How it all started...
When I was a teenager, I worked a job fixing lawn mowers. My boss signed up to climb Mt Rainier through a fund raising effort. I think it was the climb for clean air (lung cancer research). I was inspired to climb that mountain ever since. Several years past and I was out of college but still had no real plans to climb that mountain. Being married with three children kept me busy and exercise wasn't much of a priority and I continued to grow out of shape. Now, most people wouldn't consider me fat, but at 200lbs, I knew I was fat and out of shape.
Then one fine day in May of 2010, a group of my friends went hiking around the North Bend area, a little east off of I-90. We did a day hike that day and came back a week later to do an overnighter in the same area. That lit a fire in me as I discovered my new hobby. I grew up in the woods so I have always been comfortable stomping around in the brush, exploring, and climbing tall trees. I enjoy myself so much being out in the woods away from the busyness in my life and all the comfortable amenities of my home. Sleeping on the ground in a tent is something I like to do! Many summer nights of my youth were spent under the stars in my sleeping bag in my back yard and waking up soaked from the morning dew.
I continued to plan backpacking trips with my friends and invest in the REI company :) I also began to train with a 55lb backpack 2-3 times/week after work. Before I knew it, my calves were rock hard and I had shed 30 lbs. Then one sunny Friday at work in July of 2011, I got the idea to go hike up to Camp Muir on Mt Rainier. I can't even remember what sparked that. I made a few phone calls and the next day, three of us went up to Camp Muir for a very memorable experience. I even made a video of that fun day. This was my first time being exposed up close to the majesty of the mountains. I was truly hooked at this point and determined it was time to figure out how to get to the top of this mountain.
For most who want to climb Rainier, a guide service is the way to go. For me, I didn't see climbing as a one time event, so I pursued formal training so I could do this myself without the need of a guide. Thanks to a coworker, I was introduced to the great climbing class called BOEALPS (Boeing Alpine Society). This is a club through Boeing for mountaineering. I enrolled in their Basic Climbing Course (BCC). The class was a very intense 3 months of my life with lectures every Wednesday evening and an all day outing every Saturday. Saturday events always started at 7am ready to hike at the trailhead. Many of the outings were 3 hours away drive time, so you can imagine these were very long days. I thoroughly enjoyed the class, but I was very happy when it was over as I got a big chunk of my life back. My wife was even more happy when it was over! The final climb of my team was on Mt Shuksan. This mountain is actually more technical than the basic route of Mt Rainier. It was excellent training for Rainier.
After graduating BOEALPS, I now had all the skills necessary to go climb just about any mountain in Washington, including Rainier. I did a warmup climb on Mt Baker. We didn't summit that trip due to weather, but we did get some great exposure to glacier travel and stepping over hidden crevasses!
Now it was time to climb Rainier...
Climbing mountains is a dangerous hobby for sure and it is especially dangerous if you ignore the weather. I don't care to be macho and climb through stormy weather. I enjoy the snow and the cold, but those great views are really what I'm after. I plan to encounter serious weather conditions for every climb, but I hope for great weather. I tend to carry a rather heavy pack as a result of my conservative approach. I have extra clothing layers and a couple days worth of extra food to survive quite an ordeal. Anyways, my first attempt at Rainier ended due to a Summer storm. We were camped at Muir poised for the summit bid when we awoke at midnight to 60 MPH winds, snow, and temperatures in the teens to low 20s. I believe that works out to be a -22 wind chill. I had never experience coldness like that. I went out to take some video of the storm and a small amount of skin on my face was exposed to the wind. After I got back inside the shelter, my face hurt in that spot similar to a burn. Definitely not climbing weather!! The storm lifted the next day around noon. We climbed up another 1000 ft for practice and then descended back down to Paradise since our schedule didn't allow us to stay another night.
On the way home, I penciled in another shot at the mountain in 3 weeks (the next available days in our busy schedule). On July 23rd we pulled out of my driveway at 4am on our way to stand on top of Washington's highest peak. We reach Paradise and check in with the climbing rangers as we had our reservations all lined up. By 6:45am we are hiking up to Camp Muir. The weather that day was forecasted to be mostly cloudy. Indeed it was, but only to about 8000 feet. It's such a nice view being on the mountain and looking down on the clouds. Most people only see that from an airplane, but you can easily (well not exactly easy) see this from the ground too!
