[TR] Mount Rainier - Disappointment Cleaver 7/13/2010

[Mike Lewis]

Trip: Mount Rainier - Disappointment Cleaver

 

Date: 7/13/2010

 

Trip Report:

Team Members: Bill Rogers, Adam Anderson, Josh and Michael Lewis

 

 

We wanted to summit via the Ingraham Direct route, but Park Rangers and RMI discourage using this route, as large crevasses have begun to form. An aluminum ladder that was spanning a 10' wide crevasse was taken down earlier in the week as the crevasse opened up further causing the ladder to lose purchase. As a result the route was out of season.

 

 

[img:left; width:100px]http://www.summitpost.org/images/small/639700.jpg[/img] [img:center; width:100px]http://www.summitpost.org/images/small/639685.jpg[/img][img:center; width:100px]http://www.summitpost.org/images/small/639709.jpg[/img][img:right; width:100px]http://www.summitpost.org/images/small/639703.jpg[/img]

 

From Camp Muir (10,080') we went to Ingraham Flats (11,200') to sleep. An unusually wet spring and warm summertime temperatures significantly weakened the rock en route to Ingraham Flats. Wet and thawing layers of tephra loosened layers of rock causing rock-fall throughout the day below Gibralter Rock, Cowlitz Cleaver and Disappointment Cleaver. We tried to avoid these aspects when they were receiving direct sunlight. The beginning of the route is very strait-forward. There are a couple fixed lines by RMI to help clients deal with the rock exposure on the Disappointment Cleaver at the start. Once on top the cleaver, at about 12,270', the climber's boot path meanders over to the Ingraham glacier as it connects with the Emmons to form the summit ice cap. There are several crevasses that must be crossed or bypassed. Only a couple of them were particularly impressive. Some were beginning to merge right on the climber's trail, especially around 13,000' so we took care to avoid possibly collapsing snow-bridges. The path accessed the crater rim from the SSE.

 

[img:left; width:150px]http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/639704.jpg[/img] [img:right; width:150px]http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/639707.jpg[/img]

 

Once on the summit crater, there was an obvious boot-path that went to the North of the USGS marker. You must search the summit crater for the Register as it is not at the highest point, but under a large rock along the rim. I could not find it. We descended via the same route, making slight adjustments as conditions changed (navigating opening crevasses, avoiding extremely wet snow or rock-fall). I'm glad to have made this life-long goal after a year of training with friends gimpilator, colin woods and Eastking.

 

 

Gear Notes:

ice axes, crampons, harnesses, 60m dryrope, prussics, snow anchors and slings

 

Approach Notes:

Good weather but forecast for a windy day by day 3 so we made it a quick 2 days instead. Snow was excellent.

Edited December 7, 2014 by Mike Lewis