Stunami Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 Hi there, I was pointed to this forum from a friend who said I may be able to find someone willing to help me complete a goal I had set a while back. I flew over Rainier a few years ago and have since become pretty dead set on climbing it. I was in school at the time, and a little hard on money but things are a lot better now and I was hoping to find someone willing to help me learn to climb this beast. My schedule can be flexible a couple months out as I set it month to month. I am going to list a few things about me so you know who you're getting involved with! -I am an avid hiker -I have climbed many of my local (Arizona) mountains, including the highest point here Humphrey's 12,500 four times -I ski a lot, and have been above 10,000 feet for a week with no difficulty, and in the 13-14,000 range as well with no issue -I understand the basics with technical climbing, including ropes, harnesses, knots etc... -I am physically very active, my big goal last year was to do rim-rim-rim (46 or so miles) and I did it in 23 hours basically nonstop -I am a registered nurse that works in an ICU, so I have a good foundation of medical related things and would be a great addition to a group in that capacity -I am a super laid back nice guy! -I am a photographer and you would get some bangin photos of our trip, I like to do travel/adventure photography and have a website for it, I don't know if I can post it Anyways, I really want to see what mountaineering is all about, I am fixated on Rainier (or at least something similarly large) and if you could help me see my dream out I'd really appreciate it. Thanks for everything! Quote
Khartoum Wood Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 Hay ive done MT.Rainier in the past on the disappointment cleaver Route and the Kuatz glacier route I have 3 summits of this mountain and have led/soloed on other Volcanos and mountains I can help you summit the DC route rainier is always a good summit because it changes so much with all the movement in the ice. Quote
Tom_Sjolseth Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 You could find someone here, but guiding anyone up Rainier without being insured and applying for a commercial use permit (and paying associated fees) is against the law. So I would probably touch base with a licensed guide. Lots of them out there. Seems like we get at least one post per year asking for people to lead them up something. I'd hate to see for someone to get into trouble. Quote
pcg Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 ...guiding anyone up Rainier without being licensed and bonded is against the law... I think it is only against the law if you charge for your services. Quote
Tom_Sjolseth Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 I flew over Rainier a few years ago and have since become pretty dead set on climbing it. I was in school at the time, and a little hard on money but things are a lot better now and I was hoping to find someone willing to help me learn to climb this beast. Agreed. It sounds to me like he's wanting to pay for someone's services though. Quote
Alan Trick Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 He could just be referring to paying for the cost of gear, the cost of free time, or the cost of travel. Those things are generally out of reach for most students. To me, mentor usually implies a non-professional. Still, it's good to mention the guides. Quote
lutzman Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 ...guiding anyone up Rainier without being licensed and bonded is against the law... I think it is only against the law if you charge for your services. Its only against the law if you get caught Quote
Gardner Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 I don't see anything wrong with an experienced climber deciding to help someone get into climbing. That's what someone did for me years ago and I've been hooked ever since. But it's a big commitment to take a newbie along and I wouldn't do it without including time for some self-arrest and crevasse rescue training (how to set up a z pulley) and most importantly - without another experienced climber as part of a 3 person team. Sad if the only introduction to mountaineering costs $1600. Not everyone has friends who are climbers to begin with (or that kind of dough lying around). One of my favorite summits was when I saw a newbie tear up at the top after having pushed through a tough climb. I wasn't guiding - just enjoying a climb with someone less experienced but still qualified in other ways. I'm not sure of my schedule yet - but we might be able to work something out later in summer... Quote
Stunami Posted April 8, 2015 Author Posted April 8, 2015 Hey guys thanks for the responses, I do realize that taking a newbie under the wing comes with a stigma of the overly eager and annoying tag-along hah... I was hoping someone would mentor me free of the guide fees, but I am willing to make it worth your while however I can. I was told by a friend that the guided trips up Rainier are not an enjoyable experience so I was hoping to avoid that at all costs. If I can't make it happen this year that might very well be the end result however. More of the back story involved is that I work with a guy who had summitted Rainier twice in the past and seemed to have a lot of experience, we did a lot of talking and he agreed to guide me up Rainier. After trying to set a date he keeps dragging his feet and I honestly think he is going to flake (albeit he does have a lot going on with his own life so no hard feelings), I have been pretty bummed and was really looking forward to it. I don't know a lot of mountain savvy people, probably because I live in Arizona haha, but it's a big dream of mine. Quote
Stunami Posted April 8, 2015 Author Posted April 8, 2015 Hey thanks for the response, I'll send you a message! Quote
Stunami Posted April 8, 2015 Author Posted April 8, 2015 I don't see anything wrong with an experienced climber deciding to help someone get into climbing. That's what someone did for me years ago and I've been hooked ever since. But it's a big commitment to take a newbie along and I wouldn't do it without including time for some self-arrest and crevasse rescue training (how to set up a z pulley) and most importantly - without another experienced climber as part of a 3 person team. Sad if the only introduction to mountaineering costs $1600. Not everyone has friends who are climbers to begin with (or that kind of dough lying around). One of my favorite summits was when I saw a newbie tear up at the top after having pushed through a tough climb. I wasn't guiding - just enjoying a climb with someone less experienced but still qualified in other ways. I'm not sure of my schedule yet - but we might be able to work something out later in summer... That is awesome, thanks for your response I'd very much appreciate you trying to make time. Quote
Dave7 Posted April 9, 2015 Posted April 9, 2015 Gardner is a great guy - I remember meeting him a couple years back when I first got into climbing. He was very welcoming and very motivated to get into the alpine. Let me know if you guys put something together this summer...I wouldn't mind going up with ya'll. Cheers! Quote
Stunami Posted April 9, 2015 Author Posted April 9, 2015 Gardner is a great guy - I remember meeting him a couple years back when I first got into climbing. He was very welcoming and very motivated to get into the alpine. Let me know if you guys put something together this summer...I wouldn't mind going up with ya'll. Cheers! So far I am pretty impressed with the community here, I really appreciate it. I'm eagerly awaiting to hear back and hope something works out, take it easy Quote
Gardner Posted April 15, 2015 Posted April 15, 2015 Woah - Dave! Great to see you on here! Shoot me a PM and let me know what you've been up to! I've been in Ukraine the last 3 years and doing more backpacking, skiing and snowshoeing but will be in the NW in July and August. Still not sure how the schedule is going to work out though. Maybe something will come together. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.