DC Update: Objective hazards become palpable

Ice fall debris with Gibraltar rock in the distance. Photo: Tyler Jones 

This morning guides reported seeing debris from a large ice fall on the upper mountain.  The large ice block tumbled in the middle of the night when no parties were on the route. The event occurred at approximately 12,600 feet on the Ingraham Glacier, just above the top of Disappointment Cleaver. Ice blocks tumbled over the climbing route and continued down the glacier at least another 1,000 vertical feet; simply put, this would have been an unsurvivable event.  The route through this area will be more difficult (and slower) to travel across with the new debris and uneven footing.

Ice fall debris over the route above the top of Disappointment Cleaver.  Photo:Tyler Jones

Events like this are a good reminder of why it is important to be aware of the objective hazards on the route, and to minimize your exposure to them. Move quickly through zones that are underneath seracs (and rockfall), and keep your senses tuned for the sound of tumbling ice blocks. More seracs in this same area could fall in the future as the glacier continues to move downhill.  It is impossible to predict when this might happen. Any serac that is tilted downhill and disconnected on the uphill side could tumble at any time. Have a discussion with your team members about your strategies for moving though areas subject to ice fall and don't linger in these areas.

More ice could fall from the same area on the Ingraham Glacier
 above Disappointment Cleaver. Photo: Tyler Jones

The rest of the DC route remains unchanged.  We have entered peak climbing season in the Muir corridor, and the route will tend to be crowded on weekends.  Remember to stay courteous and friendly with other climbers you encounter on route, and keep the mountain clean!

Emmons-Winthrop Route Update

Climbing Rangers ascended the Emmons-Winthrop on July 7th and were surprised to find that the route remains very direct, but is trending toward late season conditions. The route was only 2.5 miles long from Camp Schurman to the summit, zig-zagging through a jumble of cracks directly above the Corridor before angling up and right above a giant rectangular serac.  That being said, this could change at any point, and expect it to with the really high freezing levels that are coming in this week.

Giant rectangular serac illuminated by the sun.

The points we took away from our climb and want to spread to other climbers:

1. Crevasse fall potential is high. Use protection on larger crossings, especially if the slope is steep and a fall could drag your partners into the crevasse too. When temps are so high, get up and down early. When crossing something big, how can you get back below it if that bridge collapses while you are above?  Keep a look out for alternative routes.  

There were a couple of large bridges we crossed (around 13,100' and 13,500') that had steep headwalls on the uphill side.  Arresting a fall on the steep headwall if the lower person broke through would be impossible.  Place a picket on the uphill side of the crevasse after the leader crosses to have it between rope-team members (running protection). In the warmer temperatures that are coming, consider a full belay for crossing the larger bridges.  

Steep headwall above a hidden crevasse.  It's hard to assess how thick and strong the snow covering the crevasse really is.

A climbing ranger having just crossed a 20 foot wide bridge to a picket and the steep headwall on the uphill side

2. Take a GPS track on the way up. If you climbed the DC before and expect to find the Emmons Winthrop as easy to follow and straight forward, you will be very disappointed and ill prepared. This is not a maintained route. Don't expect the bootpack to be easy to follow or to always go the best way. Don't blindly follow tracks across areas that you are not comfortable crossing. And if clouds roll in, finding your own way down can be nearly impossible in a whiteout. Have a GPS, download the maps for Mount Rainier, and know how to use it.

3. Stick with your climbing partners. Again, STICK TOGETHER.  As climbing partners, it's your duty to look out for each other. If one person is feeling run down or showing signs of AMS, you should all turn around together. Don't leave your buddy sitting on a glaciated slope while you "quickly" tag the summit. As you head down from Schurman, it's good to keep your partners within visual distance, at least to Glacier Basin. People have fallen in the cracks on the Inter Glacier and if no one witnesses a fall, it can be hours before help could arrive.

Large Crevasses right above and below Camp Schurman

4. Be courteous to other climbing groups. The mountain is always busy in July. The camping and climbing use quotas (read: limits) for the standard routes are filling up fast. This means a lot of climbers on the routes. At some point you will pass every group on the route and remember, if you are feeling 'hangry' or tired, and sore, they are probably feeling just as bad as you. And everyone's day can be a lot safer and smoother if you just communicate with other groups (Are you crossing a crevasse now? Heading up or down? Taking a break in a safe zone, out of the way of other parties?).  And maybe even try to share a smile with folks.

5. Know your own limits (and your group's) and stick to them. Stay well within your abilities.  Don't get summit fever. If you come across a crossing you are not comfortable with and don't see an alternative, don't do it. The route is getting toward late-season conditions and requires increasing amounts of experience and skill to navigate. You can always come back another season with more experience and knowledge under your belt. 

Thinking about skiing? Check out this link.

Be safe out there and have a fun climb.

Busy Weekend = Full Camps

Hey everyone,

We figured this was going to be a busy weekend!

