This blog is maintained by the Climbing Ranger team for use by recreational non-guided climbers. Use these reports as a baseline, but plan for changing conditions.
Leave No Trace on Rainier
Leave No Trace (LNT) is a term many backpackers and climbers are familiar with. This set of seven principles people follow in the backcountry to leave where they go looking as untouched as possible so that future generations can enjoy the same wilderness experience. A number of the principles also relate to your personal safety and will help you enjoy your experience in the wilderness.From the impacts we have been seeing in Mount Rainier National Park it seems that some of these principles have been forgotten. Here's a rundown of how to apply the seven principles on Rainier and other alpine areas.
1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
Do your research on the route, climbing permits, and climbing fees a head of time.
Know and practice your skills before you get on the mountain (from your layering system to navigating in whiteouts to crevasse rescue), skills are perishable.
Use some form of GPS for route finding on mountain.
Know the gear you need and how to use it.
Be self-sufficient and prepared when you come on Rainier so you can prevent an incident. If things do go south, have the skills and equipment to care for yourself and teammates so you don't pull other people into your incident and endanger them.
2. Hike and Camp on Durable Surfaces
When climbing Rainier, most camp locations will have parties camped out on the most durable surface, snow. If you are lower on the mountain, camp only in preestablished sites and do not improve or invent any new sites.
3. Dispose of Your Waste Appropriately
Pack it in and then pack it out. Food scraps, empty fuel cannisters, water bottles, dental floss, used toilet paper and poop (to name a few), are commonly picked up at high camps. It does NOT biodegrade up high in the snow and will be sitting there for years to come. Rangers work hard to keep the mountain clean, but we need your help! Please pack down everything you've brought up with you.
Human waste: You can't dig a cat-hole and bury it in a glacier and expect it to disappear forever. It will likely melt out later in the summer, or the following years. We have thousands of climbers on Rainier every year, imagine how the mountain would look (and smell) if folks didn't use our toilets or pack out their human waste!
When climbing Rainier, most camp locations will have parties camped out on the most durable surface, snow. If you are lower on the mountain, camp only in preestablished sites and do not improve or invent any new sites.
3. Dispose of Your Waste Appropriately
Pack it in and then pack it out. Food scraps, empty fuel cannisters, water bottles, dental floss, used toilet paper and poop (to name a few), are commonly picked up at high camps. It does NOT biodegrade up high in the snow and will be sitting there for years to come. Rangers work hard to keep the mountain clean, but we need your help! Please pack down everything you've brought up with you.
Trash collected out of the public shelter at Camp Muir on 7/27/24
Human waste: You can't dig a cat-hole and bury it in a glacier and expect it to disappear forever. It will likely melt out later in the summer, or the following years. We have thousands of climbers on Rainier every year, imagine how the mountain would look (and smell) if folks didn't use our toilets or pack out their human waste!
Bring your blue bag / wag-bag and bring extra so that you have enough. Blue bags can be acquired at the Wilderness Information Center for free when you pick up your permit. Camp Muir and Camp Schurman have blue bag barrels where you can dispose of your blue bags for proper processing.
Hole at Ingraham Flats full of human waste and toilet paper that rangers have to clean up.
4. Take Nothing but Pictures
Snap a photo of the awesome things you see so that you can remember them later. Leave all flowers, rocks, and other natural things alone. Don't feed or try to pet wildlife. Ravens and rodents are prevalent in high camps. Properly secure food and scented items.
5. Minimize your campfire impacts
This one is simple in the alpine. No fires are allowed in the alpine, and wood is kind of hard to come by.
What would Smokey Bear do?
7. Respect Other Visitors
Watch out for bottle necks on routes- try to space yourself out from other parties when leaving camp on busy nights. Be careful when traveling on loose rock (keep your rope short) so you don't knock rocks off onto other people or knock rocks onto yourselves.
Please, help us keep our mountains looking pristine to provide an awesome climbing experience for all to have!
This one is simple in the alpine. No fires are allowed in the alpine, and wood is kind of hard to come by.
What would Smokey Bear do?
7. Respect Other Visitors
Watch out for bottle necks on routes- try to space yourself out from other parties when leaving camp on busy nights. Be careful when traveling on loose rock (keep your rope short) so you don't knock rocks off onto other people or knock rocks onto yourselves.
Please, help us keep our mountains looking pristine to provide an awesome climbing experience for all to have!
