Climbing Partner/ Guide for Rainier at End of Feb

[Robin Young]

Hi all - my colleague and I are over from Australia at the end of Feb - we are very keen to climb Mt Rainier, the traditional Guide (AA, RMI, IMG, MM) companies don't have guides available at that time so we are looking for a climbing partner / guide to ascend with, more than happy to pay expenses . . . please post if you are interested or write to robin_cy@hotmail.com . .

 

Cheers and look forward to hearing from you :-)

 

Robin

[tony.henley]

how much do you know and do you have any gear

[Robin Young]

Hi Tony - Thanks for your quick reply :-) ... here's a quick summary...

 

Robin: Intermdiatde Rock Climber (Lead Sport 20-22, Lead Trad 18-19), Intermediate Mountain Skills, Very Fit, Strong, First Aid Training, Orienteering etc.

 

Rita: Beginner Rock Climber (Sport 16-18), Beginner/Intermediate Mountain Skills, Fit, First Aid Training.

 

Gear: All Clothing, All Alpine Camping and Alpine Cooking Equipment. Ropes, Harnesses, Biners etc etc, Plastic Shoes, Crampons, Ice Axes. Pretty much set up...

 

Don't have EPRB

 

Are you interested in going on the weekend of the 23rd / 24th Feb? . .cheers, Robin

[tony.henley]

yes I am intersted, I have about the same skills as you and gear do you need a guide or just a crew? if you want you can e-mail me at tony.henley@us.army.mil or call at 1-719-271-2045 so hit me up you amy also be able to stay at my place I have a spare room if not no big

[Robin Young]

Hi Tony - will do, do you have any knowledge of Rainier? I think the key is we have between us experience of the trail in tough conditions . . have you been up before?

 

Cheers,

 

R

[tony.henley]

let me tel you a funny story (not my only trip up never sumited but I intend on going every weekend until I do. Well I didnt make the summit, but I did make it to muir or close to it. It was 10:10 pm (mind you I left at about 1:00pm crazy wind and cold white outs etc) by the time I made it to 10100 plus feet and was tired and cold. (being -22F I found out later) I dug my snow cave and unpacked my sleeping bag and found that my backup water bottle had some how sprung a leak and gotten my sleeping bag wet along the whole length of the zipper and baffle. It was soaking wet, I had to use my belay jacket and all of my extra cloths to keep warm, I even had to use my stove at one point to stay warm but, aside from all of that, I made it out with only minor frost nip on face and hands and on my toes no doctor visit needed so all and all it was a horbile trip but it could have been alot worse, and it proved at least to me that I am either phoney tough or crazy brave.(and I love it when it sucks and god I wish it would suck some more.)

[tony.henley]

and by the way I do have an eprb

[rob]

let me tel you a funny story (not my only trip up never sumited but I intend on going every weekend until I do. Well I didnt make the summit, but I did make it to muir or close to it. It was 10:10 pm (mind you I left at about 1:00pm crazy wind and cold white outs etc) by the time I made it to 10100 plus feet and was tired and cold. (being -22F I found out later) I dug my snow cave and unpacked my sleeping bag and found that my backup water bottle had some how sprung a leak and gotten my sleeping bag wet along the whole length of the zipper and baffle. It was soaking wet, I had to use my belay jacket and all of my extra cloths to keep warm, I even had to use my stove at one point to stay warm but, aside from all of that, I made it out with only minor frost nip on face and hands and on my toes no doctor visit needed so all and all it was a horbile trip but it could have been alot worse, and it proved at least to me that I am either phoney tough or crazy brave.(and I love it when it sucks and god I wish it would suck some more.)

 

wow, what a reassuring response. Sure makes me want to try a route on Rainier with you in winter.

[tony.henley]

dont wory I figured out my prob I packed my bag at sea level and the air in my bottle expanded thus leaking out into my bag but problem solved and I was alone having a hard time finding climbing partners but that isnt normal the weather shifted while I was on the Mt. an artic front blew down so dont be scared and like I said I will keep going until I get it I have alot of free time with my job.

 

[Robin Young]

Thanks Tony, we've all had our epic experiences :-) sounds like yuo had one too, they're certainly lessons to remember . . reckon we could go together, the more the better in tough conditions(all being well) but we definately need someone who's made trail to the summmit in tough conditions . . do you know anyone? Cheers, Robin

 

Rob - do you know of anyone?

[tony.henley]

I will keep lookin at the least we could put a team together I will be going to try Rainer again the 25 - 29

[Mountainstyle]

Tony and Robin, I hate to put a damper on your Rainier trip, but it isn't the kind of mtn you can just pick a date and go for it. Tony, you sound like you are in a better position, as you are local and can wait for a weather window. In general, winter mountaineering ends up being "a lot of attempts." I had two climbing partners fly in from Boston for a winter attempt just before christmas. Avy conditions were high, we ended up heading to Hood, even though we had planned on trying for Gib Ledges. No summit on Hood either, climbed and desceded in whiteout conditons. But we were very comfortable with a descent via map, compass, and altimeter. Best of luck and becareful!

[tony.henley]

thanks all we can do is try

 

[Lukic]

I've given a thought to doing Rainier this winter, but had pretty much given up do to the unusually high avalanche conditions. I'm not too optomistic about the chances of conditions improving this winter, but the end of February is quite a ways away. If conditions do get better, I'd be interested in an attempt and at the very least would be willing to head up to Camp Muir. Not to be mean, but I'm not interested in a partner with more enthusiasm than sense.

 

About me: I've usually got a lot a free time and enjoy going to Mt. Rainier. I've only summitted 3 times and only by Disappointment Cleaver and the Emmons Glacier routes, but I've been on the Ingraham Direct and Disappointment Cleaver another 3 times that we ended up turning around on. I've never been on it, but had an interest in doing Gib Ledges. Last winter road access was a problem and this year it's avalanches.

 

Here's a link:

http://www.summitpost.org/route/160662/gibralter-ledges.html

 

Lukic

[tony.henley]

hey robin I made another post looking to get a summit team together lots of intrest check it out and to lukic hey all we can do is try wouldn't risk life or limb, luckly I have lots of time to recon the route and track weather I can go every week for there to four days at a time.