The high camps have filled up for Friday and Saturday nights already.  Here's how it breaks down:

There are 110 people allowed at Camp Muir each night.  There are 48 people allowed at Camp Schurman.

Camp Muir & the Muir Corridor

Currently, Camp Muir is FULL Friday, July 7th, and Saturday night, July 8th.  Even for walk-up permits.  The only chance of getting a permit is if someone comes down early from their climb and checks out at the desk so that we can avail the numbers in the system.  Don't count on it.

Common overflow areas for Camp Muir are the Muir Snowfield and Ingraham Flats.  There are 36 people allowed at each of those spots.  Right now the system showabout 5 open spots for those areas.  You could conceivably walk up today or tomorrow and get one of those spots, however, this does make the climb longer from the Muir Snowfield (below 9,700').  And it is more difficult to go all the way from Paradise to Ingraham Flats in a day.  That's a long way.

Camp Schurman, the Inter Glacier, and Emmons Flats

Camp Schurman still has 15 or so spaces for Friday, but Saturday night is completely full.  Sunday looks better at this point.  Emmons Flats already has 15-20 folks both Saturday and Sunday night.

If you really want to climb Mt. Rainier this weekend, Camp Schurman is going to be your best bet, and you want to get to White River to register first thing.

I'm sure that will change by the end of 07/06 (today).

Single Push Climbers
Often climbers seeking to avoid camping restrictions try to climb the mountain in a 'single push.'  Single push climbers count toward the tally of total climbers on the route, even though they are not setting up camp. As such, single push permits WILL NOT be issued if the high camps are full.

Resource Protection and Visitor Safety

The current limits on campers at each camp each night has been in place for a few decades.  These numbers represent the maximum limit of people that each area can handle with regards to resource protection and visitor safety.  For example at Camp Muir, when we have more than 110 people camping, the number of climbers on the route gets so large that it becomes unsafe.  Rockfall from climbers above, long wait times at pinch points or technical crossings or ascents become untenable, as well as lines for the bathrooms (and managing the human waste collection systems) can all reach emergent conditions.

To ensure and satiate your desire to plan, we recommend that you submit a reservation.  Roughly 60% of the total of each zone or camp can be reserved.  40% are reserved for walk-up permits.

Reservations

To make a reservation for the coming weeks, please visit the following site.  We recommend this every weekend from here on out.

Google Form for Climbing Reservations

“K” Spire Trip Report July 4th, 2018

Climbers approaching K Spire from Meany Crest via the Frying Pan Glacier

Earlier this week, rangers had the rare opportunity to head into the backcountry for a patrol that entailed rock shoes and cams rather than double boots and ice tools. With relatively limited intel on the quality of rock or route descriptions, it made for an enjoyable climb that felt a bit more "wild" than the likes of the standard routes on Rainier. Similar to the Little T approach across the Frying Pan, climbers found the glacier to be in good shape which made for easy navigating towards the spire.

Upon reaching the base of the ridge, the lack of climbers trails or bivy sites reaffirmed the limited traffic this spire receives. A quick climb up the talus gains you the ridgeline just to the west of the spire. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the NW corner and North Face of the spire are flaky, exfoliating and of poor quality. Additionally, the rock on the South Face seemed to improve dramatically the higher you got up the face. Although rangers climbed the South face via a 3rd class ramp that put you into the better rock, a few other routes could easily be climbed depending on your willingness to deal with poor rock down low. A blocky dihedral system on the SE corner seemed like a viable option after pushing through 20 ft. of rotten rock. Additionally, there were a few variations from the top of the 3rd class ramp that might go between 5.7 and 5.11. 

After scrambling up the ramp, climbers roped up and began working up and right through broken blocks, slab, a high step (5.9) and eventually into a short chimney section that gained you access to the summit ridge. As stated, there were many possible variations but the route taken seemed to offer the best mix of solid rock and moderate climbing. Climbers were treated to a nice view up the Emmons glacier and across to Mt. Ruth. A quick look around made it clear that the best rappel line from the top existed off a large horn, directly above the 3rd class ramp.  A single rappel down to the ramp made for a clean rope pull and an easy stance to swap shoes and downclimb back to the ridge. 1 rappel to the ramp with plenty of rope to spare made a 60m rope seem excessive. A 50m rope might be the perfect length to get up/down the spire without carrying extra rope. 

Protection on the upper face was quality and took a handful of cams and nuts. A single rack from small finger sized TCU's to #1 including small-medium nuts is recommended for the route climbed. The harder variation may need another small piece or two. Climbing shoes were helpful but the route could have been put up in approach shoes with easier, mountain boot variations for the ultralight climbers. 

All in all, K Spire offers an alpine climb of a different variety compared to most within the park boundaries and is highly recommended for those willing to make the trek. Fun climbing and an impressive stance above the Emmons glacier make it a worth while venture. Despite the quality rock on the upper wall, climbers shouldn't overlook the hazard of the rotten rock lower down on the spire. Great care should be taken to ensure that holds, protection, ropes and partners are in secure locations to avoid dislodging one of the many death blocks perched on this rarely climbed feature.

