Mt Rainier Ingraham Flats and Summit Attempt

After a half day of training at Camp Muir, we hike to the Ingraham Flats. Ingraham is at 11000 ft. But to get there you need to hike over Cathedral Gap. A 1000 vertical climb of loose rock. In crampons and full 40# pack.



On to Cathedral


It's about a 1.5 hr hike


Once at Ingraham we just rest for the afternoon. Knowing that we have to be in bed at 5:30, because we start the summit climb at 11:30 at night.



 
The crux of the climb is climbing over Disappointment Cleaver. It's a 1400 vt climb. Mixed snow and rock. Steep and a exposed as hell..All done at midnight. But to get to the cleaver you have to cross crevasses, either long step or by ladders ala Everest. This is were it got interesting. It was gusting to 50. I had a guide and another climber on my rope. My pack was acting like a freaken sail. I was getting pulled off the mountain. A few times a well place ice axe was all that held me. I'm not exaggerating. I was scared shitless.

After 2 hrs of climbing we made it to the top of the Cleaver. At around 12500ft. At this point 4 of us said no mas. The thought of climbing another 3 hrs in those conditions didn't appeal to me.

Down I went. I returned to my tent a 4:30am..The 4 climbers that made it to the top, came down saying I made the right decision..

This was an indescribable experience...



That's me in the middle descending from the flats



notice the large pack

The end!!!!

Sorry for the dumb question, but could you explain the timing of the summit climb: heading out at midnight?

Usually they head for the summit between 11pm and 2am. This is the case on almost all big mountain climbs. At night the weather tends to be more stable (not my case). Also it's easier to climb up in the dark and down climb in the light.

As far as my climb. We started climbing at 12am, I reached 12.5k at around 1:30-2 and turned around. The summit team reached the top around 5am...We then all met up at 11k for the climb down to base..So I down climbed 7k vertical and the the crew that summitted  9k vert. Long day

What an incredible experience that must have been...nice work!

thanks for sharing that

cheers

Great pix Jason.  So cool to be on a big mountain like that.

I know a lot of the groups do the summit in a single push from Camp Muir - 4,500' vert up and then all the way back down (9K vert descent) to Paradise.  Even the way you did it - summit push from Ingraham - that's still a big day.

You should look into doing the Grand Teton sometime - I think it'd be right up your alley.

4k+ up and down, just like Mt Washington.

...then just add the 9k descent which would put you in the middle of the Atlantic.

The Grand is up next, hopefully..

The single push from Muir is done by RMI..IMO to much after the hike to Muir.

Man, that was one epic story. 12,500 feet doesn't sound so high but, I guess it is.  I have only hiked up the mountains on the East Coast.. No crevaces...

Thanks for posting. Any video?

JasonWx wrote

The single push from Muir is done by RMI..IMO to much after the hike to Muir.

Of course doing it from Muir saves schlepping packs/sleeping bags/tents up to Ing.  It also narrows the window for the climb to roughly 36 hours round-trip from Paradise.  Can you stay at Camp Muir for 2 nights to increase your odds for success, or are groups limited to just a 1 night stay there?  That way you'd have a second chance at the summit if conditions were unfavorable on the first try.

BTW, meant to ask earlier:  Did you have any prior experience with crampons / ice axe / roped glacier travel?  I assume you had crampons on the entire time above Ing.  They really suck on rock, don't they?

I have ice and crampon experience..Yes the do suck on rocks!!! but you kind of get used to it..

Great shots and thanks for sharing this with the forum. Here is a link to a National Park Service information map showing the bearings and the altitudes.

Paradise to Camp Muir

The guide services have a very tight schedule in regards to the huts. one in one out.privately you can stay longer in a tent at muir or the public shelter.