Private Guide on Rainier?

[ChrisinAZ]

Agree with everyone here. As for the physical side of things, my friend and I were able to get up and back down in two days (we traveled unguided as a 2-person team) but it was exhausting. That said, I wasn't terribly acclimatized, which didn't help matters. In that situation, a rest day, a mostly-rest day to move to Ingraham Flats, or the like would be definitely recommended.

If you go in July, and plan to be on the mountain for four days, you're all but guaranteed to have a fair shot at the summit. Later in the season means more dicey crevasse crossings though...a friend of mine led a bunch of friends up (he wasn't being paid) a few days after I went and he was already describing things being sketchy that had seemed reasonable enough when I went. A hot spell like the one we both had will accelerate the process.

Your best alternative to the guided groups--which, by the way, often stop at the crater rim and don't go to the true summit of Columbia Crest, if that's important to you--would be to find a more experienced friend or two who are interested in joining you, and making sure your own crevasse rescue/roped travel/snow climbing skills are up to snuff so you're carrying your own figurative weight on the trip. I'd say you could get most of the gear for the same total price as a guided Rainier climb, and you get to keep it afterward!

[Steve Climber]

Not to preach your life to you, but I'll pretend

I have a small child and another on the way, priorities dictate that if I can't do this SAFELY I won't be doing it at all.

In the grand scheme of life, $1k is a drop in the bucket...I understand, speaking strictly in finances, it might not be in the cards at the moment, but don't stare too hard at the dollar signs.

Put the time in to learn some skills and squirrel away the funds that you can...you'll get there man!

PM also sent.

[GregMiller]

Couple thoughts on money:
1) Fly Southwest - 2 free checked bags, plus if you have to cancel and reschedule due to bad weather, AFAIK you're only out any difference in fare. This provides a lot of flexibility and the ability to shoot for good weather weekends.

2) Rent the couple things you might not have - 4 season tent, boots, etc. Find someone to go with that has a rope, and the rest is pretty inexpensive.

2b) Speaking of tents, there were a lot of folks at Camp Muir in 3 season tents. I wouldn't recommend it, but if you have a good weather weekend (see 'flexibility' above) you can get away with it. Or, if you're a good sleeper, you can try to sleep in the hut, just be warned that it can be a smelly/noisy place, and you might not sleep. But it is an option.

3) We took a 1-day crevasse rescue course through Colorado Mountain School, and then did a couple practice sessions on our own, and felt prepared and safe on the mountain (certainly more so than most of the guided groups we saw). I think it was $175, and worth the money for this and future pursuits.

Other thoughts:
Don't worry about the 'hassle' of dealing with permits, it's actually pretty easy, just ask any of the folks on here who have done it, just takes a little bit of planning.
Personally, I preferred to put in a couple weekends ahead of time to learn the skills and the other folks on the rope team, made me a lot more comfortable on the mountain than I would have been meeting folks from a guided group for the first time. But, it comes down to this: Fast, Cheap, Good - pick two.

[Scott P]

I'm going to deviate a bit from some other answers and recommend that if you can't afford it, don't go. Children are still more important than a mountain and your family has to be the #1 priority (which means you don't have to give up hiking and climbing by any means). Of course you already know that and you probably are a great parent (we can tell you're thinking of their needs first by the way you posted the thread).

On the plus side, you're only 32. You still have plenty of time to climb the mountain. You have plenty of time to acquire the skills needed to go without guides as well.

I wish you the best of luck, no matter what you decide!

[jsdratm]

Another inexpensive option is that the CMC does several trips to Rainier every year as part of the High Altitude Mountaineering School. By participating in the HAMS school you get to learn all of the relevant skills as well, although it is a bigger commitment than a day school with an expedition company or private guide. I think this year they did the Kautz and DC routes, and they usually do the Emmons Glacier as well. A lot of people I know have summitted Rainier with the CMC.

[JonW]

I've climbed the DC twice and descended it a 3rd time after climbing the Gib Ledges. Crevasses are not a huge issue on the DC route. Yes, there are crevasses and, yes, I'm sure people fall in them from time to time, but if you follow the herd of climbers and guided parties on this route, you won't have an issue. (Honestly, rock fall is a higher danger than crevasses on this route.)

FWIW, this would be my advice - Find two other climbers to form a party of three. Buy a copy of Andy Selters "Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue". Read the necessary chapters and practice general glacier travel skills and building a 3:1 haul system with with those in your group prior to heading to Seattle. Then go climb the mountain and you'll be fine. For added security, take a crevasse rescue class, which is much cheaper than a guided trip.

