summitchaserCJB

Ya true. I do, however, get off the couch so I think I have a vote in this.

alright alright. I've kept my mouth shut but I've gotta chime in. There is obviously some subjectivity in this process. But some dude posting pics and info about his trip up Pilchuck over and over is going to change what CC is about. Ya some climbs are more boring than others (some climbs of Rainier are boring little hikes essentially), but this site is still about climbing. We shouldn't need to define that as it is very intuitive.

Scrambling isn't climbing. Use your own judgement.

I'm not a M.D. but ya it is possible to bruise the spine. You could have a stress fracture though. I've bruised bones many times and they heal.

Zagori Bivy (sierra designs). Has an internal pole.

Sierra designs has a couple. I got the Red one (sorry I can't think of the name- it isn't the nassava). I haven't used it yet but I think it is made of Event fabric. They are moderatly priced. MSR has one for less than 100 bucks.

Yep. I should have added cheese and crackers.

What is your favorite food to eat while climbing? Pithy? Yes. Me? Assorted bars, beef jerk, shot blocks if I get them for free.

"I hope they catch whoever did this and you get them first before they goto prison." Too true.

Cool.

OK, here is a list of questions I have about climbing Mount Rainier even though I am years away from attempting it: Thanks for asking. This was covered but I'll reiterate. 1. Even though with weather being unpredictable, what is the Best Time of Year (month) to try and make your first climb? Probably July. As a rule of thumb the earlier the climb, the more snow and colder it will be (to a point). However, the crevases will be more covered so it makes it faster. 2. How many people here attempted their first Mt Rainier climb without a guide service? I plan to. 3. What are the "Must Have" things that each climber must have with them? (looking for a list of things...boots, water supply, other equipment, How much food and what kind, etc, etc) In terms of hardware: rope, crampons, ice ax, ice screws, pickets, pully, ascenders, GPS, map, common sense, plenty of food, gels, 2 liters of h20 per day, gaitors, warm boots, down jacket, shell, ect ect. 4. Why do people always write that they start the climb from Muir at Midnight or 1am? Why not wait until the sun comes up? Because it takes a long time to get up to the summit, and then back down to high camp or even the car in some cases. Also it is best to climb when things are frozen because the danger of rock fall is decreased. 5. What is this registar book I read about...is there a "sign in" book at the top? Does Rainier have one right now? I know Baker does. Hood doesn't that I know of. 6. What exactly is Altitude sickness? A cluster of symptoms that come upon some people at certain altitudes, sometimes as low as 9,000 feet. Symptoms include confusion, sickness, extreme H/A, ect, ect. 7. What is "push breathing"? Forcefully exhaling. This increases the amount of c02 exhaled and makes us breath more purposefully. 8. Are there mandatory classes you must attend before obtaining a climbing permit? No. 9. What is your list of Newbie Mistakes that you have seen or heard about? There are many. Carrying too much, carrying too little, having too little experience/too much confidence. 10. What are the chances Jessica Alba will be free to go with me on my first attempt? 0%

Not really. If it is uiaa certified, from my experience, you can't go wrong. It all depends on what your preferences are and what you want to spend. The ropes I use for most anything are my beal jokers. Not really the best for glacier travel (personally I like something that can take a crampon without my much trouble). They are 9.2 mm single, double or twin ropes. Don't really do much twin these days as it is less than efficent for me. Doubles are nice for three person multipitch on technical stuff. These really aren't for top-roping for obvious reasons. For trad, alpine, or ice they rock. I also really liked Edelwiss because they are quality ropes for not a ton of cash. You used to be able to find them for cheap on gearexpress.com. I don't know if you still can. Good luck.

go figure. PNW indeed.

Nice Steve. Climbing in that cold takes balls.

Nice one Mark. My brother and I did that in much less fat conditions the 29th. -Colin

Well I'm not sure they'd advocate modifying their product. At least from a warranty standpoint.

Great photo.

got em. Do you know how to modify them so they are step-in crampon compatible (do you just cut right through or is there a more refined way of doing it?)

I wasn't aware that it ever was snow free all the way to the summit. When I climbed it it was snowy from base camp up. Don't remember the time of year..

Well, if you want to spend some cash and get a lot in return look for the Nepal Evo. Probably overkill for what you want but...if you are going to spend the money some day might as well make the investment. Just my .02. I just got them recently and love them with all my heart.

For sure.

And am I blowing this out of porportion? It has been a couple years and a whole lot of climbing experience sinced I climbed Adams but I distinctly recall the hard ice conditions and my partner glissading on moderate slops and practically getting his ass kicked by the hard conditions. Thoughts?

"I have to disagree you need that gear. No need for rope, crampons, or ice ax on the south side route. Bring plenty of warm clothes and shell and good boots, it can be like the Artic up there when its 70 degrees down below. But it is just a hike, they used to take mules loaded with ore up and down it. You will want to do it in good weather and watch the clouds as you climb and skedaddle down if they approach if you don't have good route finding skills. As if you get in a white out on the summit or false summit or somewhere in between, you could get off route into advanced terrain but thats unlikely if you are paying attention." Dude, what are you talking about. That kind of advice can kill someone. Yes, it can be done without an ax, rope and crampons, but I've seen the dog route really icy in the summer where a fall could be fatal with super hard snow. I am quite experienced on glaciated peaks and I'd still bring crampons, ax and rope. At least bring crampons so if it gets icy you won't have to cut steps with the ice ax you didn't bring!

Barney's Rubble, clamshell cave, mountaineer's buttress (not all that hard). Classic crack buttress (doing the dishes is a good 12 there.)

hmm, what is toproping? There's not that many good places. Tons of good trad leading areas, multipitch, just not much toproping. L-worth has some for sure.