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Mt. Rainier Guiding


mattp

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I just received a telephone call from an old friend who says her brothers have contacted "the guides" at Mt. Rainier and been told that they cannot hire a guide this coming summer because everything is booked. I don't know if they have contacted all the licensed guides or if they may only have contacted RMI but can this really be true?

 

Second of all: if is IS true that none of the official concessionaires are available, who as an unlicensed guide might be able to take some healthy and fit climbers from New Jersey up Mt. Rainier? I'm all for regulations and government oversite but if the licensed operators cannot accommodate someone who inquires 5 months in advance I'm skeptical as to whether the certification or concession procedure is adequate. Under these circumstances, I wouldn't be adverse to relaying contact information regarding someone who may not be "official."

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Hello Matt, I just checked the RMI site and there are spots avalible in mid August and more... You can check here:

http://www.rmiguides.com/rainier/introduction.php

and click on the "avialability" and select on the date that you want. It looks like they have plenty of trips available this summer. With Mountain Maddness via the Kautz Glacier is full and that looks like there only Rainier trip...

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Thanks, Collin. My initial response to my friend was that I couldn't believe there wouldn't be any guided climbs available in August and her brothers should try to confirm they were getting accurate and complete information.

 

By the way: daylignt savings time means an after work (cut out a little early) trip to Exit 38 or Index might be a good idea. Lets get something going!

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I have a friend who works for Alpine Ascents and he says that they and IMG are booked from mid June through the first part of September. Earlier dates are available.Some later ones too. Just click on Gator's Rainier site and look under guides to click on the web sites of the three companoes.

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Matt, the park sevice frowns on "unofficial" guides in the park. However, let me relate to you the following story.

 

Years ago I was a licensed fishing guide here in my home state. A couple of seasons before I became licensed, I was sitting at the resort bar when this guy from Indiana sits down. The resort owner had told him about me. He asked if I was doing any guiding. I said "No I don't guide, I just take my friends out for free, and if you give me fifty bucks, you can be my friend" He became my friend that day and he caught a pretty nice musky.

 

Just saying.... ;)

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Just a note on Mountain Guides operating in Mt. Rainier National Park without a permit. Conctact Yvon Chouinard concernng what happens when caught guiding in the park with out proper credentials. My suspicion is that penalties are more significant nowadays.

 

Just a word to the wise.

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I'd be pretty happy to have my friend's family end up with Yvonne Chouinard but I've known other unlicensed guides who in no way should have been taking clients anywhere near Mt. Rainier. If the park is policing things a little more than they have at times in the past that may be an OK turn of things.

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Back when alpine ascents had fewer rainier trips a year (I think it was around 6 trips per year on the emmons) those trips would sell out in less than a couple hours. The limiting factor was how fast could the office workers could write names and previous expereinces down. Even with the expanded user days they now have, it is not unexpected that they would be all booked up after a month of offerings. (I think they used to accept bookings on a set date in february)

 

It might be a good thing that they are all booked up so early. It gives the climbers a chance to get prepared for it. I would be more concerned (as a guide or client) about the climbers that signed up a week before the scheduled summit trip.

 

too bad about your friend not getting on this year. If they are interested in doing it next year, they should inquire about the time the companies start taking names for 2010. Maybe do baker in 2009? Maybe you should take them up rainier with $50 for being their friend?

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