West Ridge of K Spire

Climbing quality rock on the upper South Face

Final chimney section before topout

Rare vantage of the Emmons from the summit of K Spire

Clean rappel line from the summit saddle. Notice thin variation to the right of rap line that links past slab and into another rightward flake system to the top.

DC Update - 7/4/2018

The Disappointment Cleaver route is basically unchanged from the last post on 6/28.  It still swings climbers' left from the top of the Cleaver towards Camp Comfort near the top of Gibralter Rock before switch-backing to the crater rim.  Thanks to the hard work of the guide services, the path is generally smooth and low-angled; pretty easy walking.  The Cleaver itself is still about half rock (lower) and half snow (upper).  Remember that you need to shorten your rope intervals while on the Cleaver so that your party isn't dragging the rope through the rocks and knocking things loose.

Looking up at the route from just above "Dunn's Roll."

The DC route contains several areas with the objective hazard of rock and ice-fall.  Climbers attempting Mt. Rainier should be able to identify such areas and move swiftly through them to minimize the risk of injury.  Here are some of the notable areas along the route with such hazards, in ascending order:

(1) Gaining Cathedral Gap from the Cowlitz Glacier.  There was a significant rockfall event in this area in May, and there are currently several large boulders perched on snow pedestals right above the climber path.  These will fall this season as the snow under them melts out.  Move quickly through this area.
(2) "Dunn's Roll" is on the Ingraham side of Cathedral Gap.  There is rock and ice-fall hazard here.  Additionally, there is slab avalanche hazard here in the early season or after fresh snow.  It is a terrain trap.  Move quickly through this area and don't stop until you reach Ingraham Flats.
 (3) "The Ice Box."  This is the area immediately above Ingraham Flats as you traverse climbers' right below an active icefall to gain the Disappointment Cleaver.  This is the the site of the worst mountaineering accident in North American history.  On June 20,1981, a large ice avalanche broke loose and buried and killed 11 climbers here.  Rangers and guides frequently observe independent parties stopping and even taking breaks among the ice rubble in this section.  Do not stop until you get to "The Backboard" at the toe of the Cleaver where there is a rock alcove that protects from rockfall.  This is a great spot to stop and take a moment to prepare to ascend the Cleaver ( i.e, shorten rope-lengths between climbers).
(4) The Cleaver itself is prone to spontaneous and climber-induced rockfall.  Pay attention to where you are in relation to other climbers and try not to climb directly under other parties.  If you are above another party, take care not to knock rocks loose on them and consider waiting for them to move out of the way.  Keeping your rope short so it's not touching the ground will help prevent rockfall.
(5) Seracs.  The route above the Cleaver changes throughout the season and year to year, but there are usually sections where the climbers' path crosses under seracs (large towers of ice).  Seracs can collapse at any moment.  Recognize where the route crosses under seracs and serac run-out zones and move quickly through these zones.
(6) Other climbers!  The DC is the busiest route on Mount Rainier.  You most likely will be sharing the route with several other independent climbing parties as well as guided parties.  Be aware that other people present a hazard:  They can cause rock and ice-fall.  A falling rope team can floss other teams off of the route.  Try to avoid being directly underneath another party in areas with rockfall or unprotected falling hazard.   Also, understand that there are safe and unsafe places to pass other people on the route.  Use good judgment and communicate with others.

A busy 4th of July on the DC.  

As you can see, the DC has quite a bit of objective hazard, particularly involving rock and ice-fall.  It is the responsibility of climbers to accept or deny a certain amount of risk, and know how to recognize and move efficiently through these areas to mitigate their exposure to those risks.  Climb safely.

Upper Mountain Human Waste Etiquette

This photo is a great example of what not to do when defecating on Mount Rainier.  Notice both
the proximity to the climbers trail, as well as Camp Muir in the background.  Next, notice the
Climbing Ranger picking up after this climber.  We don't especially enjoy doing this, so please
use a blue bag and pack out your own human waste.

It usually comes at the most inopportune time, but there are a few elements related to managing human waste that we want to cover in this blog post.

First, the Paradise Wilderness Information Center issues blue bags free of charge for climbers.  Please take a couple with you when you climb and plan to use them.  They're very lightweight and won't weigh you down much at all.

The next step is to use the restroom facilities at Camp Muir or Camp Schurman.  Remember, Proper Prior Planning Prevents "Poor" Performance.

When the time comes and no facilities are available, remove your blue bag from your backpack, step a ways off the climbers trail, and do your duty.  Please do your best to leave a clean area when you are finished.

Both of these photos are great examples of the wrong way of managing your human waste.  Remember, there are thousands of climbers who climb Mount Rainier every year.  Please do your best to keep the mountain clean, especially areas near the trail, camps, and the summit crater. Nobody enjoys seeing or walking over piles of human waste.

Human waste located 14" off the climbing route.