Mt Rainier Summit trip 2021

Tackling Mount Rainier has been something I knew would happen someday, but I didn’t know that it would actually happen this year. I was invited to join two friends, Trevin and Aaron, to be the 3rd on the rope team.

The week before, the 3 of us met up in the North Cascades to get some practice in glacier travel together. About 14 miles NE of Mt Baker we headed up to Ruth Mountain where we worked on pace and spacing for ascending, descending, and switchbacks.

Trevin and Aaron on our way up to Ruth Mountain

Then we found a steep slope snow face where I got some training and practice with crevasse rescue. 

Aaron, being attached to the rope, would jump down the slope and I would self-arrest with an ice axe (stop his fall and myself from falling in). Then I would have to set up an anchor and pulley system to pull him back up. 

Making our way around the Ruth Arm

Just like with any sport, it takes practice to make a good team.

I was getting super pumped for the upcoming Rainier climb. In fact, in all the excitement and planning I overlooked a vital detail. It was now Friday morning at 7am, exactly 24 hours before we were to start the climb, and I woke up to messages and a phone call. It was Aaron and Trevin asking me where I was. I had the wrong date on the calendar!

Camp Muir at 10,080’ on Mt Rainier

Long story short, I had 240 miles to drive and all the gear to pack up, but I was able to make it to the Paradise parking lot at 12:40pm. Aaron and Trevin were up at Camp Muir waiting. They did have 3 other friends who were a rope team of their own, so their backup plan was that they would join together to make a team of 5 if I wasn’t able to make it.

Fair plan, but that wasn’t going to happen because I knew I was gonna make it. I did have until 10pm to make it to Camp Muir, after all. That was the ideal time we planned to start the summit push. At 5:15pm I approached the camp and see Trevin and Aaron standing at the top of Muir snowfield waving at me.

I ate some hot food and we attempted to get some sleep in Aaron’s 3 man tent. Camp Muir is at 10,080 feet elevation between the Nisqually and Cowlitz glaciers. The usual heavy winds weren’t holding back on us. Some of us got less than an hour of sleep, others none at all. We were all up at 10:20pm getting roped up.

Looking back on Ingraham glacier and high camp 11050’ at 12:48am. The moon gave off just enough light to take occasional photos as we were moving.

Crossing one of the higher crevasses, getting some of that early dawn light.

First views of the crater rim.

Over the SE rim and into the crater.

Walt Packer doing a celebratory high-kick jump and myself in a selfie.

Another climber walking up to the summit.

We walked to the other side of the rim and around the area of the highest point. Took some time to take it all in and signed the registry box.

Aaron taking a photo of Gibraltar Rock and Mt Adams. It was a little easier to take photos on the way down with the daylight.

Between the SE rim and Disappointment Cleaver with climbers visible on the far right.

Trevin about to make a crevasse crossing.

Where the Emmons Glacier hits Disappointment Cleaver.

Glacier activity between Gibraltar Rock between Disappointment Cleaver.

Ingraham Glacier and Camp Ingraham

Little Tahoma peak from Disappointment Cleaver, and the summit registry (out of chronological order).

Quite a few climbers were hanging out on Disappointment Cleaver, the only section of the summit climb where we un-roped and took off the crampons, other than the summit.

The ice and snow breaking apart as some of it shifts on the slopes is easy to see here on Ingraham Glacier. The high camp area is visible on the left.

Traffic jams can also happen on the mountain.

Natural ice formations made by wind.

We were back at Camp Muir around 10am. Took a little time there to pack up and then slid on down (part of the way) to the car by 1:15pm. Such an amazing experience!

Thank you for taking the time to read through this post. If you want to chat at all about the mountains or a guided Mountain Portrait Experience please get in touch by email or instagram @rossjamesphoto