Liberty Ridge - Spring Ascent

A team of 3 Midwest climbers set their sites on Liberty Ridge last week... and for the second reported time in 2006, climbers made it again to the summit of Rainier. Erik Beeler, Neal Mueller and Isaac Will pushed through deep snow, high winds, whiteouts, steep ice, 5th class rock and even a moonlit night so that they could top out of Mount Rainier's classic of line.

The wintry conditions took more out of the team than expected. In particular, areas of really deep snow became troubling and time consuming. They had intended to spend three nights on route, but needed FIVE and were forced to bivy near 13,000 feet.

In this close up image of the upper route, green dots represent the high camps and bivies and the blue sections represent areas of difficulty or belays. It's interesting to note that the team took the far right variation out of Thumb Rock.

Neal made it clear that "some deep snow" was not going to thwart their summit efforts. A mix of Midwest pride and fortitude pushed the men through the exhausting conditions. And yes, they did wonder about avalanches...

They started late the 1st day and spent the night along the trail in the snow. The 2nd night found them near the access to the Carbon, 7,200 feet. It was up to Thumb Rock for the 3rd and 4th night. Isaac stated that the extra night was needed because,

"As soon as we started to set up camp, my body started to let me know exactly what I had done to it... I threw up before I got in the tent, and... three more times before I could get some Power Gels and water to stay down. I didn't have a headache and I was not concerned it was AMS. The weather was not perfect and when we woke up at 0500. I said I could use another day to recover. They all agreed a rest day was in order so we stayed in the tent all day long."

After a recovery, the team climbed a major porition of the upper route. The 5th night was pitched at a bivy site above 13,000 feet. At that camp, Issac described setting anchors into the rock for fear of either being blown or avalanched off the mountain. Thankfully, neither happened.

They belayed two pitches of alpine ice (one was described as 15 fee of WI 4) to reach Liberty Cap. After finding a few crevasses the hard way between Liberty Cap and the summit, the team cautiously descended to Camp Schurman. They spent a final night in the hut, but only after digging it out. Somehow, the door had blown open during the winter and for the most part, the hut was filed with snow...

The team intends to post a trip report on summitpost and cascadeclimbers. You can also find information on Neal Mueller's website.

Successfully climbing Liberty Ridge is quite an achievement this time of year, congratulations and thanks for your help digging out the Camp Schurman hut! Also, thanks to Pandora for sharing her image here.

Liberty Ridge Climb in April

Three climbers from MN climbed Liberty Ridge this week. I spoke with the team and have the initial report.

More details later today.

This photo of Liberty Ridge was taken a few years ago during the month of May. Photo by Mike Gauthier

Summer Predictions

Many climbers are seeking information about "summer conditions." These are hard (if not impossible) questions to answer at this time. At this point in the season, it's better to discuss strategy, as it's difficult to pin down what the weather, routes, glaciers and other conditions will be like in May, June and July. If we said that things looked good now (and they do), it could all change.

What happens in the preceding two weeks of your climb could strongly influence the trip. During the summer, a climbing ranger can be reached at the Paradise Climbing Information Center from 7 am to noon. For 24/7 information, check back here.

We recognize that some climbers are eager and excited to make summer plans. Most of our spring advice is focused on:

• Fitness - Start training now. Being fit can't be stressed enough; it will greatly help with your overall enjoyment of the climb.
• Teammates - Choose your partners well, as they will greatly affect the success and enjoyment of your trip.
• Duration - It helps to give yourself at least three days on any Rainier trip, particularly if you're traveling a long distance and this trip is really important. Extra days can be used to rest, or may provide a needed weather window.
• Permits - see the previous post on reservations.