Disappointment Cleaver 6/25/2025

 Overview

With the Summer Solstice now past us, climbers on the mountain were greeted with a small storm over the last weekend. What a way to start summer with fresh snow at Camp Muir! 

New snow has since melted and climbers have since found good weather windows in their itineraries to attempt a summit. We are still in a transitional period here at Mount Rainier and any type of conditions can exist at any time. Always be prepared for wintery conditions even if just day hiking up the snowfield. Main hazards associated with this time of year include:

- Rapidly changing and unpredicted weather including winter snowstorms

- Overhead hazard from rock and serac fall

- Thinning snow-bridges over crevasses

Disappointment Cleaver Route

View of Ingraham Flats and the DC 6/24/25

Hiking to Camp Muir:

On the way up from Paradise, please stick to the summer trail if it is melted out/snow free. If the trail is still buried, please follow NPS wands (markers) through the snow until gaining sections of melted trail. Please avoid trampling the fragile alpine wildflowers and vegetation. 

The Muir Snowfield itself is starting its transition to a summer texture with suncups lining the entirety of its length. Skiers take note, do not expect smooth snow surface conditions if skiing/riding from Camp Muir. 

Always be prepared to navigate to/from Muir in wintery whiteout conditions.

Above Camp Muir:

The National Park Service does not maintain the route; however, guide services on Mount Rainier do significant route-work and keep it well-marked with reflective wands. Thank a guide for their hard work! Several areas along the DC route have significant exposure to overhead rock and icefall hazard. Remember, if you look up and something can come down on top of your team, do not take a break there. Continue moving until no overhead hazard exists. 

Above Ingraham Flats camp, local guide services rerouted High Crack to a more "classic" ascent. The route moves further climbers left of the old track and crosses higher on the slope then diagonals over through the ice box. Gaining entrance to the cleaver is still straight forward, though can always be a bottleneck if teams are traveling close together. The DC itself is fully melted out and teams should be expecting to travel on rocks to the top. 

View of the cleaver entrance after navigating through High Crack

Track of the route as of 6/24/25

Above the DC, the route remains fairly "direct" switch backing up to the crater rim. 

There are currently no ladders on the route. Remember, the mountain is a very dynamic environment and changes to the "route" can happen within hours. Guide services anticipate a ladder to be placed at the 12,800 crevasse when necessary. There are several pickets on the upper mountain that are maintained by guides. Use this running protection at your own discretion and please do not remove the carabiners or equipment. Complex crevasses exist throughout the route with snow-bridges to navigate through. If climbing/descending in high freezing levels or warm afternoon temperatures, be observant for any snow-bridge sagging or significant changes in route conditions. 

Skiing on the upper mountain would be quite bad due to surface conditions. Penitentes are peppering upper slopes and make holding an edge extremely difficult. A fall would be consequential due to exposure and crevasse openings. 

Kautz Report from an independent party:

The main Kautz Ice Chute has sections of bare, exposed ice up to potentially 2 full vertical pitches. Expect traveling through large penitentes after the rock step and throughout. Parties should be carrying ice screws with them for protection. 

Views of the Kautz Ice Chute. Pictures from an independent party with permission to share.

Remember, Mount Rainier is a dynamic environment and can host winter storms any time of year. Always check the weather forecast before your climb and never completely rule out the possibility of severe weather/winds affecting your climb. 

Additional Information

- The Public Shelter at Camp Muir will be closed for maintenance improvements from July 7 - September 30 2025. The shelter will remain available for emergency use only. Climbers camping at Muir should plan on bringing and sleeping in tents at Muir after July 7. 

- Remember to Leave No Trace throughout your entire visit to Mount Rainier National Park.

- A climbing permit and payment of the annual climbing fee are required to climb Mount Rainier. More information can be found on Mount Rainier National Parks Website. The Paradise Wilderness Information Center (PWIC) is open for the season with hours of operation between 7:30am - 5pm.

