Rainier for the novice

[SCTrojan]

I was just wondering how impossible it would be for two climbers (like me and my friend) to climb Rainier with limited glacier experience? We have done some rope work on Mt. Hood's south side and we climbed Mt. Adams via southside. We are in great physical condition and skilled in wilderness travel and outdoors survival, we just lack technical mountaineering skills. Would it be possible to climb Rainier as a pair if we just brushed up on a few things or would that be suicide?

[ivan]

of course you can climb rainier w/ little glacier experience, especially if you take rmi's dog route up the disappointment cleaver...but you're up shit's creek if something goes wrong and you don't know what the hell to do. there are monster crevasses up high. shit, if dan howwit could do it, then anybody can

[JoshK]

In other words...it's only suicide if ya fuck up

[ivan]

seriously, i'd think it wise to at least be familiar w/ prusiking a rope, building a snow anchor, and rigging a series of pulleys to hoist a fallen climber

 

again though, sticking to the dog route provides a clear path that generally avoids cracks

[catbirdseat]

Lots of novices do it and survive. You'd be all right if you stayed on one of the two main routes and climbed in close proximity to other parties who could render aid if you got in trouble. I'd still recommend a rope team of three, rather than two.

 

Practice the following skills:

 

Ice Axe Arrest

Team Axe Arrest

Prusiking up a rope (garage rafters)

Building Snow Anchors

Rescue Pulley Setups

 

Go to Mt. Pilchuck or Paradise and actually practice this stuff until you can do it in your sleep.

[To_The_Top]

Good points on being prepared for all possibilities. I would say make sure that you can atleast anchor a fallen partner, like Ivan said, and furthermore practice to assume you are the only one on the mountain.

Even on the dog route you can run into trouble. Rockfall in the cleaver and snow bridges failing up on the mountain.

I punched through with one leg on the dog route and looked down only to see the crevasse was huge below me and way overhung. Just space down below. Another time while on a snow block I stepped on it and it fell away crashing down this huge crevasse (jumped off it just in time). All I'm saying is that even if they put up a route don't assume it's totally safe.

TTT

[Duchess]

I would say: Don't climb the mountain if you are requiring another party's aid in case of accident. Isn't it mountain etiquette that if you can't take care of yourself, you have no business?!? (Although, it seems that people do it all the time)

[dlofgren]

What exactly are the "few things" that you feel you would brush up on?

And what exactly do you mean by "brush up"?

If it's just you and your partner on the mountain, and he goes in a hole, what exactly are you going to do?

If you don't know the "exactly" yet, don't go until you do. Duchess is right; it's bad etiquette at best. Really ugly at worst.

[tshimko]

Like everyone said, it's a walk-up until things go bad.

Crevasses, weather, AMS/HAPE/HACE....

 

How's your skill with crampons on modestly steep hard snow?

Not much room for mistakes in some places.

 

Now that you've slipped, how good are your self arrest skills? Are you practiced enough to do it right now?

 

Remember that accident on Hood? The one where a relatively inexperienced person fell, pulling the other members on the rope along, flossing-off more people on the way....

 

It was a bad day for a lot of people.

[tele_nut]

You should climb Ptarmigan Ridge if you don't have much experience. Then you won't have to worry about flossing others off their route or being rescued. Hire a guide.