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5-day Mt. Rainier (4,392m) summit via the Emmons-Winthrop Glacier Route, Cascade Range

mount-rainier-mountaineering-2

Join a certified mountain guide for an unforgettable 5-day ascent of the iconic Mount Rainier. Enjoy a scenic approach and employ a variety of climbing skills over the course of the climb.

Group

Cascade Range

5 Days

Jul, Aug

Fit

Intermediate


Highlights

  • Enjoy the stunning scenery of Mount Rainier National Park.
  • Climb a more remote route up the mountain and avoid the crowds.
  • Explore both the true summit and the crater on summit day.

Description

Towering more than 14,000 feet above sea level, Mt Rainier is the highest mountain in Washington State as well as the Cascade Range!

Ascending this iconic state symbol requires a multi-day approach, glacier travel, long days of climbing and ascending up 40 degree slopes over snow and ice. It’s quite a challenge, but is well-worth it and is always an unforgettable adventure.

Over the course of five days, we will climb the most heavily glaciated peak in the Lower 48 and enjoy the stunning views out over the rest of the Cascades and as far away as Seattle.

On our trek, we will take the Emmons/Winthrop Glacier Route, which is the second most popular route up the mountain. For experienced mountaineers, it is better because of less crowding and its more remote location.

However, due how remote the trail is, this trip takes a few more days than the normal route. You can find the complete itinerary below.

We will spend two days on the approach in order to save our energy and reserve three days for summiting the peak and returning. The extra day up there gives us a window of flexibility in case the weather does not cooperate.

So what are you waiting for? Book now for an unforgettable five-day ascent of the iconic Mt Rainier in wonderful Washington State!

If you like the look of this trip then we think you will also enjoy our 4-day ascent of Mount Adams, farther north in the Cascades!

Price includes

- Guiding fee

- Transport during the trip

- Breakfast

- Lunch

- Dinner


Itinerary

Day 1: Orientation and starting out

We will meet at 7 am in Seattle for the mandatory orientation, before making the three hour drive to the trailhead. After getting our permits (not included in trip price), we will hike for three hours to Glacier Basin (5,900 feet) and spend the rest of the day relaxing or reviewing mountaineering skills.

Day 2: Glacier Basin to Camp Sherman

We’ll begin the day by either reviewing a few more mountaineering skills or just ascending right out of the basin up the Inter Glacier. From here, we will traverse east and drop down onto the Emmons Glacier at 8,800 feet. All of this will be done in rope-team travel. We will finish the day once we have arrived at Camp Sherman (9,460 feet).

Day 3 to 5: Summiting and back

Getting an alpine start (between 2 and 3 am), we will make our ascent of the summit. This begins through a broken section of the glacier that is covered in crevasses and continues until we reach the “Corridor”, between 10,300 and 11,300 feet. From here, the route changes from year to year, depending on crevasses and slopes. We will usually belay up a large bergshrund about 1,000 feet below the summit as we cross snow bridges. Or we may have to traverse to the west. Either way, expect to spend seven to nine hours climbing to the true summit and crater before we spend four to five hours climbing back down to Camp Sherman. The last day of the trip we will climb back down to the car and return to Seattle.

 

Details

Meeting point

Ascent Outdoors in Seattle, Washington

Equipment you will need to bring

Rope

Helmet

Ice axe

Harness

Backpack

Crampons

Sunglasses

Belay device

Watter bottle

Other gear: Please contact us for a complete equipment list.


About the guide

For over 35 years, Mountain Madness has been bringing profound outdoor experiences to trekkers and mountaineers across the globe. We have built a strong foundation of skills and expertise, fueling our passion to impart our wisdom onto other like-minded explorers. Cultivating an enthusiasm for the
outdoors while helping you enjoy the journey and achieve your goals is a dream come true.

Our mission is to provide the best experience possible and to instill a passion for adventure. We value cultural exchange, take pride in facing physical and mental challenges head on, and strive to development wilderness skills that encourage self-discovery without compromising our environment.

