Mount Rainier / Cascades

Hello climbers,

The summer climbing season is almost wrapped up, and the weather is making a shift in the mountains.  This upcoming weekend looks like light precipitation with the freezing levels hovering around 7000-8000 ft, so the tops of some peaks should get a light dusting of snow.  Following the weekend some late summer sunshine looks to take over for the week.  Paired with higher freezing levels, it will be a great time to squeeze in some end of summer climbing objectives.

Mount Rainier (Tahoma)
Last week we finished guiding operations on Mount Rainier for the season. The upper mountain received new snow making climbing conditions a bit difficult. The final teams did not make a summit attempt because of conditions, so no new information is available for the upper mountain. The Muir Route was completely stripped of all climbing aids (ladders, handlines, and wands) by guide services, so if heading up to make an attempt, understand that route finding could be a challenge.

Mount Baker (Koma Kulshan)
Conditions are still holding up well on the Easton Glacier.  The final scheduled 3-day summit programs ended last week, but the route was still in fantastic shape for this time of the year. Climbers should expect straightforward glacier climbing towards the crater with easily navigable crevasses. The Roman Headwall is still a well-developed path taking climbers to the summit plateau. It’s still a good time to head up Baker before to much snow starts to hide the crevasses.

Across the Cascades
As volcano season wraps up, climbers have been out enjoying various peaks throughout the Cascades. The Fisher Chimneys on Mt Shuksan is still climbing like mid summer shape, but expect things to start changing on the summit pyramid as temperatures and precipitation roll in this weekend. Climbers founds a snow free approach to access the Cat Scratch Gullies on their way up the West Ridge of Forbidden peak this week, also noting perfect climbing conditions on the ridge itself.  Finally, as the smoke has cleared teams have been out enjoying the late summer climbing at Washington Pass and Mazama. It’s a perfect time of the year to get in a late rock objective in that location with daytime temperatures being prime for granite climbing.

Happy climbing, and we’ll see you next season!

Summer keeps on rolling and climbing in the Cascades is still going strong. Forecasts for the next week look promising. There will be a slight dip in the freezing levels over the weekend which should help keep things nice and cool higher up in the mountains. There’s also a slight change of picking up some precipitation associated with some afternoon thunderstorms- but we don’t anticipate a big impact to our climbing plans. Moving into the early part of next week, climbers should expect mostly sunny skies and normal seasonal temperatures. In the upper mountains, smoke has continued to hold off, and hasn’t impacted climbing operations at upper elevations.

Mount Rainier (Tahoma)
The standard climbing route on Rainier has continued to stay in very good shape. With solid snowpack on the Muir Snowfield, travel has been pleasant and straightforward leading up to Camp Muir. Above Muir, cracks are opening up on the Cowlitz Glacier, but travel remains direct to Cathedral Gap. As snow continues to melt, expect more dirt and rock walking on the approach to Ingraham Flats. A ladder crossing awaits climbers directly above high camp, and a handline was recently installed to help climbers move across the ladder span. Access to the Cleaver is sped up by another handline install in the loose scree. This helps climbers move more efficiently through the area. Above the cleaver, a direct, well-established route is still taking climbers to the summit.

Mount Baker (Koma Kulshan)
Not much has changed on Mount Baker, which is a good thing, as guides continue to report how well the Easton Glacier is climbing at this time of year. The climbing up the Easton Glacier is still relatively straightforward, and minimal crevasses have opened up on the standard route. A crack around 9,400’ is gradually widening, but is still possible to step over. A good snowpack on the Roman Headwall is keeping the steepest part of the climb in smooth travel conditions, and there is a well-established climbing path. A few groups have also gone up the Squak Glacier recently and also experienced great climbing conditions!

Across the Cascades
The trend of good climbing continues throughout most of the Cascades. Recent climbers on the Shuksan ascended the Fisher Chimneys route and reported very good, solid glacier travel. On the other side of Shuksan, the Sulphide Glacier hasn’t changed much in the last week. A few open cracks on the glacier are easily crossable on the way to the summit pyramid.

Hello climbers,

It’s hard to believe, but the first week of August is almost finished! Climbing conditions throughout the state haven’t changed much since last week. Smoke has moved in the last couple of days throughout the area, but thankfully hasn’t impacted trips or teams up high. We expect a lot of the smoke to be pushed out of the mountains before the weekend. Clear and sunny is the long term outlook for the following week.  Climbers should expect normal freezing levels of around 14,000 ft with light to moderate winds from the west.  It’s a great combination for mid-summer climbing.

Mount Rainier (Tahoma)

Overall, not much has changed on Rainier in the last week.  The approach to the Muir Snowfield is full of wildflowers and is snow free past Pebble Creek.  Climbers should expect a couple hours of hiking in trail runners before boots go on.  The upper mountain continues to hold up well.  There is one ladder crossing directly above the Ingraham Flats camp.  The Disappointment Cleaver is almost completely snow free and can be climbed completely on trail and rock at this point.  Above the cleaver the route is holding up very well for August. The climb still traverses towards the Emmons Shoulder on a well-developed climbing path.  From there, it’s switchbacks up moving in a direct line toward the crater rim of the mountain.

Photos from a recent Emmons climb.

Mount Baker (Koma Kulshan)

The Easton route is still in wonderful shape for August. The route is still very direct heading towards the crater with only a few crevasses to end run along the way.  The Roman Headwall continues to hold up well with a very well established trail taking climbers up a mellow path to the summit plateau.  On the north side the road is still closed and climbers should expect a few hours of hiking to get to the Heliotrope Trailhead.

Across the Cascades

Climbing throughout the rest of the Cascades is continuing to hold up well.  On Shuksan, the Sulphide Glacier is starting to show some easily avoidable cracks.  The gulley on the summit pyramid is holding just a bit of snow that can be avoided and should melt out soon. Rock climbers have avoided the heat of eastern Washington by sticking around North Bend and cragging around Exit 38 to prep for multipitch climbing. Climbers reported great temperatures and climbing conditions this week on Poppy’s Peril and the Tooth.