Hello climbers,
Summer is officially in full swing in the Cascades, and conditions have remained stellar throughout the region. We’ve seen consistent summit success across Washington—from Mount Baker to Rainier and beyond—and guides are reporting some of the best early-season conditions in years. In Alaska, we still have one Denali team remaining on the mountain. You can follow their progress via our Denali Cybercast Page. All other teams have wrapped up successful expeditions, and we’re proud to share that our 2026 Denali expedition dates are now live on the website. It’s never too early to start planning!
Tahoma (Mount Rainier) Conditions
Our Rainier teams have been enjoying excellent climbing conditions, and across the three routes we guide teams are consistently reaching the summit. We’re excited to announce that over the past week we have re-established high camp at Ingraham Flats. Big thanks to our guide staff for putting in the hard work building high camp and getting it setup. This will allow for improved summit pushes basing out of the 11,200 high camp on the Muir Route.
Disappointment Cleaver (DC) Route: The route remains in great shape. Our Director and Field Manager made a trip to the Alpine Ascents Satellite Office on Rainier and over the past three days have performed route reconnaissance and work to establish and reinforce the route. Climbers are still using mountain boots from the parking lot at the vast majority of the trail is snowy to Muir. From Muir the route to the summit is well established and in good shape. The Cleaver itself is largely snow-free, and a well-defined bootpack continues to the summit. At this time there are no ladders in place on the route.
Emmons-Winthrop: Conditions are excellent, with smooth travel over the Inter Glacier and solid coverage above Camp Schurman. Our latest Emmons climb enjoyed a wonderful summit day just yesterday.
Kautz Route: Ice pitches are holding up beautifully, and the glacier sections remain direct and efficient. Our latest Kautz team summited the route 2 days ago, and guides were happy to report excellent conditions all the way up. This team was apart of a 10 day course with the final 4 days being on the Kautz climb after 6 days of training on Mt Baker.
Despite warm daytime temperatures, double boots are still recommended on all routes due to overnight cold and high-elevation exposure. Warmer temperatures are on the forecast, but winds on the upper mountain will continue to bring in the cold. We urge climbers to always be prepared with the proper equipment.
Kulshan (Mount Baker), Klickitat (Mount Adams) & the North Cascades
Mount Baker continues to shine. Both north and south route teams are seeing regular summit success, with firm morning snow, manageable crevasse exposure, and great coverage on the approach. Lower trail sections are now mostly snow-free below ~5,000feet, making for dry approaches and efficient travel. On the North Side, high camp now has flowing water access, a welcome development as summer continues.
Mount Adams also remains in great shape. Our summit climbs and ski descents have been enjoying all the mountain has to offer, including ski descents from the summit slopes—truly a memorable way to wrap up a climb.
Across the North Cascades, the transition from snow to rock season is well underway. Alpine rock objectives are opening up quickly, and approaches now often include both snow travel and trail hiking. One of our Washington Pass programs is a 4-day Alpine Rock course, perfect for Matterhorn training. We’re wishing our graduates luck on their next objectives!
As always, early starts, good route planning, and proper layering are key to safe and successful outings. Please don’t hesitate to contact our office if you’re preparing for an upcoming trip or want to talk conditions.
We look forward to seeing you in the mountains!
