West - North Side Conditions Photos - 6/16/2019

Left to right: Sunset Ridge, Sunset Amphitheater, Puyallup Cleaver, Tahoma Glacier, Tahoma Cleaver.

On Sunday our helicopter crew took some aerial photos of the west and northwest side of the mountain on their flight up to North Cascades National Park. The hot weather appears to have taken its toll on Liberty Ridge.  Reports from several parties that approached Liberty Ridge over the weekend stated that the lower ridge is mostly rock and that there is near constant rockfall on the route.  Conditions turned most of these parties away.

Left to right: Ptarmigan Ridge, Mowich Face, Sunset Ridge.   

Left to right: Ptarmigan Ridge, North Mowich Headwall, Central Mowich Face, Edmunds Headwall, Sunset Ridge.

Left to right: Ptarmigan Ridge, North Mowich Icefall, North Mowich Headwall, Central Mowich Face, Edmunds Headwall, Sunset Ridge.

Ptarmigan Ridge in the center.  Mowich Face on the right.

Left to right: Curtis Ridge, Willis Wall, Liberty Ridge, Ptarmigan Ridge, Mowich Face.

Disappointment Cleaver Update, June 9th

The Cleaver has a fresh coat.

After almost a week of parties not making it to the summit via the DC Route (due to stormy weather and higher avalanche hazard), groups made it to the top today!  There's a smearing of new snow covering most of the rocky portions of the route (Cathedral Gap and the Disappointment Cleaver itself) making for great cramponing. 

Current track log, but keep it mind it changes frequently this time of year!

The route currently rolls out of Camp Muir, across the Cowlitz Glacier (keep an eye out for occasional rockfall just out of camp and just before Cathedral Gap) and up to Ingraham Flats.  From the Flats, climbers have been heading up glacier fairly high, almost to 11,400 feet before traversing across the Ingraham Glacier and onto the Disappointment Cleaver.  Don't linger on this traverse - it's another place prone to rock and ice falling from above.  Once on the cleaver, the route ascends the spine, or the snowfield climber's left of the spine, until the top at about 12,400'.  The top of the cleaver is a great place to take a break.  Since the route traverses from the top of the cleaver out across the Ingraham Glacier to the top of Gibraltar Rock - and this traverse is prone to icefall from above - it's best to take breaks before or after this portion of the route. 

The traverse above the Cleaver to Camp Comfort (climbers in the middle for scale) - notice the large seracs looming above!

Once at Camp Comfort (the saddle formed by the top of Gibraltar Rock connecting with the upper mountain at about 12,800') the route switchbacks almost directly up to the crater rim.  There's a couple of steeper sections with small crevasse crossings on the upper mountain - don't be hesitant to place running protection or belay short pitches when the surface conditions are such that team-arrest would be impossible if someone on the rope team were to fall into the crevasse. 

Be aware that the "route" can change daily, especially when the freezing level goes to above 10,000 feet.  Often times climbers will be confronted with multiple boot packs and old stray wands and have to make navigation decisions for themselves.  Just remember: there's no guarantee that a crevasse bridge that you cross on the way up will be there on the way down.  Always be looking for alternative paths. 

Looking down on Gibraltar Rock.

Lastly, it's the best and busiest time of year to be on the DC Route!  Try to remember and smile to your fellow climbers while on route - effective communication makes everyone safer on the mountain.  Planning who will step uphill or stay in the boot pack, when to pause on switchbacks, and planning strategic snack breaks facilitates smooth summit bids.  Come on out and enjoy prime time on the mountain!

Emmons-Winthrop Approach 6/9/2019

Climber on the trail to Glacier Basin

The approach to Glacier Basin is beginning to melt out. There are lingering patches of snow starting at the 5,000' elevation, just past the Emmons Moraine Trail. The snow becomes continuous starting at 5,500' just before reaching Glacier Basin. Hiker traffic up and down has compacted the snow and made it easy to identify where the trail goes.

View of the Inter Glacier looking down from the Prow

The Inter Glacier has good snow coverage, and crevasses are not yet visible on the surface. The last storm cycle brought wind drifted snow depositions of   3" - 6" deep. The forecast is calling for a big warm-up, so expect to see soft wet conditions over the next few days. As the freezing levels rise to near 14,000' this week, be aware of changing conditions and the possibility of loose wet avalanches. 

The Lower Emmons Glacier below Camp Schurman

The bivy sites at Camp Curtis are melting out, with minimal fresh snow from the most recent storm on the ridge. The lower Emmons saw a similar amount of snow accumulation as the Inter Glacier, making for relatively easy travel conditions from Camp Curtis to Camp Schurman.

Climbers descending from Camp Schurman

Crevasses on the Emmons Glacier are beginning to open up. We have witnessed several climbers punch through close to Camp Schurman. This is the first portion of real glacier travel and parties should rope-up prior to making their final climb up to Camp Schurman on the Emmons. As these crevasses grow with the warm weather, the current boot track may not be the best route. Investigate crevasse crossings and be open to the option of walking around the end of the crevasse rather than over a thin bridge.  See you on the eastside!  Where the sunrise is early, and the sunset rolls down Curtis Ridge!

