Rangers and independent climbers reached the summit from Camp Muir on June 30th via the Disappointment Cleaver Route. Surface conditions were cold and firm. The snow was nicely "cramponable," but a slip and fall would be difficult to arrest. This will likely be the case for the next few days with high winds and low temps. The current, frozen nature of the upper mountain (freezing levels below 10,000 feet) allowed climbers to cross some snow bridges that may be unstable or collapse as the weather warms up.
Camp Muir to Ingraham Flats
The Cowlitz Glacier is in good shape and the route to the flats is straightforward. Remember to move efficiently below Cathedral Rock to the scree of Cathedral Gap, as this area is prone to rockfall. The walk from the top of the Gap to the usual Ingraham Flats camp does not involve crossing any open crevasses.
Ingraham Flats to the Disappointment Cleaver
Getting on to the cleaver from the flats starts by end running a series of open cracks. The snow bridges that currently allow passage from the middle of the Ingraham Glacier to the cleaver are thin and will become less stable with warmer temps. Consider belaying if the bridges are less than ideal, especially on the way down when bridges are softer later in the heat of the day.
There is a snow ramp that leads right to the "Backboard" of the Disappointment Cleaver. The walking is straightforward, but extremely consequential. A slip here could result in a fall into a huge crevasse. Consider placing pickets for running protection.
The Disappointment Cleaver
The path of least resistance up the cleaver takes you to the nose, up the nose in a few switchbacks, then out to the snow, climber's left. Diligent awareness is rewarded with ease of travel on the cleaver. The path is subtle, and typically 3rd Class (you shouldn't ever be climbing with your arms), and staying on the well-trodden route generates far less rockfall than the more exposed terrain.
Top of the Cleaver to the Summit Crater
Rangers visually identified three potential routes from the top of the cleaver to the summit crater. The left most (blue) route is the current line of ascent for most parties.
Blue Route - This route works towards Camp Comfort to cross a wide crevasse. The line depicts the general area of the best bridge. Above Camp Comfort there is broken terrain to navigate. The route ascends fall line from Comfort end running several crevasses. There may be a more straightforward route climbers left, characterized by a short section of steeper snow. After this broken section the route ascends to the crater without running into any major crevasse crossings.
Red Route – This was the route last summer. From the top of the Cleaver it looks like it may be viable again this year.
Green Route – A set of tracks from a party that possibly summited. They lead to a bridge over a crack then out of sight. They’re in the same area where the standard route has gone up in years past.
The Message Worth Repeating
Come prepared to be completely self-reliant on Mount Rainier this season. Experienced climbers have established that the Disappointment Cleaver is currently a viable route, but this does not mean that it is the manicured route that it normally is - this is for a variety of reasons, but mostly due to the guide services not currently maintaining a boot pack. Because of firm conditions there isn’t even a set of boot prints above 13,000 feet. Mount Rainier has always been a complex, glaciated, high-altitude mountain and that is much more apparent this year with absent the talented guides and limited independent climbers. A team planning to climb this summer must know how to navigate in any weather and problem solve crevasse crossings.
Camp Muir to Ingraham Flats
The Cowlitz Glacier is in good shape and the route to the flats is straightforward. Remember to move efficiently below Cathedral Rock to the scree of Cathedral Gap, as this area is prone to rockfall. The walk from the top of the Gap to the usual Ingraham Flats camp does not involve crossing any open crevasses.
Ingraham Flats to the Disappointment Cleaver
Getting on to the cleaver from the flats starts by end running a series of open cracks. The snow bridges that currently allow passage from the middle of the Ingraham Glacier to the cleaver are thin and will become less stable with warmer temps. Consider belaying if the bridges are less than ideal, especially on the way down when bridges are softer later in the heat of the day.
There is a snow ramp that leads right to the "Backboard" of the Disappointment Cleaver. The walking is straightforward, but extremely consequential. A slip here could result in a fall into a huge crevasse. Consider placing pickets for running protection.
The Disappointment Cleaver
The path of least resistance up the cleaver takes you to the nose, up the nose in a few switchbacks, then out to the snow, climber's left. Diligent awareness is rewarded with ease of travel on the cleaver. The path is subtle, and typically 3rd Class (you shouldn't ever be climbing with your arms), and staying on the well-trodden route generates far less rockfall than the more exposed terrain.
Top of the Cleaver to the Summit Crater
Rangers visually identified three potential routes from the top of the cleaver to the summit crater. The left most (blue) route is the current line of ascent for most parties.
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| Possible routes from the top of the Cleaver |
Red Route – This was the route last summer. From the top of the Cleaver it looks like it may be viable again this year.
Green Route – A set of tracks from a party that possibly summited. They lead to a bridge over a crack then out of sight. They’re in the same area where the standard route has gone up in years past.
The Message Worth Repeating
Come prepared to be completely self-reliant on Mount Rainier this season. Experienced climbers have established that the Disappointment Cleaver is currently a viable route, but this does not mean that it is the manicured route that it normally is - this is for a variety of reasons, but mostly due to the guide services not currently maintaining a boot pack. Because of firm conditions there isn’t even a set of boot prints above 13,000 feet. Mount Rainier has always been a complex, glaciated, high-altitude mountain and that is much more apparent this year with absent the talented guides and limited independent climbers. A team planning to climb this summer must know how to navigate in any weather and problem solve crevasse crossings.
