April 30, 2009
Lead Guide John Race called in from the the summit of Mt. Rainier at about noon today!The group set out on a 6-day seminar starting last Sunday. After a night down low (near Panorama Point) the group cut loose and headed up to Muir on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday were scheduled training days.
After evaluating the weather and snow conditions yesterday Race and fellow guide Eric Remza decided to give the Ingraham Direct a shot. The Ingraham Direct is a great early season route but typically melts out by late May or early June.
So, early this morning the team roped up and crossed the Cowlitz Glacier then passed through the Catherderal Gap still not knowing if the Ingraham Direct was a viable climbing option. It was.
The team went straight up the Ingraham Glacier crested the Ingraham Headwall mid-morning and enjoyed the “nice and warm” climbing conditions all the way to the top. The group reached the summit just before noon today.
It’s 4:00pm now and the team is pulling into Camp Muir for a well deserved rest. They will descend tomorrow and celebrate their summit!
All is well here in the shadows of Mt. Rainier.
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Tye Chapman
Operations Manager