[TR] Mt. Rainier - Liberty Ridge 7/11/2010

[Steph_Abegg]

Trip: Mt. Rainier - Liberty Ridge

 

Date: 7/11/2010

 

Trip Report:

This last weekend, my friend Jason Schilling and I climbed Liberty Ridge on Mt. Rainier. We had perfect conditions, perfect weather, and a great climb together.

 

As usual, I've posted a trip reports (with lots of photos) on my website:

http://sites.google.com/site/stephabegg/home/tripreports/washington/northcascades/rainierlibertyridge'>http://sites.google.com/site/stephabegg/home/tripreports/washington/northcascades/rainierlibertyridge

 

Here are a few photos:

 

 

 

 

 

Link to larger size.

 

 

Again, the link to the full trip report and more photos on my website:

http://sites.google.com/site/stephabegg/home/tripreports/washington/northcascades/rainierlibertyridge

Edited July 13, 2010 by Steph_Abegg

[summitchaserCJB]

Awesome. Want to tick that one off!

[Lisa_D]

You finally got it! I hope your foot is feeling well after the climb.

[Steph_Abegg]

You finally got it! I hope your foot is feeling well after the climb.

 

Yep, took a couple of months of waiting for conditions and weather to fall in line, but it was worth the wait. And I think my broken foot is finally healed after a few months of only half succeeding in trying to lay off it...

[sparverius]

thanks for the TR Steph. It was a fun climb. The conditions were perfect and a heavy spring/early summer snowpack made for a quick and easy ascent. I've been told that it's rare that the last final steep pitch above the bergschrund was mostly snow this late in the season and that most of the route was a stairway to the stars. Now I'm wondering about the canadians that bivied with us at thumb rock. Did you guys make it up and down without a bivy? Stop by at longmire for a beer if you're still in the area.

[Eric Anderson]

There's some great photos on your site! I assume you take a gorilla pod or something similar with you for long exposures? I debated taking mine but I thought an SLR was enough of a weight penalty already. I think next time I'll bring my wide angle lens and gorilla pod with me but leave them on summit day.

 

I like your route overlay photos too, helps me see what people are talking about on their liberty ridge TRs.

[Steph_Abegg]

There's some great photos on your site! I assume you take a gorilla pod or something similar with you for long exposures? I debated taking mine but I thought an SLR was enough of a weight penalty already. I think next time I'll bring my wide angle lens and gorilla pod with me but leave them on summit day.

 

Yep, gotta love the gorilla pod. I brought a SLR, 10-22mm wide angle lens, gorilla pod, camera remote, 8 extra batteries (for long exposure shots), and a point-and-shoot....maybe I have the record for the most camera gear to go up Liberty Ridge! I used it all but 3 batteries.....

[Kyle_Flick]

Nice climb guys! We spotted two sets of headlamps high on the Ridge when we left camp from Curtis Ridge at 4:00 am that morning (7/11). Due to high winds forecasted for the next two days of up to 60 mph, we made the summit in one push, stopping at Thumb Rock for an hour to melt snow. We passed two fellows at the summit who had started later than you guys from Thumb Rock (if those were the ones you were concerned about). They made it to Camp Schurman after us. The wind did pick up at the summit and didn't relent even through the next day. From what I could tell no one attempted the summit on Mon. For two of us it was the second time up it, and we marveled at the changes on the route over the past two decades (i.e., getting onto the Ridge and the schrund at the top). Winthrop, Carbon and Emmons have great snow coverage making passage efficient.

[Rafael_H]

Wow, Steph, you are so awesome! Love your photo-TRs and your site. The best of luck to you!!!

[sparverius]

Good to hear those guys made it up and down. Nice work on cruising to the top from lower curtis ridge in a day. Must have been a long day.

[ckotke]

Hey Steph,

This is Chris....met you guys at the Shurmann hut just after you guys got down. Your tried giving me your website. Glad to see you on here. Your pics are amazing!!! WOW!! Anyway, our summit climb also went well despite all the crazy wind. Spent the night in the Crater too and that was pretty cool. Anyway, thanks for posting your TR!!

[sparverius]

Hey Chris, good to have met you up at Schurman. I'm glad that you had enough energy for the rescue and the climb. Nice work.

 

Jason

[sunnyrem]

Does anyone have a sense of whether or not this climb might still be in for a July 20/21/22 attempt based on what the route conditions were when Steph did this climb?