Mount Rainier questions

[sigepnader]

Hello!

I just signed up with RMI for the four day climb in August 2017. I have read countless reviews but I was wondering if anyone here has went with this guide before. I have it pending for another day in case I change my mind on using them. Thoughts? How was your climb? Anyone here do Rainier in August/early September this year? How was it?

Thanks in advance

[specmiata37]

I did Rainier with RMI several years ago in early September. September was a good time because the crevasse was really opened up. Beautiful. The weather can be a little suspect at that time of year though. The next day on the mountain nobody summited.

RMI was a good guide group to go with. I was really impressed with how they kept the rope teams together and how they weren't afraid to turn clients around if they weren't doing good. Some of our team had absolutely no experience whatsoever. The DC route however is pretty straightforward. Our success rate was about 50%. Pretty standard. Get yourself in really good shape physically. For two reasons: 1) Summit day is very long 16+ hours, and 2) You will have a much better time if you are not dragging ass on the return trip down the mountain. For me this was the best part. Really seeing the crevasse in the daytime and crossing those ladder bridges they construct to get over some of the cracks.

Have a great time, the guides for RMI are really good. They have the summit plan dialed in pretty good.

[jeffth5]

Hello!

I just signed up with RMI for the four day climb in August 2017. I have read countless reviews but I was wondering if anyone here has went with this guide before. I have it pending for another day in case I change my mind on using them. Thoughts? How was your climb? Anyone here do Rainier in August/early September this year? How was it?

Thanks in advance

You're probably going to get a lot of negativity about RMI and guiding in general on this forum. Ignore it all.

Rainier is an amazing place and RMI does a great job of getting clients to the top. I have been on a couple of trips (including this one) with them and have found the guides personable and willing to teach. Learn as much you can and soak up the atmosphere - it's classic North American mountaineering! Train hard and get stoked - you will have an awesome time!

[spiderman]

Enjoy Rainier! There is nothing else like it in the lower-48. Because the base is at sea level, it makes all of the other 14ers look small. The glaciers there are also gargantuan and wild compared to Hood/Baker/Adams/etc. Crevasses open up the size of battleships. Nevertheless I found the climb relatively tame if you wait for good weather. The guide services maintain fantastic trails. I was disappointed that the DC was a relaxing staircase instead of a grueling section that required a fixed rope. I never felt that any section came anywhere close to pushing my capabilities despite this being my first glaciated peak climb.

I did it as a 4-day unguided trip (waited out a storm on days 2&3) when my son was 10. People in the guided groups on days 2&3 walked up towards the crater and turned around when they got buffeted by 100 mph winds. The guides are not going to go out of their way to get you to the top in adverse conditions or if you are struggling to maintain the 700'/h pace. We passed a bunch of guided rope teams and they didn't look particularly happy. Despite this criticism, guide services do an excellent job of keeping their members alive. That is quite a good thing, IMHO. If you at all doubt the capability of your rope team to self arrest or get out of trouble if the weather turns bad, RMI will be perfectly adequate.

[alpinenut]

I went up the Emmons Route with RMI last Summer. I also went up to Camp Muir on the DC route for day hike. I would highly recommend the Emmons Route over the DC if you can make it work. A lot let less people. Also, I would try to go in July if you can. Last summer (which was after a really low snow year) the snow level was way higher and there were a lot more crevasses than normal. Most years August is probably fine. I can't say enough good things about the guide team I had. Mike Haugen was our lead guide (super nice, laid back and serious at the same time, climbed all over the world, a seasoned mountain professional). I will do another trip with RMI some day.

[mtn_nut]

Hello!

I just signed up with RMI for the four day climb in August 2017. I have read countless reviews but I was wondering if anyone here has went with this guide before. I have it pending for another day in case I change my mind on using them. Thoughts? How was your climb? Anyone here do Rainier in August/early September this year? How was it?

Thanks in advance

I did rainier in mid august this year, unguided. I was trip leader of my group of four total. We did the DC route because it gave us the best chance of success in august. two of the people on our trip had never summited and getting the summit was the main goal, not the aesthetics of the route.

If you can, I would highly recommend NOT climbing the DC during the late season. While it does work, there is a lot of rockfall and saw two people in guided groups get injured from rockfall along the DC. I personally will never climb the DC route every again.

