My First Mt. Rainier Summit Climb

Me with Rainier in the background

I am fascinated by the mountains. Mountaineering epics move me in ways that few other things do. I’m deeply inspired by the audacity and perseverance of the mountaineers that came before me. I’m curious to visit some of the world's tallest peaks to see what’s there. The metaphor entices me fundamentally.
 
Ambition, curiosity, and excitement attract me to mountaineering. When Greta and I moved to Seattle in 2021, Mt. Rainier was clearly visible many days of the year. After a few weeks in the city, I put the summit of Mt. Rainier on my bucket list. When I did so, I figured I was many years away from realizing this goal. Learning to glacier travel, manage crevasses, and utilize an ice axe seemed distant at the time. 

The idea didn’t escape me, however. After moving back to Chicago, I yearned to find a job out West to pursue my interest in rock climbing and mountaineering. Luckily, I received a job offer from the University of Oregon. This proved to be a significant development in my life as a climber.

Upon moving to Eugene, I quickly realized how many excellent outdoor activities are easily within reach via a car. After climbing in the local bouldering gym for a few weeks, I met a climber named Andrew. When I told him about my interest in mountaineering, he recommended hiring a guide service. Before then, I was reluctant to use one, given my exposure to climbing podcasts that venerated climbing in good style—alpine style. The heroes interviewed on these shows didn’t need guides. Further, the book Into Thin Air encouraged me to think that you shouldn't attempt to summit without extensive knowledge about mountain safety. After participating in the guided expedition, I realized how wrongheaded these notions were.

​Andrew suggested I take an AIARE Avalanche Safety Training class to prepare for Rainier. I registered for a class in December 2023. I learned how to use my beacon, dig out a buried person, and learn a few things about snowpacks and recognizing avalanche terrain. It was a positive experience. Plus, I got to hang out on Mt. Hood for several days.
 
After some research, I signed up for an expedition with RMI for June 2024. Their service was reasonable compared to others, and most importantly, the organization had a good reputation and positive reviews. Their regular emails and training tips provided solace during the winter months when the trip in June seemed like a world away.
 
As June approached, I became increasingly nervous. I realized that although I was in good shape, I had no idea what was in store for me up there. I responded by training more. I struggled to fit in the additional training because Greta was first pregnant with Elin and then had her before the expedition. I had to balance parenthood, marriage, work, training, and a social life. But I trained hard. I ran 3-4 times a week. Two long runs on the weekends and about 5-10 km during the week.
 
When the time came to climb the mountain, my training was adequate but not superlative. I was a strong climber, but it was a real challenge.
 
I learned a lot about ambition on this climb. I was so excited to climb and attempt the summit before arriving in Ashford. However, upon arrival, reality hit. I drove about four hours away from my home and family to climb a big, dangerous mountain. I could barely sleep in the days leading up to the summit push. My mind was filled with various thoughts and lines of inquiry. I received positive news that Presidential Studies Quarterly accepted my job market paper. Of course, I was thinking about Greta and the kids. However, we were fortunate that Greta’s sister Kristin flew to Eugene to meet Elin and celebrate Alma’s birthday with us. I was recently elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. I had received interview requests from USA Today and AP News. I had finished writing a draft of my book prospectus. My life was filled with so many wonderful things. For the first time in months, it felt like I was alone with my thoughts, and I had a lot of them.
 
The Rainier Trip was very expensive. However, I wanted to keep my focus on climbing and decided not to linger on the sentiment.
 
The first day was orientation. We packed our bags, and Walt told us what we should definitely include in our packs for our summit push. On the second day, we participated in a mountain training class. We learned how to self-arrest with an ice axe, walk up and down a mountain efficiently, and traverse areas while roped together. We were also informed about things we should know while on the mountain, such as the need to keep pace and manage heat.

Gear check

On the third day, we hiked from Paradise to Camp Muir. We hiked up in our boots without crampons or the ice axe. It was a strenuous hike. We hiked for about five hours and gained about 4800 feet in elevation. Camp Muir sits at 10,188 ft.

