Little Tahoma May 8, 2019

Ascending the to the base of Little Tahoma. The Disappointment Cleaver in the background. 

Although often overlooked by many as they set their sights upon the summit of Mt. Rainier, Little Tahoma offers a different kind of experience for those climbers or skiers willing to put in the effort. Standing 11,138 ft. tall off the SE shoulder of Rainier, “Little T” is a prized summit known for its seclusion, exciting summit scramble and incredible corn skiing. As summer like conditions continue to dominate the PNW for the majority of May, parties have already been taking advantage of the weather to try their luck on this climb.

Early this week, rangers had the opportunity to traverse from Paradise to Camp Schurman with a pit stop on the Whitman Glacier to attempt a climb on Little Tahoma. Although approaching Little T from the Frying Pan Glacier via Summerland is the common route, the roads still aren’t open yet to the east side of the park.

Given the spring diurnal cycle of the snowpack that is typical for this time of year, timing is everything if approaching from Paradise, crossing the lower Cowlitz Glacier and ascending to the Whitman. Steep SE aspects that drop onto the Cowlitz quickly become touchy and reactive by midday given the solar radiation they receive. Likewise, SW aspects across the basin become dangerous while ascending to the Whitman Bench. Climbers should plan their itineraries accordingly and pay attention to changing surface conditions in order to minimize exposure to loose wet avalanches. If the snow your traveling upon becomes slushy, and ski poles easily plunge 15-30cm’s into the surface, that’s a good indicator of unstable snow.

Natural avalanche activity along the approach to the Whitman Glacier. 

Although there are a few different options in order to gain the upper Whitman Glacier, most routes will will require roughly 7 miles of travel and nearly 5,000 ft of elevation gain to reach the base of the SE face of Little Tahoma. Ample camping options abound here and climbers should strive to adhere to LNT practices in order to preserve not only the landscape but the isolated feel of this climb. From roughly 9,000’, it’s a 1,800’ push up the steep snow of the SE face and then another 300 ft scrambling, hiking and or climbing on rock. Depending on snow conditions, the last 300 ft of climbing can vary greatly, but is exposed and easily warrants the employment of a rope and a basic climbing rack.

Climbers ascending the last few hundred feet to the summit

Whether you’ve climbed Little T over hundred times before or are looking for a new adventure, this route is a classic that shouldn’t be missed under these conditions!