mountaineer38

Erik, I'm flying to Seattle late on the 8th and don't have to fly home until early on the 17th. I'm coming out to climb & ski. I don't climb at the same level as yourself but I am an adventurous learner. Had planned week on Rainier but had considered N Cascades also. Please call me at (239) 560-7384 or e-mail me at dave10665@aol.com to discuss possible partnership. Thanks. David

Flying to SEATAC Fri. May 8th. Planning to skin up to Camp Muir, stay for a few days, practice skills, and possibly climb higher with others. I have all necessary gear. Completed 5 day RMI expedition climb in 2001, & have climbed various small jobs since then. Would appreciate any opportunities to climb with others, or even share/pay gas expense with someone going same direction same week.

Eric, my plans changed and I'm not able to fly to Seattle until late Wednesday afternoon. My cell phone is (239) 560-7384. In all honesty I'm probably not in proper condition to join you for a summit attempt anyway. I'll probably just climb to Muir and hang for a couple days or climb Unicorn for the view of Mt. Rainier instead. I've also considered some 8,000 to 9,000 peaks in North Cascades National Park as an alternative. If you are well conditioned though, you should try Rainier. David

My plans got changed anyway. I'm now flying out on Wednesday instead. I would love to read a trip report; however, on what the conditions were like for you today. Thanks for the reply. David

I don't have nearly the experience you have, but I did take the RMI Expedition Climb a few years ago but did not summit. I also did this year's Red Rocks Rendezvous and picked up some new skills setting anchors and belays. I have all my own gear and am planning to fly out to Rainier this weekend and stay 7 - 8 days and would like to climb.

I just posted a "beg" request on climber's board for transportation from SeaTac airport to Rainier this weekend. I am an intermediate downhill skier, and just bought my first AT setup and skins for the very trip you are talking about. I was going to climb up, camp at Muir several nights, skin up/ski down the area as much as possible and take pictures. I'm reading that new snow has been minimal on Muir snowfield. Have you skied the snowfield before? I've hiked to Muir and a little beyond.

I'm flying in from Florida this Saturday (9/23) and need transportation anytime after my arrival, from SeaTac to Paradise (or at least Ashford) and back again a week or so (flexible) later. Any help or advice? Or a ride? The shuttles seem to be defunct. Will pay for gas & meals. Anyone have a delivery job that takes them on this route? I could hitchhike but that seems a little iffy. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. David

Allow whoever will take them back to do so. Each person I have dealt with at Koflach/Atomic USA in New Hampshire has not been fair with me or backed up their product at all. As a result I will do my best to find a pair of Lowa, Vasque, or Scarpa boots that fit and climb well. Their service cannot be any worse than Koflach was to me.

I am an intermediate alpine skier, and a mountaineer. If my trips from Florida will mainly be to Rainier and the Cascades is the investment in AT gear worth the expense? I'm worried that AT boots would be painful to climb in versus a normal pair of mountaineering boots. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks, David

Anyone know anything about the Garmont Cruiser telemark boot? It's a leather boot with plastic buckle near top and a high cuff that looks like that on a double plastic boot. I'm considering a pair because I want to be able to skin up routes and ski down.

Does pyramid shaped, rocky looking peak visible in the distance on the way down from Paradise back to Ashford have any opportunities for practicing mixed climbing/alpine skills? Is it Pyramid Peak? It looks so enticing from a distance. Anyone have experience on it?

I am up for it. What would the basic plan be? I would be showing up in Seattle late tommorow with harness, boots, crampons, axe, pickets, screws, 8.5mm x 50M dry, clothing, helmet, etc.. I did RMI's expedition climb in 2000. Since then I've tried to stay in shape and collected the gear decscribed. I had been planning on climbing to Muir with hopes of joining a rope team there, but any idea is cool.

I don't know what exit 38 is but I am thinking of getting on a flight to Seattle from Florida tommorow AM, hoping to get to Rainier's Camp Muir to camp and climb for a few days. Does this sound like a good idea?

