Climb Itinerary

J. Ott:
As I've noted before, I have no mountaineering experience and have employed Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. (RMI) as a guide service.  The following info is from their website, check them out at www.rmiguides.com

The Four Day Summit Climb is our most popular program. This climb is ideal for first time mountaineers, as well as experienced climbers who are in great physical condition. Mountaineering skills learned during Days One and Two will prepare climbers to safely attempt an ascent of Mt. Rainier with a guide leading their rope. Our route ascends either the Ingraham Glacier orDisappointment Cleaver and utilizes Camp Muir, allowing us to climb with less group gear and lighter packs. The program consists of a Pre-Trip Orientation, Mountaineering Day School and a Summit Climb.

(For us, Day 1 = Sunday, July 15.  The following is abridged from their site for brevity)

Day 1:  Pre-trip Orientation
3PM -6PM:  Meet at RMI Rainier basecamp in Ashford, WA.  Welcome and introduction of team members and guides. Discuss personal equipment and gear check, intoduction to safety practices using helmets, harnesses, and avalanche transceivers, and instruction on environmental considerations.

Day 2:  Mountaineering Day School
815AM-5PM:  Meet at RMI Rainier basecamp with pack for Day School gear. Shuttle ride to Paradise, WA.  The day is spent on lower snow slopes of Mt Rainier between 6000 and 6600 feet, offering instruction of various techniques and skills including rest-stepping, pressure breathing, cramponing, roped travel, and ice axe arrest practices.

Days 3&4:  The Summit Climb
The Summit Climb takes over the course of 2 days.  First day we hike to Camp Muir, and on the second day we make the summit attempt and all the way back to Rainier basecamp.
815AM:  Short team meeting. Paradise (5400 ft) to Camp Muir (10060 ft) is nearly 4.5 miles and travels through the alpine zone onto the Muir Snowfield which is climbed for some 3000 vertical feet.  Groups usually climb for an hour and rest for 10-15 min.  Camp Muir 'accommodations' consist of a small mountain hut with bunks and sleeping pads.  Go to bed early.  Day 4 starts pretty early.
Day 4: The push to the Summit
About 1AM: Get your gear you need, leave the rest. The typical route begins with a rising traverse across the Cowlitz Glacier and then ascends the pumiced switchbacks of Cathedral Gap.  Reaching the Ingraham Glacier provides access to the Disappointment Cleaver route, the physical crux of the route.  Zig and zag through multiple crevasses of the upper mountain to the summit (14410 ft).  Here, we're only halfway done.  Descending back down to Camp Muir takes about half the time of the ascent.  Take a break at Muir, get all your gear and back down to Paradise.