Emmons Update 6/25/25

 

The trail to glacier basin is mostly snow free with a few patches of stubborn snow the final mile. Above glacier basin there are various boot packs up the inter glacier to Camp Curtis. The Inter Glacier still has decent snow coverage from the winter on 6/22, however the surface condition has become very sun cupped and would be highly challenging to navigate on skis. There are a few open moats around the various nunataks, but no open crevasses were observed. Rangers have observed a variety of strategies that parties take to access camp Schurman from the Inter Glacier. Pertinent notes for navigating this portion would include staying clear of overhead hazard from rocks and navigating through broken glaciated terrain. 

Emmons Glacier below camp 6/22/25

Although there is a well-established boot pack on a majority of the route climbers are encouraged to evaluate changing conditions and deteriorating snow bridges and make their own decisions on the best/safest path when necessary. There are a few points on the route where the well-trodden "path" crosses a marginal snow bridge. Safer crossings can be found by looking around to a less traveled area where a more robust bridge can be utilized or a crevasse can be end run. 

Crevasse at 12,400' 6/22/25

We are still seeing independent climbers bringing skis to the upper mountain on the Emmons - when we talked with these parties on the route and back at Schurman many skiers used terms such as "bad skiing", "rugged", and "highly variable" when describing their descent. Many also reported carrying their equipment back down the mountain a distance before reaching a point they wanted to ski/board from. Further, rangers repeatedly observed riders get off their intended descent route at ~12,000ft landing them well above the corridor in broken and crevassed terrain. 

While we are almost into July here in the park weather is ever dynamic, always consult weather in the planning phase as well as your climb. Weather resources can be found here. 

Ptarmagin Ridge 6/19/25

Multiple parties have made attempts on Ptarmigan Ridge over the past few weeks with only one successful climb. Photos taken on 6/19/25 show an overview of the area and current snow and ice coverage on the route. 

These photographs were taken by an independent party of 3 that opted not to climb due to the current conditions on the route 

Emmons Update 6/18

 

The Emmons Winthrop route is still in good shape and has seen many successful ascents and descents in the past week. 

The trail to glacier basin is mostly snow free with a few patches of stubborn snow the final mile before. Above glacier basin there are various boot packs up the inter glacier to Camp Curtis. The Inter Glacier still has decent snow coverage from the winter with on fern ice on 6/18. There are a few open moats around the various nunataks, but no open crevasses were observed.

Looking up at the Inter Glacier from the moraine above glacier basin

A route to the Summit on 6/14/25

Although there is a well-established boot pack on a majority of the route climbers are encouraged to evaluate changing conditions and deteriorating snow bridges and make their own decisions on the best/safest path when necessary. There are a few points on the route where the well-trodden "path" crosses a marginal snow bridge. Safer crossings can be found by looking around to a less traveled area where a more robust bridge can be utilized or a crevasse can be end run. 

Crevasses at 11,400' - 6/14/2025

This last weekend we saw many descents by skiers and split boarders. When we talked with these parties on the route and back at Schurman many skiers used terms such as "bad skiing", "rugged", and "highly variable" when describing their descent. Many also reported carrying their equipment back down the mountain a distance before reaching a point they wanted to ski/board from. Further, rangers repeatedly observed riders get off their intended descent route at ~12,000ft landing them well above the corridor in broken and crevassed terrain. 

Boot pack at 13,400 - 6/14/2025

Overview of the Emmons route from Camp Schurman - 6/14/2025

If you are planning for a ski/board descent of the Emmons come prepared for variable surface conditions consisting of, sun cups, Penitentes, ice, and Sastrugi. If you are expecting planer surfaces and good corn skiing on the upper mountain you may be disappointed and find yourself in more challenging conditions. Carful route-finding is even more paramount when descending on skis due to the faster speed at which riders encounter terrain and a lack or rope to arrest a fall. 

If your team is planning on un-roping and riding down the mountain be thinking about your rope strategy... If you only have one rope for the team and the person who is carrying the rope falls into a crevasse, what is your plan?? 

North Side Photos and Route Info

The north side of Rainier 6/17/25

Climbing traffic has slowed down on the north side routes of Rainier over the last week due to changing route conditions and difficulty accessing some routes.

Liberty Ridge: Climbers have reported bailing from the approach to Liberty Ridge in recent days after having difficulty accessing the ridge from the Carbon glacier. Parties have reported a lack of adequate snow coverage on Liberty Ridge, which is typical for late June. Navigating the upper Carbon glacier has been difficult as well, with numerous open crevasses, necessitating circuitous travel.

