Rainier July 5/6: Experienced woman partner?

[pranlobha]

Hey!

 

I am a young woman from Seattle, planning to climb Mt. Rainier on July 5-6th with a four-women team. We are climbing with Nimdoma Sherpa; the youngest woman in the world to have climbed Mt. Everest. She is visiting us specifically to climb Mt. Rainier. However, our team member/guide who had experience with Rainier is now unable to climb with us at the last minute. Therefore, I am looking for any woman who may be interested in joining us and could fill that place in our team. We already have purchased all the climbing passes and reserved a night at Camp Muir on July 5th. We would also be happy to discuss compensation for any other costs that may come up.

 

I should mention that the three women in our team besides Nimdoma have no prior mountaineering experience. But we are very determined to do this climb, and she has been teaching us what she knows.

 

We will be taking the Disappointment Cleaver/Ingram Glacier route.

 

If any of you can advise or assist us in our search for a woman experienced with Rainier, who would like to go with us, we would be extremely grateful.

 

Thank you!

 

Pranlobha Kalajian

[dougd]

My advice would be to contact sanctioned Rainier guide services and see what they can put together for you on what is very short notice.

 

Good luck,

 

d

[Leanne]

hello,

My name is Leanne. I have climbed Mt. Rainier before via the Emmons Glacier/Camp sherman. I have also climbed St. Helens, Adams, Whitney, and many other peaks.

 

I am interested in climbing with you this week.

 

thank you, Leanne

[pranlobha]

Hi, Leanne!

 

I have sent you a "personal message" on this site with my email and phone number.

 

Thanks!

Pranlobha

[DanO]

I took my totally inexperienced brother up Baker one July, It was my wife me and my brother. My wife with some experience in the rear, me in front while going up and my brother in the middle. Basically I had to be able to self arrest for my brother on the way up and the way down. On the way down, my wife was in lead, My brother in the middle and I was in the rear. This orientation once again so I could be self arrest anchor position for the team.

 

Such a climb with so many inexperienced people could be risky. I think the guide services spend a day or two on trips teaching the basics. Self arrest falling in all positions, how to use crampons on ice, the french technique of walking on ice with crampons. Also some basic knowledge of crevasse rescue and gear.

 

On steep slushy snow it may not be even possible to self arrest, it can be like a slushy slerpy. I don't have knowledge of your route, steep snow and unsafe run outs? In such cases you plunge your ice axe's spike in deeply for every step as a primarily belay as if you slip you may find it hard to impossible to self arrest. This is one reason to climb early to get the colder firmer snow. Two danger points, hard ice, not as likely this time of year but possible, slushy snow from mid day on heat, so that self arrest can be impossible. The best is firm cool to cold snow, hence the alpine start, like 12pm to 1am or so.

 

I remember some hard ice on one trip to baker, I think in the in the fall, , that situation would not be fun with many inexperience people on a rope. I did run into several hundred feet of ice on solo down Shasta in the early summer, fairly steep, that was interesting.

 

I hope you guys spend a day at least getting in basic skills before heading up.

 

Good luck

 

Dan

Edited July 5, 2011 by DanO