Muir Corridor Update 5/21/25

Overview

The past week has brought high winds, new snow, and cold temps with varied forecast accuracy for the upper mountain. We observed winds in the 40-80+ mph, drifted snow on leeward regions totaling 24+ inches, and cold temperatures. Due to these conditions there has not been a high amount of traffic on the upper mountain, and teams can expect to encounter a more natural feel with less obvious boot pack in places, reinforcing the need for parties to always come prepared to use their own route-finding and navigational skills when climbing. Notable hazards right now include:

+White Out Conditions

+Serac Fall and Rock Fall

+Cold Temps

+Crevasse Fall

+Avalanche

Serac Fall at Ingraham Flats

At ~6am on May 19th a team staying at Ingraham flats reported a Serac Fall event that spread debris and ice blocks through portions of the Ingraham Direct route, within Flats Camp itself, and a few basketball sized ice blocks came to rest ~40ft downhill of camp. No one was harmed.

View from the flats, gouging on the Ingraham and blocks/debris visible (5/19, 11,000')

View of the debris from the cleaver, collapsed tents at the flats can be seen (5/20, 11,800')

Seracs at ~12,700ft on the Inghram Glacier, where the blocks originated (5/20, 12,300')

It's important to note that Seracs can fall at any time of day or night, regardless of forecasted temperature, wind events, or other factors. Forecasting when these chunks will fall is exceptionally hard if not impossible. Your best way to mitigate these hazards is to simply avoid them or minimize the time you are exposed to them. Be intentional where you take breaks, and move efficiently through zones where these objective hazards are present

Disappointment Cleaver

Route up the DC on 5/20/25

Cold temps, strong winds, and fresh snowfall this past week have helped keep the DC predominantly a snow climb, with a few short sections of rock to be encountered. Currently, the route is wanded to the summit. At ~13,700ft wands from the ID join the DC, and parties should take care to ensure they are descending their intended route. As of 5/20 there were fixed lines on the lower half of the cleaver, and many fixed pickets between ~12,500 and ~13,200.

There were no ladders present on 5/20. Teams are free to use fixed protection; however it may have been days since someone last checked or placed this gear and changing conditions may have compromised their security. Never clip into something you are not sure about and be prepared with your own kit to increase your security. As a reminder, the NPS does not place or maintain any of the fixed gear on the mountain.

Teams should consider shortening their rope length when moving through rocky areas, such as Cathedral Gap and on the cleaver, to prevent causing unnecessary rockfall that may threaten you or others. Teams are also encouraged to move with purpose from Flats camp onto the cleaver where the route is exposed to serac fall hazard from the upper Ingraham Glacier, and the Icebox climbers left of the cleaver. If there are other teams moving through this zone, communicate with each other to minimize traffic jams and bottlenecks where the overhead hazard is high. 

Looking up from Ingraham Flats Camp at the Disappointment Cleaver (5/19, 11,000')

The traverse getting onto the Cleaver (5/20, 11,400')

Switchback at the bottom of the Disappointment Cleaver with a fixed rope (5/20, 11,500')

Fixed ropes and mostly snow travel on the cleaver. (5/20, 11,500')

Looking up from the top of the cleaver at ~12,400'. The route trends climbers right above the cleaver around the seracs of the upper Ingraham glacier. (5/20, 12,300')

Looking out towards the Emmons Shoulder (5/20, 13,000')

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Crevasse crossing near 13,400' with fresh snow bridging the crack. (5/20, 13,500')

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There are several crevasses encountered near 13,500' on the upper DC route. Wind drifted snow has thinly covered many of these cracks and may hide the best place to cross. (5/20)

Ingraham Direct

Guided groups and independent teams alike have had success on the ID this season. Recently, all fixed protection has been removed from the route and most parties are opting to climb the DC due to recent serac fall on the route.

Route up the Ingraham Direct on 5/16/25

Between Ingraham Flats and 12,000ft there are a few crevasses that are beginning to open up and snow bridges that must be negotiated. Even with forecasted freezing levels this past week between 4,000ft and 6,000ft, the intense solar radiation and time with minimal or calm winds has meant that surface conditions began to soften and snow bridges were losing structure in the afternoon.

Looking up the Ingraham (5/16, ~11,200')

In the photo above, high on the Ingraham, center of the photo you can be see hanging seracs that threaten portions of the route from above. Already this season multiple parties have reported close calls and near misses with blocks falling near them when climbing the ID.

 ~12,000ft on the ID (5/16)

From 12k to Camp Comfort at just above 12,700ft the route is steeper, and more exposed. On 5/16 a handful of fixed pickets were present on the route protecting a few of these exposed traverses, and crevasse crossings. This pickets have since been removed so parties will need to come prepared to place protection for themselves and manage crossings like they would on any other route on Rainier.

Climbing Ranger Being Belayed Across a Bridged Crevasse at 12,700ft Utilizing Pickets for Protection on (5/16)

Above Camp Comfort the route trends left across the Nisqually glacier before switching back a few times to the crater rim. 

Additional Information 

A climbing Permit and Payment of the Climbing Cost 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.