Ptarmigan Ridge: Parties were successful on Ptarmigan in early June. There have been no reports of successful summits on this route over the last two weeks. Note that Ptarmigan ridge must be accessed from the White River campground this year due to the Mowich lake road closure. 

 Liberty Ridge (left) and Ptarmigan Ridge (center) on 6/17/25

Disappointment Cleaver 06/14/2025

Overview

With the summer solstice fast approaching, climbers have been experiencing long days and ample sunshine as many ascend the Disappointment Cleaver Route. We’re in a transitional period between spring and summer weather and snow conditions with changes occurring at every elevation on the mountain, from the lower slopes of Paradise to the summit. 

A low-pressure system will move into the region over the next few days, bringing the potential for significant wind, precipitation, dropping temperatures, poor visibility, and obscured hazards.  Always be prepared for wintery conditions, even on a daytrip up the Muir snowfield. The main hazards associated with this time of year include:

• Rapidly changing and unpredictable weather, including whiteout and wintery conditions

• Overhead hazard from rock and serac fall

• Thin snow bridges over crevasses

Disappointment Cleaver (DC) Route

Some notes about the approach to Camp Muir:

On the way up from Paradise, please stick to the Summer Trail if it’s melted out and snow if there is no obvious dirt/rock trail. There are occasional markers on the lower snow "trails" beneath Panorama Point to indicate the Summer Trail. Please avoid trampling the fragile alpine wildflowers and other vegetation. 

There is water flowing from Pebble Creek above Panorama Point and we recommend filtering it if you plan to drink it.

Be ready to navigate the Muir Snowfield in whiteout conditions.

Above Camp Muir:

The National Park Service does not maintain the route; however, local guiding services do significant route-work and keep it well-marked with reflective wands. There is rock and serac fall debris scattered throughout the beginning of the climb above Camp Muir, most notably throughout the Ingraham Flats (see earlier posts about 5/19 Serac Fall) and the "Bowling Alley". Attempting to pass rope teams in these zones will not likely save time and instead it can cause tangled ropes amongst the massive ice blocks in the Flats. There are several crevasses to navigate leading up to the DC so plan rope lengths and teams accordingly. This is one of the many places to move swiftly on the route to mitigate the risks of overhead hazard.

Looking back on the Ingraham Glacier from the base of the Disappointment Cleaver. The “Bowling Alley” and debris from the 5/19 Serac Fall can be seen.

The DC itself is fully melted out and it primarily involves rock travel. Remember to use careful footing and don’t let your rope drag on the ground through this section; avoid sweeping rocks down on parties beneath you. The uphill party is responsible for mitigating this avoidable rockfall hazard. If you’re concerned about kicking rocks down on other parties, simply stop moving and wait for the area below you to be clear of people before you continue. Communicate and be patient.

There are currently no ladders on the route. There is a fixed-line (to be used for balance only, do not fully weight it) and several snow pickets that are maintained by the guides–use your discretion with this gear and please don’t remove any carabiners or equipment. There are complex crevasses and snow bridges to navigate above the cleaver, especially on the steeper transitions in slope angle. With warming afternoon temperatures, be observant on the descent for any snow-bridge sagging or significant changes in route conditions. Skiing on the upper DC route would be quite bad due to surface conditions (penitentes), and a fall would be consequential because of the major crevasse crossings and exposure. 

In such a dynamic environment, give yourself a large margin for error with the incoming weather system. Track conditions and stay flexible if you’re planning to climb the mountain to celebrate the longest day of the year. Thanks for reading and remember to thank the guides for all of the hard work they do on the route!

Several independent and guided parties moving across the upper mountain, seen from the top of the Disappointment Cleaver.

Additional Information

Remember to Leave No Trace on the mountain (and in the Camp Muir Public Shelter).

 A climbing permit and Payment of the Climbing Cost and Recovery Fee are required to climb Mount Rainier. More information can be found on Mount Rainier National Parks Website. The Paradise Wilderness Information Center (PWIC) is open for the season with hours of operation between 7:30am - 5pm.