Climber Self-Registration Begins September 11th

Where did the summer go? With the return of fall, operations and services at Mount Rainier will begin to decrease. Climbing Permits are still required through the fall and winter for traveling on Mount Rainier above 10,000 feet or on glaciers. Self-registration for climbers in Paradise begins Monday September 8th, 2025 and the Paradise Wilderness Information Center will close September 7th. There will be a self-registration box located outside the Old Ranger Station in Paradise. As winter approaches a large tunnel will be put in front of the door of the Old Station to keep the Self-Reg kiosk and stairs snow-free. Walk through this tunnel and find the self-registration box with instructions at the end of the walkway. This is open 24/7 for registration, even if no one is staffing it - follow the directions on the kiosk.

Self Registration is at the Paradise Ranger Station near the center of the photo.

Climbers can still register in-person (which we recommend) in Longmire and White River Ranger Stations. Check the park's operating hours and pay special attention to the date at which the operating hours change as we move into winter. The White River Wilderness Information Center will be staffed until October 9th, 2023. After that date, there will be a self-registration box on the outside of the Wilderness Information Center as well until the road closes for the season. The Longmire Wilderness Information Center will also close around then and move their operations to the Longmire Museum for the winter. 

There are two things required to climb in the off-season. The first is to pay the online Annual Climber Cost Recovery Fee. The second is to use the self-registration stations at Paradise or White River to fill out your permit. 

Filling out your self-registration permit completely will help any necessary search and rescue efforts - please take the time to get it right! The full list of instructions will be located at both self-registration stations. You will fill out a sheet (front and back) at the ranger station and leave it in the drop box, you don't carry the permit on you. Please remember when you get off the mountain to fill out the return slip at the station and put in the drop box as well to check out from the field. 

As summer turns to winter, our seasonal staff starts to migrate away from the mountain. High camps will only be staffed very occasionally, search and rescue operations will be delayed, and the park's exclusive-use SAR helicopter will be departing the park by late September. Please keep in mind that during the winters, there aren't rangers actively staffing the high camps to talk about conditions or weather. It is recommended that climbers are prepared to be very self-sufficient as any rescue efforts could take days! 

Disappointment Cleaver 9/8/2025

Welcome to September! 

As we move further into late summer season, conditions on the mountain have been rapidly transitioning from the snowfield to the summit.  Here's a quick run down on what's going on right now and into the winter on the mountain:

Muir Snowfield:

As stated in the previous blogpost, all parties headed up the Muir Snowfield should be prepared for sections of bare-ice, flowing water, and crevasses large enough to fall into. Please be ready with traction devices for footwear such as micro-spikes or crampons, trekking poles, and gloves. These icy and crevassed sections can catch people off guard if not properly prepared.  Be especially cautious if we get a fresh dusting of snow which can hide these hazards from view.  

Camp Muir:

Remember that the Public Shelter at Camp Muir remains closed through September, and all climbing parties will need to bring their own tent/shelter.   This makes conservative decision making during stormy weather important - there's no backup shelter to retreat to during lightning storms.   

Significantly sized crevasses have opened up in camp and continue to grow with warm temperatures.  This makes finding a campsite at Camp Muir difficult.  Please plan on camping on the snow, double check that your site doesn't have crevasses underneath and isn't prone to rockfall, and bring a shovel or adze to flatten out the tent site.  The crevasses near Camp Muir are now large enough a person can certainly fall in.

Please travel around camp with caution - there's been active rockfall on the ridges around camp and the danger of an unroped crevasse fall cannot be overstated.  

Disappointment Cleaver Route:

The upper mountain swiftly moves into "late season" conditions with significant crevasse, serac fall, and rockfall hazard throughout the route. 

All three guide services AAI, RMI and IMG have officially ceased guiding operations for the season, citing deteriorating conditions at the Cleaver entrance and upper route as the primary factors for this decision.  They've pulled all of the route adjuncts - no more ladders, hand lines or "fixed-pickets" are in place right now.  This means that any independent climbers must be prepared to navigate around large crevasse openings and prepared to protect steeper loose rock steps.  

The entrance on to the Cleaver has been the primary limiting factor for both guided parties and independent parties alike due to significant objective hazard. A widening moat between the Cleaver and Ingraham Glacier at 11,400 feet coupled with excessive rockfall and poor footing poses a risk decision that climbing parties must assess for themselves. 

Above the Cleaver, conditions have also continued to degrade without regular maintenance provided by the guide services. Independent teams should plan to navigate without relying on previously installed equipment and be prepared for complex route-finding and rapidly evolving hazards.  There will not be wands on the route marking a way to the summit.  

Late-season climbers should exercise heightened caution, assess conditions carefully, and have technical skills necessary for a truly independent and an unguided route. Good teamwork and conservative decision making are paramount for a successful trip on Mount Rainier.