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.

Mowich Lake and Sunrise Open

As of June 28, 2018 the roads to Mowich Lake and Sunrise are open. This means that all winter road closures for the 2017/2018 winter are over.

The road to Mowich Lake is gravel with rough sections and potholes. Please use caution and drive slow when making your way up to Mowich Lake. RVs and trailers are not recommended.

The road to Sunrise is paved but it is long and winding. RVs and trailers longer than 25 feet are not recommended past the White River Campground intersection.

For up-to-date information please refer to the Mount Rainier National Park Road Conditions page.

Inter Glacier – June 28, 2018

Little Tahoma and Mount Rainier from the Glacier Basin Trail.

Mid-season conditions have arrived on the Inter Glacier.

The trail to Glacier Basin is mostly snow-free to Glacier Basin. Beware of thin, punchy snow near some creeks and sloping areas in the last half mile before the basin. The climber’s route is continuous snow up to Camp Curtis from atop the yellow moraine.

Glissade track crossing a crevasse on the Inter Glacier

The crevasses above 8000’ on the Inter Glacier have begun to open and present hazard for parties going uphill and downhill. In particular, the existing glissade track crosses three sagging, open crevasses between 8500’ and 8900’. If you choose to glissade, ensure that you can see the entire runout of the track and descend slowly to give yourself time to exit the track when it approaches a crevasse. Keep your teammates in sight throughout the descent and be prepared to rescue them, in case one of them ends up in a crevasse. Regrouping frequently is a common tactic to reduce overall risk to your team.

Glissade track crossing a crevasse on the Inter Glacier

The snow surface on the glacier itself is rather lumpy and is past its skiing prime for the season.

Lower Inter Glacier area. June 28, 2018

DC Route Update from 6/26

A couple of the climbing rangers were able to climb the DC on the morning of 6/26. It was a beautiful day and the route was in great condition. The route remains straight forward, hanging left at the top of the cleaver, over to camp comfort above Gib Rock and switch backing up to the summit crater from there. We clocked 3.1 miles from Muir to the Crater Rim.  There are still no ladders on the route, but you do cross a number of snow bridges and a large plug near 13,800.  Remember to always assess these, especially on the way down when things have softened up. There are 20+ pickets on the route the guide companies leave for use as "running protection" on their climbs. You can use them, but please do not relocate them, assess them before using, and don't take them.

The lower half of the DC with the traverse melted out

More and more rock is melting out on the DC; we traveled on it for about a third the length of the cleaver and then switch-backed up snow the rest of the way up the cleaver.  Though traveling on the snow which lingers on the side of the cleaver makes for easy footing, staying near the spine of the cleaver reduces the chance of getting hit by rockfall. 

We did experience some sugary snow conditions that made the footing on the steeper switchbacks tricky. There are pickets here that you can use for running belays to protect your descent. Remember to take care on the descents and to save energy for them. The summit is only halfway.

Sugary snow conditions on a steep switch-back around 12,700. We used the pickets as a running belay.

The plug acting as a bridge around 13,800

Think Big Picture, Not Just The Next Step.

Whether you're heading up or down the mountain, don't get locked in on looking just at your feet, keep your head on a swivel. Be aware of any overhead hazards (ice fall, rock fall), changing weather, what's coming up on the route (bottle neck or crevasse crossings), how surface conditions are changing (is the snow getting firm and slick or slushy and punchy), and how your teammates are doing.  Plan your breaks so that you will be moving quickly through exposed terrain and resting in safe areas.  Look for evidence of previous rock and ice fall to know if you're in a zone that has these hazards. 

Team of climbers sitting below big seracs.

Sometimes we have gear malfunctions in the worse places. Recognize if you linger too long fixing it in a bad spot, you might suddenly have a bigger problem on your hands. Do a quick repair that is good enough to get you to a better spot safely where you can sit and fix it properly.

Having difficulty with crampons in slushy conditions below the cleaver?  Try banging the side of your boots with the handle of your ice axe.  Sometimes it takes a swing every step to keep the snow from balling up.  And sometimes, even on glaciers, it's safer to travel without crampons if snow is clumping on your crampons and your feet are slipping out from beneath you and there's no ice remaining on the descent. These are some of the decisions you have to make and risks you have to manage when you are climbing.

And this concludes our safety message.  Have fun out there!