Ascent of Mount Rainier on 2023-06-11| Date: | Sunday, June 11, 2023 | | Ascent Type: |  Successful Summit Attained | | Motorized Transport to Trailhead: | Car | | Peak: | Mount Rainier | | Location: | USA-Washington | | Elevation: | 14411 ft / 4392 m | Ascent Trip ReportURL Link: alltrails.com
June 10-11, 2023
Mount Rainier via Disappointment Cleaver
Distance ~24 km / 15 mi
Net elevation gain - 2,752 m / 9,030 ft
Trailhead access - 2WD
Gear - crampons, ice axe, helmet, 30m rope, crevasse rescue set
Round trip - 17h (10h up / 7h down)
Three of us left Vancouver, BC, at 4 am on Saturday and arrived at the ranger station in Paradise approximately 5 hours later to collect our permits. We were fortunate with cloudy skies and a gentle breeze for most of our ascent to Camp Muir, which took us 4.5 hours. We pitched a tent just behind the sandy ridge of Camp Muir. It became quite busy when two guided groups arrived. In the evening two rangers called a briefing and provided us with detailed information about the trail conditions, weather forecast, scheduled activities of the guided groups, and what to expect on our way up. After the briefing, we tried to get some sleep, but neither of us managed to rest well.
We woke up at 11:30 pm, geared up, and set out at 12:30 am. The traverse across Cowlitz Glacier was already ablaze with numerous headlamps. The trail is well-marked with wands and leads all the way to the summit. The ridge separating Cowlitz Glacier from Ingraham Glacier and Disappointment Cleaver were free of snow. However, the rangers advised us to stay roped up (short rope) and wear crampons on these sections, which slowed our progress, especially when we encountered slower groups ahead of us. (On the way back, we removed our crampons and unroped to pass through these sections.) The climb's gradient was mostly gradual, with the steepest sections being the Disappointment Cleaver and the final ascent to the crater. It took us 5.5 hours from Camp Muir to reach the summit, with approximately an hour lost due to waiting for other groups in front of us. The crater itself is relatively small and flat, and the actual summit, Columbia Crest, is one of the bumps surrounding the crater. The views from the top were breathtaking, but we had to move around to take in the full 360-degree panorama. We spent almost an hour at the summit before the low temperatures (-10-15°C) and moderate wind made us feel cold.
The descent back to Camp Muir was picturesque with all the surrounding details now revealed in the daylight. We quickly packed up and began our return journey to the parking lot by 12 pm. The Muir Snow Field was a slushy swamp with a multitude of people making their way up to the camp on a Sunday morning/afternoon. Hazards encountered at the time: 3-4 step-over crevasses, steep and loose rocky terrain, a snow bridge in good condition, rockfall, and overhead seracs. Our GPS track: www.alltrails.com All photos are by the group members.
Trip planning info:
1. Official Mount Rainier climbing web page: www.nps.gov
2. Climbing permit availability/reservation page: www.recreation.gov
3. Very detailed route information: www.nps.gov
4. Finances: (a) Climbing permit - one per a group of 1-12 climbers - $6 USD for walk-ups or $6+$20 USD for online reservation (30% of all the permits are reserved for walk-ups. When I was getting the permit for our dates, I was able to purchase the permit with camping in the Muir Snowfield area. However, when registering in the ranger station in Paradise, I asked them to change our camping location to Camp Muir and they did without any extra charge), (b) Annual climbing fee - $65 USD per each climber, (c) Mount Rainier Park entrance fee - $30 USD per vehicle.
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| Summary Total Data | | Total Elevation Gain: | 9030 ft / 2752 m | | Round-Trip Distance: | 14.9 mi / 24 km | | Route: | Disappointment Cleaver | | Trailhead: | Paradise 5381 ft / 1640 m | | Route Conditions: | Snow Climb, Glacier Climb | | Gear Used: | Ice Axe, Crampons, Rope, Headlamp, Ski Poles | | Ascent Statistics | | Time: | 10 Hours | | Descent Statistics | | Time: | 7 Hours | GPS Data for Ascent/Trip
 GPS Waypoints - Hover or click to see name and lat/long
Peaks:  climbed and  unclimbed by Anton Gerasimov
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Note: GPS Tracks may not be accurate, and may not show the best route. Do not follow this route blindly. Conditions change frequently. Use of a GPS unit in the outdoors, even with a pre-loaded track, is no substitute for experience and good judgment. Peakbagger.com accepts NO responsibility or liability from use of this data.
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