Mt. Rainier Gear - What do you think?

[skeletor]

Glacier glasses?

[ADKMan]

I do have glacier glasses on my actual list. Just not pictured in my "visual list"

[BirdDog]

drop the ice screw and goggles.

 

Lot's of good advice here. I'd definitely have at least one screw with me on a two person team; it can be a life saver if one of you drops in a crevasse. Would skip the helmet on the Emmons as well. Good luck!

[ajpederson]

Lot's of good advice here. I'd definitely have at least one screw with me on a two person team; it can be a life saver if one of you drops in a crevasse. Would skip the helmet on the Emmons as well. Good luck!

 

I'm curious why you say this? Your two points seem to counter each other. Bringing a screw per person, especially with a 2 person team makes sense, but what good does it do you if either you fall in a crevasse and hit your head, or your partner falls in, pulls you off your feet and you hit your head. I would imagine crevasse rescue is a lot faster when both the rescuer(s) and the person being rescued are able to contribute.

 

I've only been doing this a few years, so these others are way more experienced than me, but both times I've been up the Emmons I took my helmet. It doesn't take much to knock someone out, and its not much extra weight to bring for the added safety.

[Swanny]

I'd take the helmet. Be safe and like ajpederson said, it's not that much weight.

 

For the Emmons I would plan on 3 days, especially since it doesn't sound like you and your partner have tons of mountain time. It's a long trip to get up to the summit and back down to the car in the same day. Not saying it isn't doable, it just is a very long day and if you get good weather, its gets very hot.

[BirdDog]

Taking a helmet is never a bad idea! Just not a lot of rock fall hazard on the Emmons as compared to DC route.

Edited March 23, 2012 by BirdDog

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Taking a helmet is never a bad idea! Just not a lot of rock fall hazard on the Emmons as compared to DC route.

 

other things to consider:

 

- falling/sliding and having your head bouncing on hard snow

- punching through a crevasse, or sliding into one and banging your head on ice

- nalgene-bottle fall, human-body-fall, other equipment fall

 

 

[Bronco]

Gear looks pretty well dialed in to me. I'd be more interested in your training program with three months to go before your climb. If you don't get stormed out the next most likely cause of failure is lack of fitness. Gear is somewhere down the line after that. Tenacity and fitness will get you a lot farther than the latest and greatest gear. I've climbed with guys on Rainier who wore army surplus wool pants on a 16 hour car to car climb. I think I hauled a 4 pound Eddie Bauer parka to the top and back that day, along with 3 cans of Rainier Beer that we were too nautious to drink on the summit. Anyway, what's your training program look like?

[Buckaroo]

Would skip the helmet on the Emmons as well. Good luck!

 

that's insanity. You fall in a slot you are probably going to hit your head on hard ice.

[Buckaroo]

I would NEVER get on Rainier with aluminum crampons. The Emmons is the easiest route and people have died on it due to crampon failure. The single most important piece of gear. Period.

 

You're spending 3 to 4 days. If a little cold front develops you're not going to want to back off just for that.

 

What happens is you get a couple of warm days that melts things up high then you get a cold front, or the mountain making it's own weather and you get boilerplate ice. A couple 1000 feet of boilerplate ice is no good with aluminum crampons. If you don't have the strength stamina to climb with that amount of weight you shouldn't be on the mountain.

 

Same for goggles, have fun with a localized ground blizzard, especially if your wearing contacts. I've seen 60 mph winds even on clear days.

 

A large factor towards success is acclimatization. It's really difficult to go from sea level to 14K in one or two days, for many people it's a sufferfest. If you stretch it to 3-4 days, it becomes easier and more enjoyable.

[ADKMan]

This is where I am at right now:

 

I will bring (and wear) a helmet. If for no other reason the summit photo will look cooler. I might look to get something a bit lighter than my Ecrin Roc at about 16 oz., maybe a BD Half Dome at 10 oz.

 

I will use my existing SS crampons. I'm pretty confident I can keep my pack weight to 35 pounds or less and I am comfortable with that.

 

Both of us are pretty fit. We started training about 3 months ago. 4-5 days a week in the gym, 1-2 days climbing, lots of biking, some running. I am pretty comfortable we'll be physically ready by July.

 

The real X factor for me is the altitude. I've never climbed above about 6500 feet. I drove to about 11,000 feet one time and got a splitting headache but I went from about 5000 to 11,000 in less than 2 hours. I am hoping a more controlled ascent will help.

[keenwesh]

spend a day at 10k and take the time to brush up on your glacier skills. You're out in the mountains to have fun and enjoy the experience, why not spend more time out and not risk vomiting on summit day?

[wetslide]

ya kinda funny with that no goggles comment. Every time I've climbed Rainier it has been really really windy and snowy and I've really appreciated goggles.

