Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Mt. Rainier, Seattle Wa.

I was wondering if anyone has climbed Mt Rainier. Besides the fact that it is a glacier climb, would it be anything like Whitney? Is there any mountaineering requirements?

Also, I have extra permit vouchers for Whitney, should I just call them in and let them know we have people missing out? And is a tent necessary for the Whitney climb?

Many thanks in advance,

David

Rainier is a very different type of climb than Whitney in the summer. Depending on the year, you can be on snow and ice from the parking lot all the way to the summit. From approximately 11,000 feet up you will need skill climbing on snow with ice ax and crampons, route finding (depending on conditions and route) and weather knowledge (it can blizzard in the summer). Rainier can be climbed safely by multiple routes, but it is not the high altitude hike that the main Whitney trail is in the summer.

David, Rainier is a true mountaineering experience. You need all the skills to be self-sufficient, and there is serious objective danger. Weather is a big deal, and usually is the cause of multiple deaths yearly.

One needs to have all the skills for winter mountaineering when on that mountain, and be prepared to bivy for multiple nites in severe weather.

Kurt Wedberg is a senior guide on that mountain. In fact, one of few that guides both mountains. I hope he pipes in.

As for Whitney and a tent, I'm assuming you mean an overnite trip. No, a tent is not necessary. However, the odds of getting caught in precipitation is good, and you need to be prepared, with a bivy or some shelter.

Calling in the permits is generally the best course of action.

Here is a link to some pictures on Rainier about four weeks ago.

Rainier

Hi David,

Yes Mt. Rainier is a very different mountain from Whitney. Rainier is a rather unique mountain in the US. It has 26 glaciers, is the 3rd highest in the lower 48, and is located very close to the coast causing the weather to change quickly.

The terrain and weather on Rainier require a different skill set than that of climbing Whitney... especially up the Main Trail on Whitney. Both mountains require you to be in very good physical shape but that is where the similarity ends. If you go on a guided climb of Rainier you will need to know the basics of how to use an ice axe, how to efficiently walk with crampons (yes there are techniques for this as opposed to just straping them on your boots and walking), and the basics of rope travel. These skills are usually taught by the guides prior to you climbing the mountain with them. If you go unguided you can add to that an intimate knowledge of snow anchors and crevasse rescue skills. You will also want to feel comfortable navigating in potential white out conditions with a map and compass (or GPS), how to build good camps on glaciated terrain, and how to safely lead and navigate a rope team through hazardous terrain including rock fall zones, ice fall areas, crevassed areas. These types of skills are taught on a longer mountaineering seminar. These are taught on Mt. Rainier and in the Sierra.

If you are climbing Whitney via another route like the Mountaineer's Route in winter or summer or the rock climbing routes you will need a skill set for them. This skill set is a bit different than what is needed for a Rainier attempt.

Both are excellent mountains. They offer a tremendous sense of accomplishment and amazing scenery. I have been up both of them 100+ times via 5+ routes on each peak. They are two of my all time favorites.

If you have more questions feel free to ask here on the board or email me. My profile is on the board here.

All the best,

Kurt

Thanks everyone...So it sounds that an attempt by two or three novices for Rainer a bad idea? I will be hiking Whitney and I don’t feel any doubts on accomplishing the feat, but Rainier proves different obstacles. I have never been on ice or snow and I don’t have enough cash for a guide. We were planning on climbing and knowing our limitations, we don’t want to kill ourselves on this mountain…let me know what you guys think. Would there be someone just randomly going up and we could tag along. Again, many thanks,

David

David:
At the risk of sounding repetitive, Rainier is a technical mountaineering climb, I would NOT think is suitable for novices. If you have admittedly never been on ice or snow, it would be wise to start with basic snow travel and avalanche safety. I know Kurt offers classes in both through SMI. If you live in Southern California, the Sierra Club offers its Wilderness Travel Course once a year from Jan-Mar, and that's a good place to learn some basic skills as well. I took the course myself this past year and got a lot of solid information out of it, and have applied it accordingly to my trips on snow and rock, trail and off-trail.
I might also recommend getting your hands on some reading material about the routes, requirements, and trip reports so that you might have a better understanding of what happens up there. This wouldn't be the type of trip where one just "tags along".
Good luck.
-L

Yep, a bad idea. Even tagging along with someone who is skilled is a bad idea. The concept involved is the mountaineering principle of "self-sufficiency". Professional guides are skilled in making up for a climber's deficiencies, primarily through education, and dedication to the client's safety and good experience, often at the expense of their own experience.
Non-guides, although skilled, do not have this orientation, they are doing the trip for themselves, and reasonably so.

The mountain is rife with stories of people getting separated, with the experienced people going one way, and the novices the other, off a cliff they couldn't see.

A good resource is the www.Cascadeclimbers.com website, that is oriented towards that part of the country. They have a whole forum on Rainier, (with 79 PAGES of threads!), and it is educational to read about some of the issues.

My thinking is that if one wants to tackle Rainier, one would be wise to experience some other mountains that would allow the accumulation of the skills involved, to become truly self-sufficient in that environment.

G'luck!

Kurt - your name actually came up on our climb. I guess you know three of of the guys in our group rather well. Steve Reneker organized the trip and it sounds like you have done some climbing with Ben as well.

Hi Richard,

Yes Steve and Ben are long time friends. Steve was my climbing partner on Everest. He and I took our summit photos together. Ben and I have climbed both locally and internationally as well. They're great guys as are the rest of that crew.

Seriously, and do take Mt. Rainier seriously. I have done both and I am fortunate to look at it every day from my office...when it's not covered in clouds. Mt. Rainier is a serious and dangerous climb and not for novices unless you go with a professional guide who offers a mountain skills course ahead of the climb. Much harder and more dangerous than Mt. Whitney (in the summer). Do not take it lightly. Mt. Rainier is a killer! While everyone's comments here are certainly on point, it is easy to discount the effort and the danger. Nevertheless, it is also a greatly rewarding climb for those who are prepared and careful. Have fun and enjoy the spectacular scenery and the accomplishment!