Pro Rainier Guides needed

[Mark Hosfeld]

Have a group of 6-8 guys who climbed Rainier with RMI in 2009 - want to go Emmons route in June/July this year but all commercial guides are sold out. Need 2-3 experienced, certified guides to put together a trip. Is this possible? thanks

[cms829]

no pretty sure it is against park policy/rules

[CascadeClimber]

It is possible. It is not legal.

[rob]

Don't let Big Lou find out. It's HIS mountain.

[Mark Hosfeld]

thanks - seems like the commercial guys have Rainier locked up!

[Good2Go]

Did you only look at RMI and IMG? I'm pretty sure smaller guide services can also get one-off permits for groups like yours nowadays. Have you tried Northwest Mountain School?

[goatboy]

I find it very hard to believe that all permitted commercial guides are completely sold out for June and July. What am I missing?

[genepires]

before alpine ascents got to be a major player on rainier, their trips would sell out within an hour of them allowing signups. It is not hard to believe that they are sold out by february.

 

I thought that the AMGA certified guides had a few slots for rainier. Might want to give them a call to see what the deal is. Call the rainier ranger station to see what other guide services have permits. Call alpine ascents and american alpine institute.

 

Guiding without a permit is illegal and can (and has) get the guide in serious trouble. A certified guide is not going to risk guiding it illegally. If the guide does it for free, it is fine. Work something out. Maybe have a "story" of why the guide is doing it for free in case he/she gets busted. I did a trip up rainier as a wedding gift to some friends. (the truth, honestly!) I was up front with the rangers about it and they were fine with it.

 

Here is a radical idea. How about you guys just hire a guide to teach you how to climb safely? Maybe on baker. Then come back next year and do it yourselves without a guide.

Or hire a guide this year for a 3 day skills and do rainier right after?

break the cycle of needing a guide.

[Lix]

Something called a CUA (Conditional Use A-?) lets companies like the Institute and other folks run a trip or two per year on Rainier. So it can be legal . . . I think they have to do the Emmons or the Kautz. No DC/Ingraham.

 

Yes, trips on Rainier sell out quick for all three companies.

 

Bucket list folk . . . they generally all get their assses handed to them, even when they do summit.

 

They like the cycle as they generally have little to no mountain experience whatsoever (but think Rainier is their gateway to the Seven Summits!). . .

[jlawrence10]

My team of 5 wanted to go up Rainier via the Emmons two seasons ago, and we were trying to decide guide or no guide. We decided to spring for crevasse rescue courses with Timberline Mountain Guides, do a bunch of practice on the mountain and in the garage, and manage our own prep and gear. Best decision we could have made. We made the summit, and I had to climb out of a crevasse at 12,000 feet after a snowbridge fell out from under me. The team arrested the fall, anchored my climb out, and we set up a belay to get everyone around the now-trickier crossing. The sense of accomplishment was enormous, having done it on our own, and we came away with a ton of knowledge and experience that we wouldn't otherwise have had. Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

 

PS - I know Timberline Mountain Guides out of Bend has been permitted to go up Emmons on Rainier before. They're awesome and would be worth at least a call.