Rainier with 11 yr old?

[Bug]

Is there anyone out there with an urge to go up the DC route with my 11 yr old daughter and I? Another kid would be OK of course. I am thinking of a 5 day trip. two to Muir/Ingrham flats, and maybe two to the summit stopping at 12 and digging in. It would also mean a night on the summit and out the last day. Many variations are possible.

I need another experienced adult so we can keep each other out of the crevasses.

[OlegV]

check your pma

[OrganDonor]

If my daughter was older (only 7) and I had more experience I would be all over it. How'd your last trip go though? The weather that weekend looked brutal. Did you all have a good climb/time?

[Spencer]

I have a 12 yr old daughter who has made it to Muir however the 5 days would a little much on the mountain. is there any flexibility in this? I am confident that my daughter can do it as up to Muir very early in the season she was a post hole machine as we past several teams

[Mtnclimber]

My father dragged me up Mt. Rainier at the age of eight in two days. 11 is probably a bit young for the trip. Looking back going up Mt. Rainier at age 8 and Mt. Baker at age 6 coild be considered child abuse.

 

Why do you want to take an 11 year old up to the top of Mt. Rainier---Is it for their enjoyment or yours. Plus if anything happens you will be putting any partners at risk---If anything happens to your daugher will you be able to live with yourself.

 

There are so many very kid friendly places to go----Make it fun for her----success breeds success---making your daughter hate the outdoors by pushing her beyond her limits is probably not a good idea.

[sirwoofalot]

My father dragged me up Mt. Rainier at the age of eight in two days. 11 is probably a bit young for the trip. Looking back going up Mt. Rainier at age 8 and Mt. Baker at age 6 coild be considered child abuse.

 

Why do you want to take an 11 year old up to the top of Mt. Rainier---Is it for their enjoyment or yours. Plus if anything happens you will be putting any partners at risk---If anything happens to your daugher will you be able to live with yourself.

 

There are so many very kid friendly places to go----Make it fun for her----success breeds success---making your daughter hate the outdoors by pushing her beyond her limits is probably not a good idea.

 

Oh so very true. I do wish both my son and daughter were more willing to do the work to walk up hill. they enjoy going out with Father, but they hake the up hill. They love to play in the Mountain Lakes, or to look down a the plane and birds, but the effort is to much for them sometimes.

 

Is your daughter really ready for this? 5 days sounds like fun. I will NOT take my children up Rainier untill AFTER they can show the true heart desire to climb. That is do Mt. Si, Bandara, Defient, Red, or many other local peaks with OUT complaining....

 

Have fun, and sure to wish I could go with you.

 

[Spencer]

I totally agree that a child who doesn't want to really do it shouldn't, We have 7 Kids, both older sons 20 and 21 have made Rainier summit many times, my 12 yr old does it as much to be competitive as much as she seems to love it, and as I said before, she has more endurance than many of the adults out there with a twenty pound pack and plastic boots, I realize she is the exception however she does love it, in fact we will be up at Muir tomorrow "just for lunch" car to car. I will not push her farther than she can go safely, it would be great however to find a girl her age to "pair up with" maybe a training climb on Mt Danial to practice rope travel etc.... anyway just my thoughts.

Edited July 28, 2007 by Spencer

[sirwoofalot]

I totally agree that a child who doesn't want to really do it shouldn't, We have 7 Kids, both older sons 20 and 21 have made Rainier summit many times, my 12 yr old does it as much to be competitive as much as she seems to love it, and as I said before, she has more endurance than many of the adults out there with a twenty pound pack and plastic boots, I realize she is the exception however she does love it, in fact we will be up at Muir tomorrow "just for lunch" car to car. I will not push her farther than she can go safely, it would be great however to find a girl her age to "pair up with" maybe a training climb on Mt Danial to practice rope travel etc.... anyway just my thoughts.

 

Sir, you and your daughter totally ROCK!

I just need to remember my childern and their abilities, and make sure they have fun. I am sure you are having much fun, and Congratulations to you and your daughter.

 

[joblo7]

too many hours of strain.....go do cool stuff. wait till she's 13. she has got sooo much time . patience rewards.

[ken4ord]

I like all this armchair comentary about waiting until she is ready for the task. Knowing Bug, I am sure he is not dragging his daughter up the mountain for his enjoyment only and pushing his daughter into something she is not up for. Hope you have a good trip Bug, I look forward to hearing about it, especially since one of these days I might in your shoes looking to bring Simone up to the top of Rainier.

[archenemy]

No kidding! With 7 kids, Bug knows what he's doing.

 

Have fun, and I wish I could keep up with your kid!

[Bug]

No kidding! With 7 kids, Bug knows what he's doing.

 

Have fun, and I wish I could keep up with your kid!

Thanks but you are crossing posts here. I only have two daughters and a step son. And for the record, Olivia has been relentless in her begging me to take her this summer. As for safety, I need another competent adult for sure, but I know my daughter and I am sure that when we are climbing Rainier, if anyone falls into a crevasse, she will be a strong contributer to the arresting of the fall and the extraction process. Kids range widely in their tolerrance for drudgery and its rewards. Olivia, Meredith and I went up Tinkham Pk last week via a bushwhack route. Olivia was like a puppy in a bark park. Meredith was just a little slower. When Drew was that age, I did not even consider taking him into the mountains. My only real concern is altitude sickness. Thus the 5 days. Because of the lateness of the season, a one day ascent from Muir is going to be a slush fest for anyone. The AM window for firm snow is narrow at best and so, I want to camp on the summit, weather permitting, and descend fresh and on firm snow.

