Mount Rainier Trip Report

[Chugach001]

Now you know what you're dealing with and that's a sure sign of success. There are plenty of half steps on the path to bigger hills. Next time you'll crush it.

 

[Gritter]

Great story, great job, and inspirational to my daughter and I since we've been kicking around the idea of some western peaks in the future. I haven't been around that altitude in years, but being turned back by conditions at altitude had the effect of making me appreciate the great opportunities we have here in the Whites. I can imagine the wheels are turning...thinking about getting out there again to give it another go. I know I am!

Mountaineering sounds like a great experience to share with your daughter! I hope you are able to get out there soon. I agree with you that the Whites are awesome. They have all of the snow, steep, wind and challenging conditions at a height where altitude is not a factor. that is why the Whites will always be my home base!

Good luck on making your adventure happen!

 

[Gritter]

Congrats on a great adventure, Gritter! I am just returning from an extended jaunt out west that included Rainier. What a fantastic mountain and one of the things I stressed on my trip was that the experience of each mountain was far more important than reaching the top. Sounds like you share my attitude of loving the entire mountain, not just the summit.

Congrats on your Rainier summit! We are certainly in the same boat that experience trumps all. Which route did you use?

 

[Gritter]

We did a day hike up and back to Muir from Paradise a couple days before our night at Muir, next night at Ingraham and summit. I'm sure that helped with the altitude. It also helped just to know we knew that section of the mountain, so there was no stress then about the beginning of the main trip.

Nice plan. Rainier dominates the landscape with no easy altitude nearby. The hike to Muir is really the ONLY non technical way to get some altitude near Rainier. I definitely plan to do the same thing during my next attempt.

In Colorado you can drive to over 14k, at Rainier you must earn it the hard way.

 

[Gritter]

Now you know what you're dealing with and that's a sure sign of success. There are plenty of half steps on the path to bigger hills. Next time you'll crush it.

So true! I will have a lot less anxiety about the next attempt because I will have a good idea as to what I am dealing with. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[Puma concolor]

Congrats on your Rainier summit! We are certainly in the same boat that experience trumps all. Which route did you use?

Same route as you ... DC. Big difference is that my trip was guided by International Mountain Guides. Night 1 at Muir; night 2 at Ingraham Flats. Started up the cleaver around 3 AM on summit day and hit the rim around 8 AM. Went with the guide service because I figured I might only get one shot at Rainier and wanted to maximize my chances. But I admire your efforts in putting together your own team.

 

[Gritter]

Same route as you ... DC. Big difference is that my trip was guided by International Mountain Guides. Night 1 at Muir; night 2 at Ingraham Flats. Started up the cleaver around 3 AM on summit day and hit the rim around 8 AM. Went with the guide service because I figured I might only get one shot at Rainier and wanted to maximize my chances. But I admire your efforts in putting together your own team.

There are definite pros to going guided. In my situation if we had guides, then some of the team could continue ascending while others could have descended with a guide.

Staying at Ingraham seems smart to reduce the summit day climbing by 1000 feet!