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| Camp Muir looking down on the clouds. |
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| Muir Snowfield, approx 8000ft. |
After 5hrs we reach our base camp. We unpack and climb into our sleeping bags for a much needed nap. About 2 hrs later we get up and cook dinner. I enjoyed my freeze dried lasagna and a cup of hot apple cider.
Climbing on a Monday and getting to Muir by noon has always landed me a spot in the public shelter in the three times I've slept at Muir. Some people don't care for the shelter as it can get smelly and noisy in there and I totally understand that. On our previous climb while we waited out the storm, I had a terrible headache that went away as soon as I got outside the hut. All those camp stoves running inside was making me sick even with the ventilation fans running. The abundance of flatulence (I contributed a lot myself) didn't help matters either.
Outside the weather was fantastic. I would guess temperatures were in the upper 40s and not a cloud was above us as far as we could see. I climbed up to the rock peak next to Muir and snapped a few photos.
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| Camp Muir |
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| Cowlitz Glacier and Cathedral Gap. |
It was now 5pm and it was time to lighten our packs in preparation for the summit bid. Around 7pm we were finally done dinking around and went to sleep. The weather was so nice that night that the front door of the shelter was left wide open. We were not even awoken by any wind. The loudest sounds that night were folks who should have had their tonsils removed as a child and the folks who had intestinal pressure differentials with the surrounding atmosphere. It was like some sort of unspoken competition in the hut that night as several climbers competed for the loudest depressurization maneuver.
My alarm goes off at 11:00pm. I spend the next 30 minutes reading my Bible and quietly praying and thinking about the great event before me. The culmination of more than a year of careful training and preparation was now about to begin. At 11:30 my friend Preston and I get out of our sleeping bags and eat our breakfast. I ate a Costco chocolate muffin, a Poptart, some beef jerky, and some trail mix. Then we put on our boots, gaiters, crampons, and climbing harnesses. The weather was so nice that we got ready outside the shelter which kept the noise down for the people still asleep. At 1am we have a moment of prayer and then begin our climb into the darkness up high. We were the second climbing team out of Camp Muir that morning. After reaching Cathedral Gap, I turn around and see a literal train of headlamps behind us. After climbing the up the kitty litter rock consistency of Catherdral Gap, we were once again back on snow approaching Ingraham Flats. A few more teams in front of us come into view as their base camp was Ingraham Flats. Around 11,200 ft we approach our first crevasse that required us to step across about a 2ft gap...no big deal. We climb a little higher and cross a few more crevasses until the route begins to traverse under the ice fall of the Ingraham Glacier. The traverse continues until we are on the Disappointment Cleaver. The Cleaver is a rock ridgeline that separates the Ingraham and Emmons glaciers. It's a 1500 foot climb of switch backs on mostly rock. On top of the Cleaver we land back on snow and continue up the glacier.
Above the cleaver we can begin to see the sun peak over the horizon. The light begins to expose us to terrifying yet absolutely beautiful scenery. Ice blocks the size of 10 story apartment buildings hanging on the edges of glaciers were nearby.
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| 13,000 feet as the sun rises. |
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| Getting ready to cross a snow bridge over a crevasse. |
Our trail switched backed up the mountain next to bottomless crevasses. Without the roped protection of each other, one slip could be fatal. At all times we have to remain focused and concentrated on keeping our feet securely on the mountain and be ready to arrest to protect each other in the event of a slip or fall into a hidden crevasse.
The altitude begins to take it's toll on Preston as he becomes very fatigued. I managed to stay in good condition as I stay well hydrated and fed as I climbed up. My mind continued to play out the scenario of what I would do if one of us got sick or decided to stop climbing. Turning around was really not anywhere near the top of my list of possible actions. Dragging them with the rope, threatening, abandonment were more of my thought processes! I was definitely fearful of some reason that could threaten our chance at the summit. At the slightest complaint from Preston, I very forcefully told him to be quiet and commanded him to be positive and that we WERE GOING TO SUMMIT!!! The human body surely begins to complain during the climb, but it ends up being more of a mental challenge to just focus on the summit and accept the fact you're exhausted and in pain.
