Mt. Rainier, here we come…please be gentle : )

It is Friday morning, June 5th.  In about 24 hours we are going to start our climb up Mt. Rainier.  The basic schedule is~~

Friday, 2-6pm, orientation and gear check.  super carbaliciaous dinner and max hydration

Saturday, 9:30am, start to climb.  The climb today is from Paradise @ 5400 feet to Camp Muir at 10,188 feet.  We have a big dinner and camp out for the night

Sunday, morning time wake up, spent several hours on skills (crampons, ice axes, ropes and crevasse rescue).  Climb approximately 1000 vertical feet to Ingram Flats, have an early dinner.  Summit orientation talk and split into groups for the next day.  In tent and sleeping by 7pm.

Monday, awake around 1am, breakfast and start to climb around 2am.  We have another 3000-ish vertical feet today to make it to the summit, at 14,410.  We should be summitting around 7-8am, hang at the top for a few hours, and then descend 10,000 feet back to Paradise.

Easy right?  ; p

We’ll be back in Seattle on Tuesday to enjoy a fabulous celebration meal with lots of wine!  Here is a photograph I took 2 weeks ago on a reconnaissance mission to the mountain.  Wish me luck!!!

A climber contemplates the summit of Rainier