SFMountaineer - Aug 1, 2008 10:39 am Date Climbed: Jul 29, 2008
Wow
Wow! What a mountain. Weather blew in as we climbed above 13,000 feet. I made the definition of a "summit" by making it into the crater, but I did not have the time and energy to cross the crater to Columbia Crest. I needed at least a 15 minute break for that to be physically possible for me and the guides were in a hurry to go right away because of the weather, so I remained in the crater to rest while a few in our group reached the true highpoint. Most of us did the same, we were exhausted from a tough climb. The guides had pushed us hard because of the storm blowing in. With cold, wind, and zero visibility, I don't think I missed much, it does mean I need to return sometime in the future to get the actual highpoint. I will be happy to do this, and climb by another route of course, the steep rocky sections of the DC route weren't too fun with crampons.
This was my third attempt. Summitted (Columbia Crestand Point Success) early morning 7/27 with Paul Walter and Yafis Barlas after a 6 hour climb. Beautiful weather! We descended to Camp Muir and then to Paradise the next morning.
SundanceKid203 - Jul 28, 2008 1:45 am Date Climbed: Jul 26, 2008
Summit Success
Our 4-person team summited via the DC Route. We left at 1AM under a calm cloudless sky and could not have asked for better weather or route conditions. After reaching the summit we climbed down to Muir, packed up, and headed down to Paradise the same afternoon. A great climb!
Nefsek - Jul 28, 2008 1:06 am Date Climbed: Apr 13, 2008
Denali Prep
8-day Denali Prep through Alpine Ascents....had the time of my life! Awesome guides, awesome partners, lots of suffering!
Schuetzenweber - Jul 21, 2008 5:54 pm Date Climbed: Jun 21, 2008
Windy DC
Climbed it with my friends Paul & Denise, no guides. Great snow on the DC route. The cold weather made it easy to cross crevasses but it got very windy. It was a whiteout on top and certainly not a Kodak moment. The most challenging part was heading back down into the high winds at Cathedral ridge. Couldn't wait to wash the grit out of my mouth back at Muir. Looking forward to doing it again next year and hoping for better weather.
kheegster - Jul 19, 2008 2:15 am Date Climbed: Jun 15, 2008
DC in perfect weather
Lots of snow still down to Paradise, but bluebird days. Early start from Camp Muir (~1am), summited at 6.20am. Got back to Muir and hiked back out the same day.
Traverse: Success Cleaver to Disappointment Cleaver
We were caught in a surprise lightning storm on the summit. Our glasses were humming, as were our packs and ice axes. We were both electrocuted numerous times.
Was turned back in 2001 due to avalanche conditions. Not this time! We made it to the summit on Saturday morning via the DC in perfect weather. Felt very strong all the way to the summit. The trail was in absolutely perfect condition. There was, however, a significant amount of rock fall and one climber on another team was hit in the face by a large rock. He had to be choppered off the summit. Luckily, he survived.
eruselow - Jul 16, 2008 11:26 am Date Climbed: Aug 27, 2005
Perfect day on the Cleaver
Climbed Rainier via the Disappointment Cleaver route with RMI back in '06. Perfect two days, great rope team, and to top it off, we made the true summit. RMI is a great service, but they do not go lightly on the pace.
Fantastic trip. Weds evening, hike to Glacier Basin. Thurs, climb to Emmons Flats. Friday, summit. High winds on the approach up to Emmon's Flats, but died down for the summit bid at 2am. Reached summit at about 620am and chilled at the summit for 2.5 hours on the hot rocks on the crater rim. Our group was the only to summit from Emmon's Glacier this day, while we witnessed dozens of the guided groups who came up from the DC route. Truly a different experience from our Colorado mountains. One in or group took a crevasse fall up to his chest but was able to pull himself out. Route was in great shape.
CODave - Jul 9, 2008 2:06 am Date Climbed: Jul 7, 2008
DC
Great climb and near perfect weather.