At this point, I was still stoked at the prospect of summiting Rainier. However, by this time, I realized that it wasn’t essential that I summited. I sensed no metaphysical need to climb to the top of the mountain. I didn’t envision something truly special and life-changing at the top. This is a rational calculation. However, it came at an inopportune time. I was high up on the mountain and set to make a summit push in a matter of hours. I had already spent thousands of dollars to get to this point. Something told me this was not the time to get flaky. I wasn’t fearful. I just felt cleareyed about the thing and wanted to set stiff guardrails for myself.
 
We left Camp Muir on June 12, around 1 a.m., a little later than we had anticipated. The guides were waiting for the winds to die down. Luckily, the waiting helped; the conditions were favorable for a summit push. I didn’t get much sleep between arriving at Camp Muir and the 1 a.m. wake-up, though I was awakened. I had only recently fallen asleep. I was still tired. I woke up and was not eager to hike up a cold, windy mountain in the dark. 

I got up. Ate breakfast. I got dressed. I didn’t say much. I was assigned to a group with Kevin, Alan, and Tom. This seemed to be a propitious pairing. Walt was the lead guide, and he teamed up with the Georgia boys. I took comfort in the fact that I was climbing with people with significant mountaineering experience and that the second guide was leading us. I figured that I would be the weakest link in my group, and that was likely the safest place to be. 

We traversed Cowlitz Glacier in the dead of night. It was very cold and windy, and visibility was low. I felt like every time I looked over the edge, I saw very ominous terrain—either a steep cliff or low purchase. I felt very insecure and vulnerable. The mountain was intimidating. 
The hike across Cowlitz was long, and we made it to Ingram Flats after about an hour and thirty minutes. At that point, I was considering going back down because I was extremely cold, and I was afraid of slipping and falling to my death. I was very concerned about dying because I had so much to live for. Being on a dangerous mountain with a wife and two young kids at home seemed reckless. Nevertheless, I pushed on.
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Traversing a crevasse

Disappointment Cleaver was fascinating. There was some interesting climbing and scrambling through this area. I was astonished. We had to make some pretty athletic moves to get through this area. It was real climbing and mountaineering. I was on an adventure!

I was also having fun. It was just metal, like hardcore. I was nearing my edge. I couldn’t breathe as well. The altitude was getting to me. I was tired from days of poor sleep. I was fine while we hiked, but I would get extremely cold every rest break. My parka was sans hood, and thus, I was way colder than everybody else. I got the hoodless parka because it was way less expensive, but I was freezing. I learned a lot about what gear is necessary and what’s nice to have. 

During orientation, we were told that the Ingraham Flats and High Peak sections were really challenging. Walt failed to mention that High Peak to the summit at Columbia Crest is even more challenging. It was straight up the mountain. I started to find it difficult to keep pace. I was getting tired. I was struggling to breathe. Others were, too. I turned inward. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. I knew I could continue, but I had to maintain the right attitude. It was simply brutal. I was confident, but I was reaching a limit. My patience for the experience was starting to wane. Having been gripped, white-knuckling, for so long, I was emotionally exhausted. I was also physically tired. Yet, I made it. 

We reached the summit. It was tough, but I was determined to give an honest effort. That was rewarded with an amazing experience. The summit was novel. I was pleased to have made it. I felt great about the effort. We stayed at the top of the mountain for about 45 minutes. I tried to keep warm and get in the headspace for the challenging trip back down the mountain. Getting to the top is only half the battle. Thus, mountaineers must always maintain reserves to get off the mountain safely. I was well positioned. I was not near my max and felt confident I could get down. I was still nervous, though, worried that I would make a mistake. I decided to stay intently focused on getting down. I didn’t want to let my guard down. I refused to let victory be snatched from me so close to my objective. I think this was a wise attitude. Unfortunately, my boots were too small, and going down was painful. My big right toenail got black from the repeated impact.

Once we got to Camp Muir, we gathered and had lunch. From there, we were essentially in the clear. We saw those who turned back or decided not to attempt the summit push. They welcomed us quite nicely. I was appreciative of their generosity. 

We continued down the mountain—this time, without crampons. We could slide down in our rain pants. When we reached the parking lot, I had been hiking for 19 hours and 19 minutes. I gained 9235 feet and burned 5205 calories. It was a considerable effort.
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Once we returned to the campground, Greta, Kristin, Alma, and Elin arrived, and I celebrated Alma’s birthday with her. It was a tremendous experience.

Summit of Mt. Rainier