snow and it is a 1,100 ft vertical wall which you switchback on loose rotten volcanic rock. No chance of arresting in this section. At the top of the Cleaver we took a break and the guides told the group that this is the last turnaround spot and if anyone is not 100% at this point, they may want to consider turning back. Five people in our group took the guide’s advice and turned back. I, along with 8 others pushed on to the summit. At this point we stay on the glacier and cross or jump several crevasses and keep moving. At “High Break” we stop to watch the sunrise peering above the storm clouds at 10,000 ft. After “High Break” we jump/cross a few more crevasses, the most notable one had a ladder with 2x4’s crossing it (way cool). The guides were concerned with the high winds and storm at 10,000 ft so our time on top of Rainier lasted only minutes, thus the reason there are no appearances of Gladys at that time. The trip back was fairly straightforward until we returned to the Cleaver. The great thing about climbing at night is that you can’t see all the scary stuff. Now the problem is we’re descending in the light and I much preferred the look of the Cleaver in the pitch black of the night. Descending the Cleaver was okay since we took it slowly and cautiously. By no means should you fall in this area as there would be no hope of arresting. As my good friend Jorge likes to say, “climbing is perfectly safe just as long as you don’t fall”. Back to the “flats” for a quick break with the next stop at Camp Muir. We stop at Camp Muir for one hour to pack our remaining gear and head back down to Paradise. Now it’s time for burgers, beers and sightseeing for a few days. The trip would not have been a success if it wasn’t for Jorge’s guidance and support and Dana’s handling of the logistics and RMI and also for Jorge’s sister and brother-in-law for putting us up for several nights while in Seattle.
Link to Pictures:http://community.webshots.com/album/578572444hmoRex?vhost=community
