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doubleb697
Jul 21, 2001, 12:52 AM
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I am planning on climbing Ranier next year in april or december. Does any one have info or has anyone climbned it before? Which months are better, what gear did u bring what food did you eat? Can you give me all the info.
Thanks
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russman
Jul 21, 2001, 2:54 AM
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I have never climbed it...want too though. many friends have. goto the search link here and type it in and search www.
i just did and a lot of stuff showed up, will probably have to sift thru stuff. have fun
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atg200
Jul 27, 2001, 8:49 PM
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if you have to ask these questions, you need a guide-call rmi.
summer is best. winter is very cold and spring is avalanche season. keep in mind that rainier is a big glaciated volcano and you need to know crevasse rescue and glacier travel. i was on rainier in june when an avalanche killed a climber on disappointment cleaver, the normal route.
rainier is great if you know what you are doing, but don't underestimate it.
andrew
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russman
Aug 12, 2001, 4:31 PM
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actually cam...they discover this last year that they were short about 2-4 feet ( i can't remember) but I think it is now lsited at 14,412. Tallest Mt. in teh lower 48 states. Biggest inactive volcano located within major killing distance in all of us...if it were to blow...say good bye to Seattle, Tacoma, and many little towns on that side of the mountains...Here in Central WA, we would proably be onthe ocean if it actually exploded Just kidding...but it is a beautiful site to see as you are heading into Seattle
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mnutz
Aug 12, 2001, 6:53 PM
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Read Bruce Barcott's "The Measure of a Mountain". An excellent overall look at Rainier.
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climb512
Nov 30, 2001, 7:53 AM
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have been playing around with the idea of rainier next summer and while talikg to some people who have done it and gone back without guides. all come to the same conclusion, dont use rmi. they tell me that they run more of a herding service to the top. anyone else here this?
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atg200
Dec 2, 2001, 9:22 PM
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Ooh, bad beta here. Do not bring a static line! A very dynamic rope is necessary-I generally use a single 8.8 Keep in mind that snow anchors are not as good as ice or rock, and a crevasse fall with a static line will almost certainly end with the whole team in the slot.
Whitney is highest, and Elbert Massive and Harvard in Colorado are all high as well. Rainier is the largest mountain the lower 48 and the most heavily glaciated. I can never remember if it or Mt Shasta has the most vertical gain from the valley floor.
Any guide service is basically herding, but at least the DC route is more interesting then Emmons Glacier(RMI is the only cencession allowed to guide DC). Better yet, learn your stuff on lower mountains, and go do Liberty Ridge, Ptarmigan Ridge, or some other good route like that.
For what its worth, I think Orizaba in Mexico is much easier than Rainier(though much higher) and is an excellent place to learn about glacier travel. Combine it with Ixta, and you'll be ready for Rainier on your own.
andrew
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mountainrat
Dec 3, 2001, 1:17 AM
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Check out the piece in the latest issue of ROCK & ICE. There are also a few good bits on other tasty 14-ers in the lower 48. BTW, Whitney is the highest in the '48. Have a blast. I'm looking forward to doing it too.
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graniteboy
Dec 4, 2001, 8:33 PM
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Response to 512climber and to the original post: yes, it sounds like the one who posted needs a guide if they're gonna do Raineer nxt year. And yes, RMI is a cattle herding operation. All commercial guiding is essentially cattle herding for money.
My advice to all aspiring alpinists; there are no shortcuts. Pay your dues, pay your dues and pay your dues. If U wanna do raineer, spend a few seasons running up and down smaller or more tame volcanoes. Although the mexico volcanoes are taller, they're much more tame, and it costs less to take a bus or train to Mexico city and do orizaba than it does to pay someone to haul your butt up raineer. Go try Orizaba (~18,700ft or so). You can drink good tequila down there, too. I had a nice nap in the warm summit sands...
Then, just think; you'll only be a decade's worth of serious climbing till you're ready for Denali. Or you can pay someone to herd you. But if you're gonna be a cow, just say moo, and buy the video instead.
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gooch
Jan 7, 2002, 7:26 PM
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Agree with atg200, just because it is low does not mean it does not have it's dangers.
Crevasses and avalanches, and rock fall.
If you do not know about crampons, self arrest and rope travel, best to use RMI, take a course that will at least teach you the basics, and get you up and down safe.
July and August are the best time for a summit. This is the most Glaciated mountain in the lower 48 so it does have to be taken seriously even thoughit is a farily easy climb
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keema
Jan 13, 2002, 9:52 PM
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You can also find info on Rainier in Climbing the Cascade Volcanoes by Jeff Smoot. Also some good beta can be found at Summit Post as well as Cascade Climbers
[ This Message was edited by: keema on 2002-01-13 13:59 ]
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ravens_wing_jim
Jan 22, 2002, 11:56 PM
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I did Rainier twice, years "92" and "93".
Damn I'm getting old.
Anyway I was lucky enough to be able to
follow my good buddy at the time(and the guy
who got me into climbing)as well as a couple
other experianced climbers.
Both years we climbed it by way of the
Emmons Glacier in july(standard route).
And yes there can be a lot of other climbers
on that route, at that time of year, but
have you ever been on the Standard Palmer
Glacier route on Mt Hood in late may or early
june?(tee hee).
So anyway, I dug the hell out of the Emmons,
have no regrets, and that is one BIG chunk
of ice!
p.s. did ya know that Everest climbers train
on rainier because of the simularities of
the two mountains? Minus the altitude of
coarse.
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blueman
Feb 28, 2002, 8:49 PM
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Alot of good beta here. RMI, if you're not experienced, is an excellent guide service. I used them June 2001. Yes, a bit of a cattle call, but if you don't have the skills, or the friends to follow, it's alot better than taking the risk and doing this on your own. Andrew, do you have any good resources for Ixta and Orizaba?
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atg200
Feb 28, 2002, 10:10 PM
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Registered: Jul 27, 2001
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sure, blueman - me
what do you want to know? maybe make a separate post in this forum.
andrew
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