At one of our breaks, a climbing guide passes me by the name of Dave Hahn. Dave has popped up from time to time in the novels I've read on mountaineering. Now that guy currently with 14 Everest summits was walking past me! I very casually say, "Hi Dave!" He says hi and wonders how I know him. I tell him he's a famous climber and he replies, "Yeah, I tell that to people too!"
We continue to climb as I watch the elevation steadily rise on my GPS altimeter. Preston keeps asking me how high we are and continually is disappointed in what I tell him as his internal altimeter is climbing at a much higher rate of ascent! I'm told by other climbers that we will be close when we can begin to see rocks signaling the crater rim. I see the rocks and now I really start to realize that I'm actually going to summit this mountain. As I approach the crater rim, I begin to thank God in amazement that I'm actually reaching the top. The weather is magnificent. Not a cloud in the sky and not even a breeze worth mentioning. We descend down into the center of the crater and take off our packs and unclip from the rope. It's now just a short walk across the crater up to the true summit of Rainier called Columbia Crest. Shortly below the summit is the register. It's a notepad inside of an ammunition box. It was a very proud moment for me to put my name down. I wait for Preston to put his name down and then we continue the very short hike up to the true summit. That short distance put us on top in the path of a little bit of cold wind.
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| Climbers crossing the crater |
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| My name in the summit registry |
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| Preston's turn to sign the register |
Down at Camp Muir before our ascent, I prayed a simple prayer that I could have cell service on top of the mountain. I turned my phone off of airplane mode and forgot about it. On top of the summit, I hear my phone go off as I received a couple text messages from my wife. I quickly pull out my phone and call my wife and for a few minutes joyfully describing to her the summit. That was definitely the icing on the cake, the cherry on top!! Thank you Jesus! My wife has endured quite a lot and been very patient with me in this endeavor leading up to this very moment. It was so precious to be able to spend that moment with her on the phone.
We spend about an hour on top taking pictures and soaking the joy of the summit. I met up again with Dave Hahn and had my picture taken with him.
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| Me and Preston |
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| Me and Dave Hahn |
The descent was something that I underestimated. It took us 6hrs to go up to the summit from Muir and it took us 4hrs to come back down. On every trip after I reach the summit, I'm always a bit anxious to get back down to comfort and safety. This trip was no exception, but we were not able to descend quickly due to the dangerous terrain as well as our fatigued bodies were not up to it. Neither one of us did a very good job eating and drinking on the way down. We finally make it back to Muir by noon and had zero desire to continue down to Paradise. I shoved down some water and cookies and crawl in my sleeping bag. We both had a 2hr nap and awoke feeling fully recharged. We melt some more snow to refill our water bottles and cook up some instant mashed potatoes. By 4pm we are ready and begin the descent down to Paradise. The glissading wasn't that great, but we did take advantage of it where we could. I began to think of all the times I've traveled up to Muir and asked the climbers that were coming down if they had summited. Now I was walking down myself was a great sense of accomplishment. I looked back at the mountain from time to time realizing I was up there not too long ago and wondering how I did it.
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| Mt Rainier from 7000 ft. |
By 6pm we arrive at Paradise. Now it was time to return the climbing permit to the ranger station. On this form you fill out how many people returned from the party and how many summited, the date, etc. Three weeks prior I had to put a big fat zero for the number summited. Now it felt pretty good to put down that # 2. Wish it had been 3 as a good friend of mine couldn't make the trip due to his work schedule. That just means I have another excuse to go climb so I can help him reach the summit!
I learned a lot of little things from my BOEALPS class. One thing I learned was that you need to prepare for the trip back home off the mountain. I never gave that much thought in the past. I learned that you pack comfortable clothes to change into and have some good drinks stashed in the car to help you recover and prevent cramping. Then the next thing BOEALPS taught that I had already learned quite well is to EAT!! Normally we stop somewhere on the way home (usually Mexican food) but this time we went all the way back home and waited for our wives to join us on this celebratory dinner.
Now it's time to organize all the pictures and video I took of the trip. I had such a great time working towards this goal. Climbing for me is definitely not over, but has just began. I now have the confidence and skill to continue to climb other peaks. Washington is full of many mountains that people are not very familiar with. I have got a lot of exploring to do! Thanks for reading.
~Aaron
https://picasaweb.google.com/aaronmercado/RainierSummit
