Greeting fellow climbers,
As we move into the heart of July, climbing conditions across the Cascades remain excellent. From Mount Baker to Rainier and deep into the North Cascades, our teams continue to enjoy outstanding summit success, firm travel surfaces, and clear skies. We’re continuing to celebrate the favorable conditions with more climbs across the Cascades. On Rainier, 100% of our July teams have been cruising to the summit on all three routes (Muir, Emmons, & Kautz). Today we have a short quick moving low pressure entering the region followed by more high pressure aloft. We can anticipate sunny skies and more summits ahead!
Tahoma (Mount Rainier)
Alpine Ascents continues to use and maintain our high camp on the Muir Route, and both guides and climbers are enjoying the opportunity to spend the night above 11,000 feet on the Ingraham Glacier. This camp offers a quieter, more remote wilderness experience compared to Camp Muir, and it’s a treat to roll into camp with tents already staged and set! With recent warm weather, the approach to Pebble Creek is now nearly snow-free. We are recommending climbers wear trail shoes for the hike to the Muir Snowfield on Day 1 of the climb, before switching over into mountaineering boots. Single mountaineering boots are now appropriate for most of our climbs due to sustained warmer temperatures. As always, please check in with our gear staff prior to your trip, as we may switch back to double boots if conditions change. Above high camp, the Disappointment Cleaver is now completely snow-free and the route remains in excellent condition. From high camp, most teams are reaching the summit in 4–5 hours via a direct line to the top. On the Emmons and Kautz routes, conditions are also favorable. This past week, our teams on the Emmons and Kautz reported successful and enjoyable summit climbs.
Kulshan (Mount Baker), Klickitat (Mount Adams) & the North Cascades
Alpine Ascents continues to see great success across the state, with teams reaching summits on Mount Adams, Mount Olympus, Glacier Peak, Washington Pass, and throughout the North Cascades. As we move further into July, low-elevation trails are mostly snow-free, while mid- to high-elevation terrain above 5,000 feet still offers excellent snow coverage for climbing and travel. Glaciers across these areas remain in good condition. With the transition to summer conditions, most teams are now approaching in trail shoes and switching to single mountaineering boots for the alpine portion of the climb.
Whether you’re new to mountaineering or returning for another summit, we’re excited to see you out in the mountains this season