I'm sure there are plenty of threads discussing guided climbing and my intent here is not to start another. But with a route like the DC, most people can self teach themselves the necessary skills with about 8-12 hours of practice. Route finding and other technical skills are not necessary for this route.

Given you can acclimatize around Denver, two days should be fine. Of course, having a weather day can be nice. It's also nice to hang out at Camp Muir for a night after summiting.

[peter303]

If you look like a newbie- not a full set of equipment, tennis shoes, Texas license , not trail-wasted, etc- the rangers may not grant you a permint without a guide. If a guiding school thinks you are too green, then you may have to buy and take a day of basic climbig school before the trip. Of you may be able to talk your way out of this.

[WarDamnPanic]

Agree with most points in this thread. As someone who climbed it with RMI last year I will say that the climbers I saw struggling and eventually turning around did not know proper glacier travel. There were a few hand lines and anchors we used but not required, and we descended a slightly different route, because of thin snow bridges just below the cleaver, so just make sure you follow the wands and not the boot pack cattle trail. But if I were to do it again, and I plan on it, I would practice glacier travel here in CO (tying in, and climbing in crampons with a group) and take a crevasse rescue class before hand. Then you should be fine, it is a spectacular mountain and one of the gems of our country imho.

http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepor ... m=tripuser

[Monster5]

Does RMI have their clients go typical guide style sans prusiks and accessible rescue gear for glacier travel? Might be the picture, but the setup looks like you only have to worry about the rope, ax, and 'pons with a guide. If I'm seeing that correctly, I would recommend more in-depth glacier travel and rescue training for an unguided party, even if it's something like DC.

Even if I'm seeing your pics incorrectly, I've seen many guides do just that (risk of crevasse fall < risk of client tripping over or spaghetti-fying rope/prusiks) I've also seen many instances in the past where a climber joins a guided party on route and dangerously applies the same practices later on sans guide without understanding the limitations and additional contingencies a guide is prepared for.

Agree with most points in this thread. As someone who climbed it with RMI last year I will say that the climbers I saw struggling and eventually turning around did not know proper glacier travel.

[WarDamnPanic]

Correct. No prusiks, all rescue gear is in the backpack of the guide. Crevasse rescue is something that is touched on very lightly during the snow class day of the 3 day climb.

Does RMI have their clients go typical guide style sans prusiks and accessible rescue gear for glacier travel? Might be the picture, but the setup looks like you only have to worry about the rope, ax, and 'pons with a guide. If I'm seeing that correctly, I would recommend more in-depth glacier travel and rescue training for an unguided party, even if it's something like DC.

Even if I'm seeing your pics incorrectly, I've seen many guides do just that (risk of crevasse fall < risk of client tripping over or spaghetti-fying rope/prusiks) I've also seen many instances in the past where a climber joins a guided party on route and dangerously applies the same practices later on sans guide without understanding the limitations and additional contingencies a guide is prepared for.

Agree with most points in this thread. As someone who climbed it with RMI last year I will say that the climbers I saw struggling and eventually turning around did not know proper glacier travel.

[SeracZack]

Correct. No prusiks, all rescue gear is in the backpack of the guide. Crevasse rescue is something that is touched on very lightly during the snow class day of the 3 day climb.

Does RMI have their clients go typical guide style sans prusiks and accessible rescue gear for glacier travel? Might be the picture, but the setup looks like you only have to worry about the rope, ax, and 'pons with a guide. If I'm seeing that correctly, I would recommend more in-depth glacier travel and rescue training for an unguided party, even if it's something like DC.

Even if I'm seeing your pics incorrectly, I've seen many guides do just that (risk of crevasse fall < risk of client tripping over or spaghetti-fying rope/prusiks) I've also seen many instances in the past where a climber joins a guided party on route and dangerously applies the same practices later on sans guide without understanding the limitations and additional contingencies a guide is prepared for.

Agree with most points in this thread. As someone who climbed it with RMI last year I will say that the climbers I saw struggling and eventually turning around did not know proper glacier travel.

When I did the route, I even had a guide ask me why I had prussiks tied on my rope and that they were not necessary.

[colluvium]

The self-ascent method we were taught in RMI's skills seminar involved two loops of accessory cord (seat + feet) attached to the rope with Klemheist hitches. Seemed effective and easy enough to rig while hanging on the rope.