If you, assuming that you have little to no mountianeering experience like myself, decide that you want to try something like this, I would strongly encourage you to obtain the services of a commercial guide. Furthermore, I would highly recommend Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. I've said before that I've never touched an ice axe or crampons before going into this adventure, and I can honestly say that RMI provided the appropriate amount of training and guidance to provide the opportunity for my group not only to reach the summit but also safely descend back down the mountain.
I entitled this entry a "shameless plug" but it is a little more than that. Here's a specific example:
Right after my group got started from Camp Muir, we encountered several groups on a segment called Cathedral Gap which is a rocky climb between two much larger rocky ridges. By this time it was about 2 or 2:30 AM and other groups on Cathedral Gap slowed us down a bit, much like the stop-and-go of rush hour traffic. I could tell our guides were a bit frustrated with the slow pace, and once we reached the slow group, I could tell why. Their rope between climbers was pretty slack. One guy had about 5 feet of slack behind him, and it was getting caught on rocks/boulders and he was stepping on it with his crampons. He was yelling at the lady in front of him to keep going and she was yelling back. It wasn't pretty. Being mindful of our training about maintaining proper rope interval (aka keep the slack out of the rope), we zipped right by them in a safe place and went on our merry way. That whole time I thought "I am so glad I signed up with RMI."
I was the last climber on my rope team and another RMI-led rope team was right behind me. Right after the slack-rope incident, someone from that troubled rope team hollered to the guide behind me "Hey, is this the way to the DC (Disappointment Cleaver)?". Guide: "Yep, we're headed that way and you can just follow us." Now, let me recap. It's pretty dark at 2:30 AM. This rope team is struggling to get through a rocky section. They've been on the trail for about an hour or so, and at least one person is wondering if they're going the right way? Seriously? I obviously signed up with a guide service but I still knew landmarks and sections of the climb like Cathedral Gap and the DC. I admit that I assumed I knew where I was going and it's easy to say that because I was doing the following, but I can guarantee you that if I were going "unguided" that I would know the route forwards and backwards (and have the proper training to boot) before attempting anything like this. I only assume that these people weren't with a guide. Not sure which would be scarier--a group of independents not well versed in rope travel or in the route itself, or if the folks were with a commercial guide who didn't provide proper training and who didn't know the route. Either way sounds like much higher risk for bad news.
Little to no experience? Don't know anyone you can trust with your life (quite literally) to take you up the mountain? No problem. Hire RMI!
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