Oh and keenwesh- acclimatization is for wimps.

[ADKMan]

Wetslide - did you notice the MH hard shell jacket I have listed?

[keenwesh]

puking out yer guts and feeling like a ball peen hammer is pounding away at the back of your skull is for dumbasses.

[ADKMan]

I'll admit it, I'm a wimp. I will try to spend a full day at camp Schurman before making a summit attempt.

[mattp]

I've climbed Rainier a bunch of times and by several different routes. The most fun I ever had was when we spent 3 nights on the mountain and spent time not only acclimatizing but also simply enjoying BEING THERE. Take as much time as you can.

[Buckaroo]

If you can't wear all the clothes at once, you brought too much.

 

agree with that

 

 

One thing that can happen with acclimatization is if you've ever done something like a Colorado 14er then you think Rainier is the same. It is not because the CO take off point, the valleys, are all a mile high. Compared to Rainier where you are usually starting near sea level.

 

It's the total gain that you are dealing with. 14K in one day is near the limit for humans.

 

There is two things that your body is adjusting to. One is the thinner air, less oxygen. When you go to elevation your body builds more red blood cells to flow more oxygen. You can somewhat offset this by being in good aerobic shape, with a margin before max aerobic effort. The added red blood cells thickens the blood. If you have compromised circulation, like from hereditary conditions you can use a blood thinner like aspirin. I use Ginkgo.

 

The other thing that is adjusting is pressure differential, there is no training for this, and it only happens so fast. Basically your body is a sealed unit. When you go to altitude the external air pressure drops and your internal pressure has to drop to equalize. It's like a diver that gets the bends, same principal but in the other direction. HAPE and HACE are caused by this pressure differential. No amount of training is going to improve or compensate for this.

 

I climbed Rainier with a group of about 35 one time, in two days. Everyone was in pretty good shape having trained for 2 months or more. About 1/2 the group either didn't make it or got dragged up. The ones that got dragged up did not have a good time.

 

[wetslide]

ADK- I did. Wasn't really trying to call people wimps for acclimatizing but I've heard either you should get up as fast as you can or take a really long time. The intermediate periods of time don't really benefit you in terms of acclimatization and in fact might make you more susceptible to altitude sickness. Keenwash- have you climbed Rainier?

[ADKMan]

We'll see how we feel at camp Schurman and assess our physical state. Doing this for the first time it's hard to predict how our bodies will react to the altitude.

[Buckaroo]

ADK- I did. Wasn't really trying to call people wimps for acclimatizing but I've heard either you should get up as fast as you can or take a really long time. The intermediate periods of time don't really benefit you in terms of acclimatization and in fact might make you more susceptible to altitude sickness.

 

I can agree with this. The key point if you do the quick way, getting up, and back down quickly.

[JasonG]

Three to four days is just about right for most folks, if you can spare the time. Racing up and down Rainier as quickly as possible may work, but it usually isn't very fun, except on skis.

 

Depends on your motivation I guess. Similar to Matt, I like to spend as much time as possible in the hills and enjoy it.

[DPS]

ya kinda funny with that no goggles comment.

Really? I only bring goggles in the winter. While one can bring gear for every possible situation, you will be so heavy it will be a miserable experience. 10,000 vertical feet is a long way to carry extra shit. Mid July has the best weather and is the hottest time of the entire year, I'd gamble and leave the goggles at home, as well as the extra gloves, and the hoodless puffy. I do agree with the steel crampons. A lot of extra security for only 16oz more.

 

ADK- I did. I've heard either you should get up as fast as you can or take a really long time.

In my experience one can 'outrun' altitude sickness if one is fast enough. You will not be able to fully acclimatize to 14k by spending an extra day at high camp, but it will help some and will give you time to rest and re-hydrate which prolly does as much for you as the physiological changes.

Edited March 24, 2012 by DPS

[dougd]

We'll se how we feel at camp Schurman and assess our physical state. Doing this for the first time it's hard to predict how our bodies will react to the altitude.

 

Certainly enough beta here already.

 

I will only add that I am a bit envious, your "first time" venturing onto this really fine mountain, getting full value, going on your own without a guide.

 

Definitely the way to go IMO. Good luck.

 

d

[keenwesh]

ADK- I did. Wasn't really trying to call people wimps for acclimatizing but I've heard either you should get up as fast as you can or take a really long time. The intermediate periods of time don't really benefit you in terms of acclimatization and in fact might make you more susceptible to altitude sickness. Keenwash- have you climbed Rainier?

 

climbed it in middle school when I was 13. After all these years I mostly just remember being really tired and in pain. Planning another trip this summer and bringing along a couple non climbing friends so they can share in the suffering.

 

If I don't spend a day at 10k I will puke around 12, after I puke I turn around. It's just not worth going higher.