Casey Bates - Jul 4, 2008 10:05 am Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2008
Squeezing in the weather window
Via the Emmons. Reached the summit at around 9am to beautiful clear but hazy skies. Massive thunderstorms hit the mountain the night before our approach to Emmons Flats. Within an hour after returning to our tents after the climb a massive thunderstorm hit that lasted well into the night. So much rain fell that my deadman anchors were completely exposed by morning. Private party of six. Great group.
zoink - Jul 3, 2008 4:32 am Date Climbed: Jul 1, 2008
Emmons
Climbed to Schurman on the 31 then after a breezy evening (ranger said 80-90mph gusts)we got up at 1:30 but ended up waiting until 3:00 not wanting to be the first group up as neither of us has been on the hill before. We still ended up being the first to summit from Schurman. A few snow bridges are getting iffy (easily avoidable though), but the bridge over the bergschrund was still big and solid.
dannotti - Jul 2, 2008 8:56 am Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2008
Disapointment Cleaver
From camp Muir, we took the disapointment cleaver route. Great weather and climb. Had major thunder storm and lightning at Muir the night before.
Been to Rainier several times and due to various reasons, only made it on my first attempt and that was on Liberty Ridge. See trip report my "Liberty Ridge, I Don't Want to Turn Back!"
Fins129 - Jul 1, 2008 12:17 am Date Climbed: Jun 27, 2008
DC
First glacier climb. Climbed with IMG. Summited at sunrise on a perfectly clear day.
nigelmcc - Jun 30, 2008 6:47 pm Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2008
No disappointment
I lead a group of Rainier first-timers up the DC on June 29th and was both blessed and burdened by the heatwave that hit the west coast. Luckily our concerns were mitigated by an extremely early alpine start (11:15 pm). After getting stuck behind a few slow parties on the route, we summited around 5. There were virtually no exposed crevasses to cross and minimal rockfall on the DC (despite the heat).
SFMountaineer - Aug 1, 2008 10:39 am Date Climbed: Jul 29, 2008
WowWow! What a mountain. Weather blew in as we climbed above 13,000 feet. I made the definition of a "summit" by making it into the crater, but I did not have the time and energy to cross the crater to Columbia Crest. I needed at least a 15 minute break for that to be physically possible for me and the guides were in a hurry to go right away because of the weather, so I remained in the crater to rest while a few in our group reached the true highpoint. Most of us did the same, we were exhausted from a tough climb. The guides had pushed us hard because of the storm blowing in. With cold, wind, and zero visibility, I don't think I missed much, it does mean I need to return sometime in the future to get the actual highpoint. I will be happy to do this, and climb by another route of course, the steep rocky sections of the DC route weren't too fun with crampons.
pyerger - Jul 30, 2008 11:17 pm Date Climbed: Jul 25, 2000
BigThank to the Guides, for all the latters they set up.
msihl - Jul 28, 2008 5:58 pm Date Climbed: Jul 27, 2008
Mt. Rainier, DC routeThis was my third attempt. Summitted (Columbia Crestand Point Success) early morning 7/27 with Paul Walter and Yafis Barlas after a 6 hour climb. Beautiful weather! We descended to Camp Muir and then to Paradise the next morning.
SundanceKid203 - Jul 28, 2008 1:45 am Date Climbed: Jul 26, 2008
Summit SuccessOur 4-person team summited via the DC Route. We left at 1AM under a calm cloudless sky and could not have asked for better weather or route conditions. After reaching the summit we climbed down to Muir, packed up, and headed down to Paradise the same afternoon. A great climb!
Nefsek - Jul 28, 2008 1:06 am Date Climbed: Apr 13, 2008
Denali Prep8-day Denali Prep through Alpine Ascents....had the time of my life! Awesome guides, awesome partners, lots of suffering!
Schuetzenweber - Jul 21, 2008 5:54 pm Date Climbed: Jun 21, 2008
Windy DCClimbed it with my friends Paul & Denise, no guides. Great snow on the DC route. The cold weather made it easy to cross crevasses but it got very windy. It was a whiteout on top and certainly not a Kodak moment. The most challenging part was heading back down into the high winds at Cathedral ridge. Couldn't wait to wash the grit out of my mouth back at Muir. Looking forward to doing it again next year and hoping for better weather.
supermarmot - Jul 20, 2008 9:59 pm Date Climbed: Jul 19, 2008
dcskied to muir and did the dc. good conditions...
kheegster - Jul 19, 2008 2:15 am Date Climbed: Jun 15, 2008
DC in perfect weatherLots of snow still down to Paradise, but bluebird days. Early start from Camp Muir (~1am), summited at 6.20am. Got back to Muir and hiked back out the same day.
