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Rainier Research
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We're planning on climbing the DC in the prime climbing season. This wet/cold start to the season has delayed our planned departure, so this past weekend we practiced packing for the trip. A few things came up and I'm curious what folks with more experience think. Any advice is welcome. Approach Other than cramming them into the top of your pack, has anyone figured out how to comfortably haul your boots on the approach (especially heavy and cumbersome sz. 47 boots)? From a fatigue and foot comfort perspective, even if on snow the entire way, i'd much rather be in trail runners (and microspikes if needed) than deal with mountaineering boots. Muir Snowfield (Camp) Looking at the permit site (we're going for walk ups) we noticed that there's less spots at Camp Muir and now a new site called Muir Snowfield. When I called the ranger, they didn't have a lot of info other than "This is 500 vertical feet below camp muir". For our team, the extra vert likely won't be make or break for summit day, but curious if anyone has experience staying here? Camp Setup Tents - When we did Shasta we used a combination of deadmen (6" sections of ski pole buried length wise) and snow bag anchors (custom sewn). We're now traveling in a team of 3 so are bringing another tent, trying to figure out where to invest my energy in either sewing (or finding ski poles to cut up). What did you use? Custom solutions or pre-made snow stakes? Snow melting - We'll have an MSR reactor, we messed up on Shasta and brought enough fuel to melt, but not boil (and ran out). This time around we're planning to only melt and then treat the water. I've seen some people say (in warmer temps) you can place out a black garbage bag and use that to solar melt, but that seems slow. Anything to make this less of a chore would be great. Any other camp pro-tips? Biggest thing that I thought helped on Shasta was taking the time to dig in a nice tent platform and build walls for wind shelter (and have a kitchen space) Above Camp Muir Trekking Poles Does anyone use poles above Muir? Having the additional balance would be nice (I always hike with them), but don't want to impact the ability to arrest. Looking at the images from the guides, many of the clients are using trekking poles (while roped) Cleaver We'll be tightening up our rope spacing considerably to prevent rockfall, but do folks remove crampons here since it's on rock, or is it mostly scree? |
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Boots - wear them, snow will be sloppy. I have hiked the trails in from all sides of the hill in my boots. Only once did I carry boots and that was after the Carbon River road was closed and it was a 6 mile hike in. Camp Muir - always a shit show. Camping below is new. In the past those that did couldn't make it to Muir in a day would camp lower. So no real advise except depending on acclimatization and timing consider the following. If leaving Paradise in the afternoon camping below Muir, then leisurely stroll up to Ingraham Flats at 11,100 and camp there. Then take off from there. If you are up early enough then you are in front of the guides. Makes for a nicer summit day. Tent ... never leave it set up while gone. If returning to camp another night, collapse it and put snow blocks on top. On your summit day, pack it up and bury it and other stuff in a shallow hole. On the return, pick it up and descend. While camped use ice axes and ski poles as stakes. You will probably find a platform to use. I have used snow in a bag many a time to melt water, works great. Use gallon zip lock bags for the snow as they are easier to handle and a black bag for heat source. Note the black bag can be used to toss tent and other stuff in the shallow hole. That said always take more fuel than you think you will need. Treking poles, yes take one as it is way more efficient as you can use it push yourself up the hill. Also good for probing for cracks. Cleaver - really depends on the conditions. In general leave crampons on. What may look like rock scree can often be rock scree covering ice. |
Allen Sanderson wrote: I don't have any concerns with us getting to Muir in a reasonable time, the only issue is getting permits. We're planning on getting there 2 full days in advance so we should have our choice of location, but wanted to have mitigation if we can't get the permit. Good intel on the tents, I had seen that advice elsewhere, but had forgotten. Great point about the 1 gallon bags Appreciate the beta for the climb above camps |
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Guided parties keep crampons on going up and down the Cleaver to save time. Can you imagination how long it takes half a dozen new climbers to ditch their packs and put on crampons and for the guides to check theirs clients setups? I bet it could burn an hour, and if you do that at four times (top and bottom of the cleaver on the way up and again down) it will really add up. If conditions allow and your party can make the transition in 5 minutes or so then I'd ditch them. I've only descended the Cleaver and it was a slog. The black bag trick works. Fill it up in the morning when you leave camp and you'll have a nice bag of slush at the end of the day. |
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Approach I've always just hiked in the boots, as others said it was really nice to have stiff ankles for the sloppy snow down low. Muir Snowfield (Camp) We camped there one night on my last climb, before ascending to Ingraham Flats for our second night. It was nice and quiet, and the views were wonderful. I'm not sure I'd want to go for the summit from there, but it's totally doable if you're in that sort of shape. Camp Setup Tents - We've just cloved around the middle of tent stakes and buried them sideways and haven't had any issues, but I've gotten phenomenal luck with weather and never had a proper storm on Rainier, so your mileage will probably vary. Snow melting - I always just brought enough to boil, and enjoyed not having to worry about it. A pumped filter is another thing to freeze and possibly break. Any other camp pro-tips? - If you have a big enough vestibule, we really liked digging out a foot space within the vestibule, so you're sitting upright while cooking, putting boots on, etc. If you'll be in a site for more than one night, it can be nice to dig a dedicated toilet (well away from where anyone would collect snow for melting), so it's a more comfortable experience. Above Camp Muir Trekking Poles - I've never used poles when roped on Rainier, and wouldn't want the additional hassle. Much preferred to have my other hand on the rope (if lead or middle) for additional feedback from the climber behind me. Cleaver - It's mostly small rock, and I've always just kept crampons on. They didn't really impact traction, and might actually have helped in some loose spots. Yes you're putting wear on your crampons, but not enough to cause problems. And there was enough rockfall (natural and kicked) off the cleaver that I didn't want to spend any more time than necessary at the bottom of it. |
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Camps: Muir snowfield (depending on how far below Muir) would make a very long summit day but as a fit party that moves fast could probably wing it (people c2c rainier after all). I prefer a second night at Ingraham Flats (the chill way). Tent: I've arrived and had tent platforms to choose from, but other times had to dig them out, just depends on season/other parties. Collapse and cover the tent on summit day, or bury deadman anchors. One time (the first and only) we left the tent pitched with a poor/shallow deadman that was melted out by the time we got back, but we got lucky and there was no wind that day. Another time there were 50+mph gusts that collapsed parties tents (and sent others flying) but we had thankfully collapsed and covered that day Water: Haven't tried the bag melting trick but it sounds viable if there is direct sun. Other than that, a liquid fuel stove will make quicker work of this chore. |
