Our last few climbs have been facing the challenging weather that can come with attempting to scale a high peak like Mt. Rainier. The Pacific Northwest has been experiencing a series of low pressure systems moving through the area, preventing the last few climbs from getting much higher than the top of Disappointment Cleaver. The weather looks to improve this coming weekend, and hopefully the forecast will pan out the way the models are currently predicting.
The climbers have not been sitting idle while at Camp Muir or Ingraham Flats, however! Our guides have been teaching snow travel and mountaineering skills, and climbers are learning first-hand about staying warm and comfortable in a challenging mountain environment. Having the Gombu and a weatherport at Camp Muir provides additional teaching space out of the weather for further skills practice, and sharing a few jokes as well.
In addition, guides are seeing "late season" conditions on the mountain and are working hard with guides from the other concessionaires to make sure the route is in the best shape it can be for each climb. In a dynamic mountain environment the options for the route can change frequently, and guides are pooling their time and energy to keep the route in shape for the days when the weather cooperates!