Climbing, trekking, and skiing worldwide allows Mountain Madness to guide internationally. Our success and determination have given us worldwide acclaim and reignited our hunger – from Rainier and Baker to Kilimanjaro and Everest, no adventure is too big or too small.

Our guides have extensive training and are AMGA and/or IFMGA-certified guides. We enjoy assisting in all aspects of your trip, from the first conversation to the last goodbye. The collection of activities are endless, with alpinists, trekkers, explorers, mountaineers, and ski tourers on our team. To assist first time explorers and grizzled veterans in finding hidden, everyday wonder is our pleasure.

Languages

English


What people are saying about Explore-Share

Kumari Selvakumar

5.00

Sept 14, 2022

I’m extremely happy with the ease with which I could book via your site reliable and experienced guide. Thank you so very much, and I’ve started to recommend your site to my friends. Dimitris is not only an awesome guide, but a wonderful person who was always looking out to give me the best experience I can have when he found out how much I love climbing! He is the Best!

Niklas Warren

5.00

Sept 6, 2022

I am very pleased with Explore-Share! This was my first international climb, and the communication and response time were great. Herbie is a very skilled guide and very efficient. The entire booking process & payment was smooth. I will definitely use Explore-Share again. Thank you.

Greg

5.00

Aug 23, 2022

I was looking for a local guide for a hike I was planning and came across Explore-Share. They seemed to have good reviews and so decided to give them a try. The experience was very positive and completely happy with their service. I will be using them again for next trip.

Colin Finnegan

5.00

Aug 17, 2022

Easy to set up and find the perfect trip. Informative site that is easy to use. Guides are all great to work with and communicate all arrangements needed. As simple as can be!

Lesley Weber

4.00

July 16th, 2022

Thank you explore-share for a wonderful via feratta experience. We have been wanting to learn for a long time but don't have the facilities in Scotland. The guide Mitja was extremely helpful and knowledgeable, answering all my many questions and providing advice. On the day head to take another group but he quickly arranged another guide Borut, who was brilliant. We had a fantastic morning learning via ferrata at Hvadnik in the gorge. It gave us the confidence to later hire our own equipment and go out in Mojstrana. Altogether a five star + experience. Thank you.

Richard Scrivener

5.00

July 20, 2022

Hello! I have been thoroughly impressed by the service and assistance that explore-share have provided the past couple years in helping to plan my trip to the High Tatras in Poland. I really appreciated the flexibility that they provided in allowing me to rearrange my trip twice owing to covid. They were responsive and communicative throughout. This trip was part of my Stag weekend celebrations and explore-share connected me with an outstanding guide in the form of Marcel - he was an excellent recommendation and we really enjoyed our guided hike in the High Tatras with him. Marcel was an outstanding professional, placed a high focus on preparing well and staying safe, and was also a great guy! Highly recommend. Many thanks and best wishes - Richard

Yvonne Morrison

4.00

May 8, 2022

Our first time with Explore-Share. An absolutely fantastic experience from start to finish. Extremely good value, very well organised with attention to detail. We travel widely and this has by far been the best of experiences. Well done to all concerned. We are already looking at booking another trip!

Mark Stone

5.00

April 14, 2022

Great service by explore share. Our guide, Fred, gave us a fantastic day. Totally wild adventure that would be impossible on our own. I’m really impressed. Thank you very much.

James Dempster

5.00

March 9, 2022

I can’t recommend this enough. Great service, great price and the on the ground team was top notch. Top marks all round.

Leonardo Rodriguez

5.00

March 4, 2022

Everything went very well! Above our expectations! Thanks Explore-Share and Thanks Kiliholidays! Great support from all you! Thanks for the hard work and excellent level of commitment.

Daniel Martinez

5.00

Feb 2, 2022

Excellent job making your platform available to all mountain lovers. Our guide Gabrielle was an excellent companion

 

 

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