How are conditions on Rainier DC route?

[thatcher]

anyone been up DC lately? does it still have some snow on it? Is the route pretty good above the cleaver? Hows the gap between Ingraham and the cleaver?

 

Any information would be helpful. I hate climbing rainier in August. I sure do like the Ingraham direct route much better than the stupid cleaver.

 

peace.

[fenderfour]

You could look at the Rainier Climbing Conditions blog that Mr. Gauthier so lovingly prepares for climbers like you.

 

Check out the sticky post in the Rainier forum.

[thatcher]

Yeah, I'm an idiot. I remembered the blog just after posting here. thanks.

[ryland_moore]

Or just go cvlimb the Emmons which is a better route IMHO, and you never have any choss to deal with the entire route.........Awesome to dlimb in August as well with a lot less traffic than the DC. I climbed it this time last year and had the whole mountain to ourselves except one party of two from NC.

[thatcher]

im climbing with some new guys, and I tried to convince them to do emmons, but they didn't want to. I've been up the mountain 3 times and every time has been DC route. As hard as I try I can't seem to get anyone else to want to try another route. Oh well. about emmons, I hear it's tricky to get down to the glacier from the rock on the approach to shurman. is that true only late in the season, or is it even true at all?

[fenderfour]

Not true at all.

 

You can always stick to the glacier and ignore the Prow.

[ryland_moore]

I'll second that. Sometimes in late, late season it can be tricky getting down from Camp Curtis to the Emmons, which is traditionally how you get into Camp Sherman. You can also go over the Prow when the snow is really melted out, but even on this crumbly rock for a 100 ft. is a lot less crumbly rock then you will encounter on the DC and not that much more difficult a scramble. Last year, a serious drought year, the rangers did recommend that you climb up and over the prowe to get into Sherman, but I just read a trip report from last weekend, then going from Camp Curtis onto the Emmons and up to Sherman was straight forward.

 

I guess your friends will do what they want, but if I had a choice I would definitely choose the Emmons over the DC anyday. It is the same difficulty if not easier this time of year due to the lack of exposed rock that does not exist on the Emmons, but does all over the DC (Cleaver), for aesthetics as the Emmons is the largest glacier in the lower 48 and is just awsome to have so close to home, and there are less people to share the route with, which also may make the route a lot safer as you won;t have to worry about other parties knocking down some huge volcanic rocks on top of you like you do ascending the DC/Cleaver.

The final benefit is the position of the Emmons. You will see the sun as soon as it starts to rise since you are on that side of the mountain. If on the DC, you won't see it for a while. I truly believe that there is a benefit when motivation is lacking at 4:30 am, it is cold, and you are tired at 13k'. But when you see the sun, it almost gives you your second wind for some reason. Just my experience after doing Emmons, DC, and Ingraham Direct, although I love Ingraham as well. Just avoid DC at all costs now, especially later in the season when the rock on the cleaver has had a chane to loosen up during the summer sun.

 

My two cents, but I'll take glacier ice and an aesthetic line over choss, loose rock and hords of people any day.