I did the RMI Expedition climb July 00. I shouldn't really complain, because the guides surely did a good job. It's just that I didn't summit and it was probably due to my own obsessing over surprise changes in the climb plan that I felt decreased my chance of summiting. Maybe the changes had to be, but I don't like surprises. I can't really blame them anymore than myself, and I guess changes in plan may be unavoidable, but I still hold them equally responsible. One thing that they deserve great kudos for was coaching, and pushing you to do better than you think you can. On the mountain I didn't like it, but I later came to greatly appreciate RMI guide Jason Tanguay as I went a lot higher and had a better experience than I would have if he hadn't pushed me to do my better than I was doing otherwise. If you can afford it, do it at least once with RMI or similar firm.

Seattle Manufacturing (SMC) makes a nice little prussik minding pulley for about $11. I bought 3 from The Summit Haus which allows me to set up a Z x C (6:1) crevasse rescue system.

My understanding is that a "team" of two or more climbers can go above the high camps with no "resume" of skills whatsoever (that's scary), but a solo climber must have the "solo permit" which from the application appears to be difficult to obtain. Is this rigidly enforced? Would you actually be fined or arrested if your skills motivated you to go even just a little beyond Muir, etc. (say Ingraham Flats) for a little more solitude, etc.?

I don't mind the heavy load if I'm only climbing 2,000 feet a day. I'd be happy to spend 4 days getting to the top and a least 2 getting down. I like the idea of acclimatizing a little each day. The climbing would be easier and I'd have the luxury of having shelter, stove, food, etc. with me nearly every moment except for the final short summit push up and down. Any comment to help and keep me safe? Thanks.

I've been lead to believe that in case of an emergency I should have my pack, sleeping bag, and more gear than I'd like to carry on the summit bid. A guide in europe seemed to be OK recommending nothing but a bottle of water, a power bar and ice axe to the top on a climb I scheduled that got cancelled. If that's safe on Rainier I can understand leaving from so low on the mountain; but if not, I do not want to climb 4,000 feet on summit day. I also like the idea of a day of acclimatization at 12,400. Any further advice? Thanks.

I'm a relative newcomer but noticed that: 1) most climbers know summiting Rainier is not easy, and 2) most using the DC route start their summit bid from Muir. Mike Gauthier in his excellent Rainier climbing guide says in part: "Ingraham Flats is a great high camp for a shorter summit day". Excuse my sarcasm (which is not aimed at Mike) but; Is summit day too short and easy of an experience for most? I'd like to start a summit bid from a camp even higher yet than Ingraham Flats and would take any of the many other routes if somebody could confirm my theory that there has to be somewhere to camp on that big mountain at 12,400 ft or so in order to make summit day just 2,000 ft and 3-4 hours to summit. Anyone able to confirm my theory (or offer a reasonable warning/theory to keep me from killing myself)? Thanks in advance!

I have considered exactly what you're recommending. Can you suggest any guide books (preferably with a few peaks in one book) that provide the detail I would need to make a decision? Thanks a lot. David

Thanks for the advice. I have a couple Rainier guide books, but still have to ask, how to you get from Camp Muir to Camp Schurman without going all the way back to Paradise?

Thanks for the advice. David

I tend to buy gear that I can't afford and don't really need. I'm outfitting myself for being able to start spending a week on a mountain (probably WA or CA volcanos), once a year (I live in Florida) until I get too old to climb. I figured I better buy an altimeter and maybe a GPS. Any suggestions a more experienced climber can offer? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

I have a Maxim 10.5mm x 60M Bi-Color (pattern changes in middle of rope) Dry Rope for sale. I bought it before I knew what I really needed. Took it to back yard and ran it through an anchor up my tree to practice prussik ascension of the rope 3 or 4 times. It's never seen rock, ice or snow, essentially brand new. I want to buy a lighter, 8mm x 37M or 50M dry rope for simple glacier travel. This is a very nice rope that I'd like to get $80 and shipping for to help pay for the rope I really need.

I am a mellow mountaineer stuck in Florida. Have spent a week (RMI Expedition Climb) on Rainier and soloed snowfield climb from Kleine Scheidegg, Switzerland up to the point on Eiger North Face where the climbing became technical and stopped there. I want to come back to Rainier, camp at Muir or higher several days, explore various routes. Love to climb, summit success secondary. I practice crevasse rescue, etc right here in FLA. Please help a new climber with ideas. Thanks.