To wrap it up, I take adults up Rainier almost every year and back off whenever they want to. Sometimes we summit, sometimes we don't. I certainly will not push Olivia any harder. I want her to continue to beg me to take her climbing.

[AllYouCanEat]

My parents took me up Rainier when I was 6. I didn't make it beyond 13k. Looking back having been skiing and hiking to muir 30 times or more and climbing some of the other volcanoes really helped. I enjoyed it at that age and did climb it (at 11 or so) and still climb today. It's not for every kid, but for those that enjoy it, learning to work for their rewards is a good way to grow up IMHO. Life is full of risk. Better to climb and take some rather than sit in front of a video game console and get fat. That's child abuse in my opinion.

 

Anyhow, good luck finding someone. I wish my old man took at least 3 days on our climb. At 6 it was too hard to do two days via the DC. Five would be a lot of fun, unfortunately I don't have a 11 year old daughter or 5 days. Good luck.

[Bug]

By the way, THANK YOU ALL for your concern for my daughter.

[stoehnercd]

Bug I don't know you, but allow me to encourage you to keep you tikes climbing!

[ketch]

YO Bug, I may be able to go along. Let me in on a few more of the details or concepts (don't know where in the planning this trip is in) I'll let you know once we talk.

[Bug]

Cheers!

Don't worry. I don't need any encouragement. While I was surprised by the direction this thread took, I am used to the attitude that kids can't do difficult climbing and hate hard work no matter what. That would be my x.

Kids are tougher and more inspired than our generation gives them credit for. They absorb our limiting attitude and assume its consequences. Tragic.

My Grandmother was 12 when both of her parents were killed. She and her 5 siblings managed well enough. It was most likely hell compared to my life but our society would assume they would have died from neglect.

I push my kids past their expressed limits often. More often than not, they later talk about those experiences as their biggest accomplishments. I'm not talking about hanging by their finger tips over an abyss or walking 27 miles in a day. But they can do a lot more if you present the problem as something they CAN do. And always have a treat at the other end.

[high_on_rock]

I once told my babies that I would take them when the youngest is 10. Only time will tell if they will be ready, or even interested when that time arrives. You have my full support and your kids have my admiration.

[Bug]

YO Bug, I may be able to go along. Let me in on a few more of the details or concepts (don't know where in the planning this trip is in) I'll let you know once we talk.

It is getting pretty thin snow-wise up there - http://www.mountrainierclimbing.blogspot.com/

I am changing my plans to the North ridge of Adams (probably).

You are welcome to come along.

The more the merrier. Especially when kids are involved.

PM me for what few details I have. We are tentatively looking at Aug 30- Sept 1. Maybe through Sept 3.

 

[sampdx1]

I'm relieved to hear that, Bug. Although I believe children can be capable of doing climbs like this, the inherent dangers of climbing Rainier outweigh everything for me. When we were up there last weekend, I was even feeling a bit guilty for climbing it myself, because everything was so soft on the descent. Seracs were coming down and there was a lot of rockfall. I'd hate to see anything happen to my children because I took them up a mountain like that. No judgement of you intended - just sharing my thoughts on my own kids.

[Bug]

Now we are looking at Baker too. Maybe just go up to Camp Schurman and play in a crevasse.

At any rate, for those of you who are a bit more conservative, the safety factor is a day-to-day, moment-to-moment thing. Why you were on the steeps while the seracs were calving is beyond me. No insult intended. I ALWAYS get off the slopes by 1PM and that is in June. Right now, I probably wouldn't even get out of camp unless temps dropped to 35 or less at night.

Check the statistics on Rainier accidents. Most of them happen after 2PM. Soft snow is a problem for a few reasons. I avoid it.

Throw in a kid or two and I get even more conservative. But that conservativism is tempered with a few years of experience. I know how to squeeze in a climb and keep it within my safety standards. It doesn't do much good to talk about what I know because the only ones who really get it already know it. The rest have to get out and learn it by practice. So I can understand both sides of the opinion scale in this thread.

 

 

[hlgt]

check pm

[sampdx1]

I see your point - and I know what you mean about those who get it already know what you're talking about. I had never been up Rainier before last weekend and I was impressed by the size and intensity of the mountain compared to others I had climbed. That said, I've only been climbing for a few years and probably don't have the ability to make the same calls that your experience allows you to make. Good luck on whatever you end up doing!

[Bug]

I was impressed by the size and intensity of the mountain ......

Yes. I am always amazed when I stand on the mountain and look up. What a thing to have in our back yard! Imagine being 11 and looking up at that. Imagine all the doubts and fears and just finally realizing you have no idea what you have gotten yourself into. She will probably not even want to leave camp. But I will get her roped up and moving, conditions permitting, and take one step at a time. If she does not get more comfortable, we turn around. BUT IF WE MAKE IT, well just think about it.

Olivia went to the IMAX two years ago and watched the Everest movie. Ever since then, she has been talking about WHEN she will climb it. I told her she will have to climb a few smaller mountains first. She looked up at me with those big brown eyes and replied "You mean, like Rainier?". And she has been asking to climb it ever since.

[ken4ord]

That is awesome. I hope that Simone has the same enthusiasm.