Sierra Ledge Rat - Jul 17, 2008 11:11 pm
Traverse: Success Cleaver to Disappointment CleaverWe were caught in a surprise lightning storm on the summit. Our glasses were humming, as were our packs and ice axes. We were both electrocuted numerous times.
EverydayExplorer - Jul 17, 2008 10:51 pm Date Climbed: Jul 10, 2008
On to the summitDC with wicked wind on the summit.
Lenny72 - Jul 16, 2008 8:16 pm Date Climbed: Jul 19, 2008
This time, SUCCESS!!!Was turned back in 2001 due to avalanche conditions. Not this time! We made it to the summit on Saturday morning via the DC in perfect weather. Felt very strong all the way to the summit. The trail was in absolutely perfect condition. There was, however, a significant amount of rock fall and one climber on another team was hit in the face by a large rock. He had to be choppered off the summit. Luckily, he survived.
eruselow - Jul 16, 2008 11:26 am Date Climbed: Aug 27, 2005
Perfect day on the CleaverClimbed Rainier via the Disappointment Cleaver route with RMI back in '06. Perfect two days, great rope team, and to top it off, we made the true summit. RMI is a great service, but they do not go lightly on the pace.
Mots010 - Jul 14, 2008 11:48 pm Date Climbed: Jul 11, 2008
Emmons GlacierFantastic trip. Weds evening, hike to Glacier Basin. Thurs, climb to Emmons Flats. Friday, summit. High winds on the approach up to Emmon's Flats, but died down for the summit bid at 2am. Reached summit at about 620am and chilled at the summit for 2.5 hours on the hot rocks on the crater rim. Our group was the only to summit from Emmon's Glacier this day, while we witnessed dozens of the guided groups who came up from the DC route. Truly a different experience from our Colorado mountains. One in or group took a crevasse fall up to his chest but was able to pull himself out. Route was in great shape.
CODave - Jul 9, 2008 2:06 am Date Climbed: Jul 7, 2008
DCGreat climb and near perfect weather.
Casey Bates - Jul 4, 2008 10:05 am Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2008
Squeezing in the weather windowVia the Emmons. Reached the summit at around 9am to beautiful clear but hazy skies. Massive thunderstorms hit the mountain the night before our approach to Emmons Flats. Within an hour after returning to our tents after the climb a massive thunderstorm hit that lasted well into the night. So much rain fell that my deadman anchors were completely exposed by morning. Private party of six. Great group.
zoink - Jul 3, 2008 4:32 am Date Climbed: Jul 1, 2008
EmmonsClimbed to Schurman on the 31 then after a breezy evening (ranger said 80-90mph gusts)we got up at 1:30 but ended up waiting until 3:00 not wanting to be the first group up as neither of us has been on the hill before. We still ended up being the first to summit from Schurman. A few snow bridges are getting iffy (easily avoidable though), but the bridge over the bergschrund was still big and solid.
dannotti - Jul 2, 2008 8:56 am Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2008
Disapointment CleaverFrom camp Muir, we took the disapointment cleaver route. Great weather and climb. Had major thunder storm and lightning at Muir the night before.
TripoliRick - Jul 1, 2008 1:36 am
Only OnceBeen to Rainier several times and due to various reasons, only made it on my first attempt and that was on Liberty Ridge. See trip report my "Liberty Ridge, I Don't Want to Turn Back!"
Fins129 - Jul 1, 2008 12:17 am Date Climbed: Jun 27, 2008
DCFirst glacier climb. Climbed with IMG. Summited at sunrise on a perfectly clear day.
nigelmcc - Jun 30, 2008 6:47 pm Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2008
No disappointmentI lead a group of Rainier first-timers up the DC on June 29th and was both blessed and burdened by the heatwave that hit the west coast. Luckily our concerns were mitigated by an extremely early alpine start (11:15 pm). After getting stuck behind a few slow parties on the route, we summited around 5. There were virtually no exposed crevasses to cross and minimal rockfall on the DC (despite the heat).