Mt Rainier 2026 Early Planning

[Amoon]

I’m doing some early planning.

 

I want to summit Mt Rainier.   I’ve climbed a lot and summited Grand Teton and Granite Peak.  Mt Rainier introduces glacier travel, and I have no experience with that.  I’m hoping to find a climbing partner this year and summit it n 2026.

 

a bit about me:

- I’ll turn 45 years old this year.

- avid climber.   I plan on climbing Mt Whitney East Face route this summer.

- Avid whitewater rafter.

- I live in Utah (Glaciers are hard to find here).

- Current Wilderness First Responder.

I’ve considered taking a glacier travel course.   But it seems inadequate to simply take a course in Utah and then immediately fly to Seattle and go up the DC route.

 That leaves me hiring a guide (RMI?) which is expensive and time consuming because they will review a lot of things I already know well and I’ll be grouped with complete novices.  OR. Finding an experienced partner or group to join who can show me the ropes of glacier travel and I can rely on their judgement and teaching.

I don’t care which route we climb.  I’ll be relying on your judgement.

Thoughts?  Hopefully a person or group here would be willing to add me in.  Maybe we climb something together this year to get acquainted?  I already know all the rock climbing skills including building equalized anchors, proper belay with devices and munter, hauling systems (3:1, 5:1, etc).  I think the glacier travel aspects and judgement is where I lack.

Thanks,

Adam 

[DoStuff]

Rock climbing and whitewater rafting seem pretty irrelevant for Mt Rainier.  I assume you will be doing DC or Emmons route? 

What about your steep snow experience or ice experience?  Do you understand use of snow pickets and deadman anchors?  Understand managing the rope while on a rope team? Self arrest? Fortunately, the DC route generally doesn't require much judgement in travel, unless the route falls apart while you are on it.  With RMI, you MAY be roped together with novices, but you possibly will be roped together with similar people like yourself and you will be roped with GUIDES that handle things when they go wrong. 

If you can get out here and climb Mt Baker, that would help you a lot, IMO.