Cold days at Muir. Photo by guide Emily Johnston Washington is uniquely positioned to have drastically changing weather patterns, and Mount Rainier has not been shy is showing us what it is made of. After a couple of weeks of using our skills to navigate snow and wind conditions, the sun has shown and […]
April 27, 2021 We just wrapped up our Spring Guide Training in Ashford and on Mount Rainier. Everyone brushed up on the latest industry standards for guiding and are looking forward to a busy climbing season ahead. Here is to a great season on Mount Rainier! Harry Hamlin
July 20, 2019 Crevasses are one of the greatest hazards mountaineers encounter while climbing glaciated peaks. Maintaining adequate rope rescue technique is a very important skill that IMG guides are trained on. Practicing regularly keeps our guides proficient and well-educated on a procedure that can be very important if needed. IMG guide Zack Weinberg
February 23, 2019 Intro There are several pieces of gear that are absolutely mandatory for climbing peaks such as Mt Rainier, and crampons are one of them. However, there are many types crampons and not all are created equal. We will discuss the differences in depth in this article. Some of the distinctions we will […]
January 11, 2019 This past week, I and several IMG guides joined Chief Guide Justin Merle & Mark Ripperger in Ouray, Colorado to hone our ice guiding skills. We spent Day 1 in the Ouray Ice Park building safe and efficient anchor systems, selecting appropriate instructional terrain, and refining teaching techniques and movement skills in […]
October 12, 2018 When you receive a photo like this overnight, you just have to share it with the world! IMG has had the opportunity to work with great people throughout the years. The relationships that the owners of IMG have built go far beyond the mountains. If you have climbed with IMG in Ecuador or […]
October 10, 2018 Have you ever wondered what guides do when they’re not guiding? Well, they work on becoming better guides! This past weekend, IMG guides spent two days in Leavenworth, WA refining their rope skills, knots, and hitches used on Rainier and peaks around the world. The world-class training was led by Senior Guides […]
October 3, 2018 If you’ve climbed Rainier with IMG over the years there’s a good chance you’ve climbed with either Mike Haft or Kim Haft… or possibly both! Even if you haven’t climbed with Mike or Kim, we’re sure you’ll join us in congratulating them on the new addition to their family! Cassidy Picket […]
May 2, 2018 The first IMG climb of the Mt. Rainier season is just a few days away and we’re not letting those days go to waste. This morning our newly hired guides gathered at IMG for our annual new guide training. The goal for these three days is to get them up to […]
April 23, 2018 Justin Merle began guiding on Mt. Rainer in 1999 and hasn’t stopped. Since his first climb as a guide, he’s accumulated over 160 summits of Mt. Rainier and countless other summits here in the Great Pacific Northwest and worldwide, including seven summits of Mt. Everest. Merle, an AMGA certified Alpine Guide, has […]