I also climbed Emmons two years ago in July, and it was much more enjoyable. I was also unguided for that one, but they do offer guiding along that route. AAI and IMG also guide on Emmons.

I personally will climb Rainier again, but will probably do one of the lesser traveled routes on the south side or maybe a west side route, again unguided with a friend or two.

[wineguy]

I can't say enough good things about the guide team I had. Mike Haugen was our lead guide.

I also had a very positive experience with RMI and Mike Haugen. Eight of our team of 9 made the summit. An interesting tidbit that I wouldn't have known except that one of the other guides mentioned it: Mike (and climbing partner) held the record for the fastest time for all the state highpoints for awhile. The team who broke his record had the benefit of a private plane, whereas Mike was delayed on flight from Alaska to Florida (Standard plan: start on Denali, fly to Florida, zig-zag across continental US, then Hawaii).

Back to Rainier, a disadvantage of going guided is that you are a prisoner of the weather. Bad weather on summit day and you are screwed. Also, get some altitude beforehand if possible. I had been on some CO 14ers about a week earlier, so the altitude was no problem. Much more difficult for those who hadn't acclimated. Otherwise the guided route is a breeze.

Boots are another important issue to consider. RMI will require plastic. Most people rented from RMI, and many ended up with blister problems because they weren't used to the boots. I bought some used boots at Wilderness Exchange, and got my feet used to them before the trip (If you are size 12 I can offer you a great deal).

[LetsGoMets]

Hello!

I just signed up with RMI for the four day climb in August 2017. I have read countless reviews but I was wondering if anyone here has went with this guide before. I have it pending for another day in case I change my mind on using them. Thoughts? How was your climb? Anyone here do Rainier in August/early September this year? How was it?

Thanks in advance

I went with RMI this season in late May/1st week of June on a 5 day via the DC. It was fantastic, they are pros, learned a ton and would recommend them. Side note, I personally think climbing Rainier in May/June is the way to do it.

[DanRiley]

I went with RMI up the DC route in late August many years ago. They were terrific ! In addition to reasonable rentals, a couple of the guides loaned me personal gear.
We encountered some bad weather but they got most of us to the summit. As previously mentioned, make sure you are in good shape and expect to have a great experience.

[Roald]

Following this thread. Might do this next summer.

[jeffth5]

I can't say enough good things about the guide team I had. Mike Haugen was our lead guide.

I also had a very positive experience with RMI and Mike Haugen. Eight of our team of 9 made the summit. An interesting tidbit that I wouldn't have known except that one of the other guides mentioned it: Mike (and climbing partner) held the record for the fastest time for all the state highpoints for awhile. The team who broke his record had the benefit of a private plane, whereas Mike was delayed on flight from Alaska to Florida (Standard plan: start on Denali, fly to Florida, zig-zag across continental US, then Hawaii).

Back to Rainier, a disadvantage of going guided is that you are a prisoner of the weather. Bad weather on summit day and you are screwed. Also, get some altitude beforehand if possible. I had been on some CO 14ers about a week earlier, so the altitude was no problem. Much more difficult for those who hadn't acclimated. Otherwise the guided route is a breeze.

Boots are another important issue to consider. RMI will require plastic. Most people rented from RMI, and many ended up with blister problems because they weren't used to the boots. I bought some used boots at Wilderness Exchange, and got my feet used to them before the trip (If you are size 12 I can offer you a great deal).

A good tip on obtaining boots before the climb, but just to clarify - RMI's requirement for plastics is generally for the spring (e.g. May/June) - in August, most any mountaineering boot that will take a crampon will be sufficient and approved. Probably best to call them and ask before purchasing plastics.

[Traveler]

I just signed up with RMI for the four day climb in August 2017. I have read countless reviews but I was wondering if anyone here has went with this guide before. I have it pending for another day in case I change my mind on using them. Thoughts? How was your climb? Anyone here do Rainier in August/early September this year? How was it?

I just did the 4 day Rainier climb with RMI last month. We had perfect weather. The RMI program was a bit too military (regimented) for my taste--for instance, above Muir on the rope teams we traveled 1.5 hours at a time (until the next break), and there was no stopping, no slowing down even, no ability to take off or put on a layer until the next break. RMI did a good job though, the training was good and it was a beautiful day on the summit, so can't really complain. We had to cross a 15 foot crevasse on a horizontal ladder, which I thought added some excitement!