June on Rainier

We've had glimpses of summer over the last month with unusually warm temperatures in May, but winter is not ready to completely release its hold on the mountain. It's spring on Rainier, weather forecasts are fickle and freezing levels have fluctuated between 5000 and 13000 feet.

We've had a fair bit of snow and wind this last week on the upper mountain and temperatures are looking to rise rapidly over the next few days. Pull that avalanche gear back out of your winter gear stash, keep an eye on the forecasts (and take them with a grain of salt), and time your climbs appropriately. Be ready to assess and turn around if conditions call for it. With this snow and wind, many cracks that were opening up may have thin bridges hiding them again and still other cracks yet to open up or even give a hint of their whereabouts have taken more than one climber by surprise. 

And remember, make sure your team is ready to care for itself in these drastically changing conditions. We've had a lot of activity with search and rescues and close calls on the mountain these past couple of weeks. Your team's preparedness could save your life. It starts with your trip planning and preparation. Choose a route that is appropriate for your team's skill level, train up on your fitness and hone in your skills (e.g. glacier travel technique, crevasse rescue, wilderness first aid).  As you climb: manage your risk, maintain situational awareness, check in with yourself and partner(s). Remember that the summit is only halfway. If things aren't lining up, remember that the mountain will be there later. 

Mount Rainier can offer us an escape, mental and physical challenge, and solitude many of us crave. And it can be swift to remind us of the natural consequences the modern world has begun to shelter us from. Remember that and respect it.
 

Conditions Update - 6/02/2019

It has been a busy weekend on Mount Rainier. Climbers and skiers have been attempting many routes and generally have reported good conditions, albeit a bit warm with the 11,000-13,000’ freezing levels. Below are a few updates on conditions we have received in the past 24 hours.

Kautz Glacier: Most parties are approaching the route via the Wilson Gully and not The Fan. There are reports of running water at The Castle, but this has varied day-by-day, so plan to melt snow for water. Campsites are still almost entirely snow-covered at The Castle and Camp Hazard. The rock step has refilled with blown-in snow and is only a short downclimb presently. The upper pitches are thinly covered with snow (4-8”), making for fast climbing and readily attainable ice screw protection. At the Wapowety Cleaver crossing around 13,000’, there are a few ways of getting onto the upper Nisqually Glacier, but these have been changing frequently.

Fuhrer Finger & Thumb: Both of these routes have been skied and climbed in the last two days. The bergschrund is still quite filled-in for both lines, though it is starting to become tricky on the Thumb. Icefall from the Wilson Headwall has been reaching the altitude of the traverse from The Castle to the base of these lines, so watch overhead and move efficiently across this terrain. From the top of the couloirs, parties have reported that there is a well-established track with smooth snow surfaces through the upper Nisqually Glacier to the summit. Spontaneous, natural rockfall has been reported in both gullies.

Tahoma Glacier: Reported to be very broken around the 10,000’ level with very difficult navigation through many open crevasses.

Liberty Ridge: Parties report gaining the ridge on the climber’s right side at the bottom. Good travel conditions along the route up to the Black Pyramid, where a few hundred feet of knee-deep snow was found. The bergschrund has one short section of overhanging snow to navigate at the top. Ice screws were useful above Thumb Rock. Spontaneous, natural rockfall has been reported on the lower ridge and at Thumb Rock.

Gibraltar Ledges: The approach from Camp Muir to the ledges remains readily climbable with multiple options. The ledges proper are are fairly melted out with lots of exposed rock and some water ice. Above the ledges, the Upper Gib Chute is still snow up to Camp Comfort. Lots of evidence of recent rockfall along the route. 

Emmons Glacier: See this blog post

Ingraham Direct / Disappointment Cleaver: See this blog post

Ingraham Direct Route Update - 6/1/2019

Looking down the Ingraham Glacier from 12,000'

Guide services and independent climbers are still using the Ingraham Direct (ID) route to the summit of Mount Rainier.  6/2 UPDATE: THE GUIDE SERVICES ARE CURRENTLY TRANSITIONING TO USING THE DISAPPOINTMENT CLEAVER ROUTE.  THE ID WILL PROBABLY BE IMPASSIBLE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.  STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION. Multiple guided and independent parties reached the summit on Saturday.  The route is straightforward, going more-or-less straight up the Ingraham Glacier from Ingraham Flats camp and then heading slightly climber's left above Camp Comfort.  From there, it is a fairly direct ascent to the top.  The only notable feature to report is a couple of ladders at about 11,800 feet.  The lowest ladder is pretty short, but the second ladder is about 6 feet long over a large crevasse.  It's not for the faint of heart!  It is anchored with pickets and there are also hand lines on either side.  Consider clipping a tether with a carabiner (NOT prusik) to one of the lines as you cross, and/or belaying across or turning around if you aren't comfortable with the exposure.  As with any 'fixed' gear on the route that you did not place yourself, carefully assess its integrity before committing your safety to it.  Below are some pictures of the route.  For those looking to ski from the summit, the ID is not a great option right now due to the ladders and several other step-across crevasse crossings.  The Muir Snowfield is still skiing great, however.

The upper mountain from Camp Comfort.  The route does not go to Camp Comfort, it traverses above it.  

Looking up the Ingraham Direct route from above Ingraham Flats

The longer ladder at 11,800'.

ID track log from 6.1.2019