Check out the current route conditions as Whittaker Mountaineering owner, Peter Whittaker takes you to the top of Rainier.
With August just around the corner the climbing on the Disappointment Cleaver Route is just now transitioning to our typical summer conditions. Although the snow is gone on large portions of the Cleaver itself, the climbing is still mostly a snow trail and I think most of the guides would agree when I say that the route is as good as it has been in years.
Upon leaving Camp Muir the route across the Cowlitz Glacier is very straightforward as there are just a few crevasses opening up. Some caution is required as you enter Cathedral Gap as you are exposed to rockfall at the end of Cathedral Rocks. You can see the evidence of rockfall all over the glacier at this point. The Gap itself is entirely rock and scree now but the climbers trail is easy to follow.
Once you ascend the Ingraham Glacier above The Flats the traverse onto Disappointment Cleaver is not complicated. A good bit of attention must be paid to route finding on the lower part of the Cleaver as there is no snow here and if you find yourself off route you can easily knock loose rocks down onto parties below you. Once you have climbed about one third of the way up the Cleaver it is an easy to follow snow trail to the top of the Cleaver at 12,300 ft.
Our main area of concern now is the crevasse systems above the Cleaver. Currently the route ascends straight up from 12,300 ft. But the cracks are widening quickly and the route may have to transition to the traditional Emmons Shoulder soon. The will make the route slightly longer but it may become the only option available in the next few days.
Above 13,000 feet the climbing is excellent with only a few large and obvious crevasses to navigate. If the route does switch to the Emmons Shoulder then we will have to put a traverse back to the current route here or find a new way through the crevasses.
The crater is still chock-full of snow but caution is advised when nearing the edges of the rim. The caves are starting to melt out and they seem to be bigger and more widespread than normal. Don't fall in!
The Muir Snowfield remains in excellent condition. The route is direct, snowy and crevasse free. Please remember to stay off of the meadows below Pebble Creek as the growing season is about a month behind schedule this year.
-Whittaker Mountaineering Guide Team member, Seth Waterfall gave us the most up-to-date route condition report on Rainier
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