Too Windy Up High!

May 28, 2009

Well it was just too windy on the upper mountain for our last Rainier climb. The group got up to about 12,500ft and conditions were not improving so the guides made the safe decision and turned around. They all returned safely to Camp Muir in good spirits and cruised on down to Paradise yesterday afternoon.

Looks like the forecast calls for improving weather which is great for our climbers up at Camp Muir now. They plan on moving up to ‘The Flats’ after their morning training session today.Summit day will be early tomorrow morning so we’ll keep you posted…

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Tye Chapman
Operations Manager

Mt. Rainier ‘Summer’ Climbs Underway!

With 10 of 12 on top yesterday Lead Guide Eben Reckord & Co. logged our first “Summer” summit of the season. Nice work everybody!

Climbs will continue all summer long with 3-day climbs coming through IMG HQ every other day!

Weather has been uncharacteristically warm on Mt. Rainier these past few days which made for some great climbing weather over the holiday weekend. Fingers crossed it holds for the next… 4 months!

Currently our climbers up at Camp Muir report some windy conditions so we’ll see how that develops through the day and over the night…

It’s climbing season!!

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Tye Chapman
Operations Manager

Heli-lift To Camp Muir Today

May 21, 2009
Each year Mt. Rainier National Park coordinates a helicopter lift to the various camps on Mt. Rainier each year… We work with them to get a couple loads lifted to Camp Muir.

This year we sent up several hundred pounds of propane which is used to cook meals and melt water at Camp Muir. We also sent some new ‘5th Season’ Eureka Tents which will be used at “The Flats” on our 3-day climbs.

Pretty cool stuff!Â

A big thanks to the Mt. Rainier National Park for continuing to allow us to send loads up to Camp Muir!

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Tye Chapman
Operations Manager

Everest Summit Bids Underway…

Teams on the move… for full coverage click the photo below…

Guide Training – Day 2

May 18, 2009
So the guides wrapped up their second day of training on Mt. Rainier last week by practicing some Kautz systems.

They enjoyed the training (in less than ideal conditions) on some route specific tools and techniques and learned a few different, and possibly more efficient, ways of doing things. Some time was also spent on problem solving a few different situations that the guides might find themselves in – some great conversation spun from this!

A big thank you to John Race, Olivia Cussen and Jeff Ward for their work on this year’s guide training…

Up Next: The NPS Helicopter Flight to Muir (weather dependent),Â and the Wilderness First Responder Course (refresher) this weekend… Our 3.5 day summit climbs start this week too – so I guess it is officially climbing season!!

On a separate note: if you haven’t been keeping up with our Everest Climb it’s time to start checking in daily… The summit teams are making their way up the mountain!

That’s all for now…

Tye Chapman
Operations Manager

Guide Training – Day 1

May 13, 2009

The busy weeks continues today with Day 1 of IMG Guide Training. This year the training is being lead by IFMGA guides Jeff Ward, Olivia Cussen and John Race.

Over 20 of our guides are here today to learn and participate in some weather analysis, route planning & gps work as well as take an in depth look at some systems and techniques that apply to our Kautz climbs.

After some classroom work today the guides will split into groups and head into the park (Rainier) tomorrow to practice these systems.

As part of our continuing education program we provide several training opportunities for our guides each year: Ouray, CO (Ice), Ashford, WA (Alpine) and Leavenworth, WA (Rock or Alpine).

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Tye Chapman
Operations Manager

Sherpas Are The Backbone Of Any Himalayan Climb

May 11, 2009

The Sherpa community forms the soul and backbone of Everest climbing. The rest of us are mere guests in their native land and fortunate to have their priceless help when we come to climb this mountain. Whenever a Sherpa is lost on Everest, a large community is devastated. The pain goes far beyond grief for a lost friend or family member, for many, the reality of severe economic hardship looms large.

The international climbing community can only offer our sincere thanks and sympathy to that Sherpa community and give our direct support to the families involved.

As in the past, IMG will organize a relief fund to be directed to support for the family of Lhapka Nuru Sherpa, lost in the recent avalanche on Everest, through our affiliated non-profit organization, AFFIMER (American Foundation for International Mountaineering Exploration and Research.)

Those who wish to help Lhapka’s family in this time of great need can make tax deductible donations to the fund as follows:

Write checks payable to: AFFIMER – ‘Lhapka Fund’ and mail directly to:

AFFIMER, P.O. Box 155,
Ashford, WA 98304 USA

AFFIMER is organized under the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law for charitable purposes and is operated exclusively for charitable, educational and scientific purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. AFFIMER is dedicated to promoting the exploration of mountains for the purpose of increasing geographic, cultural, and scientific understanding of the global alpine environment. Founded in 1990 by a group of alpine mountain climbers and researchers from across the United States, AFFIMER is governed by a volunteer board of directors and receives its funding from private contributions and donations from the public.

Full Expedition Coverage

Eric Simonson addressing the IMG Sherpa Team

Q: What can I do to help prevent altitude sickness? Are there any medications I can take?

A: Mild altitude illness, also known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), is not uncommon among people climbing Mt. Rainier. Typical symptoms tend to include headache, loss of appetite, nausea, shortness of breath, fatigue, restless sleep, and an increased heart rate and increased respiratory rate.

There are many things you can do to help prevent altitude illness. Hydrating during the climb is the most important and effective, but other effective techniques also include “pressure breathing,” using medications such as Diamox, and taking acclimatization hikes prior to your climb. Ibuprofen or aspirin can help with the headache and other symptoms of altitude illness.

Proper hydration while on an alpine climb can help you avoid cold injuries as well as prevent altitude illness. The more hydrated you are, the better you will feel at altitude and the faster you will acclimatize (adapt to higher altitude), because you will be able to assimilate more oxygen into your blood stream and deliver it throughout the body more efficiently. It is important to keep track of your fluid intake to make sure that you’re getting enough. We generally recommend that a person drink between 4 and 6 liters per day while climbing or training on Mt. Rainier. The general rule of thumb is that if your urine is clear and copious, then you are drinking enough. Electrolyte drink mixes will help replenish electrolytes lost from sweating and exertion. It is important, however, to remember to eat as well as drink during the day, both to maintain your energy levels and prevent hyponatremia. Drinking too much water without replacing electrolytes can make you hyponatremic (the flushing away of important electrolytes in the bloodstream due to excess water), which can be a life-threatening illness.

In addition to staying well hydrated, consider avoiding substances that act as diuretics or depressants. Refrain from alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, antihistamines, sleeping pills and other depressant drugs for a few days prior to and during your climb.

Another means of preventing altitude illness is pressure breathing, or purposeful hyperventilation. The more you force yourself to breath deeply and force out the old stale air in your lungs, the more you will rid your body of carbon dioxide and allow your body to take on more oxygen. This, combined with proper hydration will allow your body to transport more oxygen molecules around the body. This breathing technique is very effective and is employed by most successful high altitude mountaineers. IMG guides will teach you about pressure breathing during your climb.

Generally, just being fit will help you feel better at altitude. Being fit will also help you manage any symptoms of altitude illness without simultaneously struggling with the journey up the mountain. When possible, go for acclimatization hikes prior to the climb. Hike a local peak with some altitude (8,000 feet or higher) or consider coming out to Ashford a day or two before your climb with IMG and do a day hike up to Camp Muir (10,000ft) to log some time at altitude and start your body on the process of acclimatization.

Some medications have been shown to help prevent altitude illness. IMG does not recommend any specific medications. People tend to do fine with the moderate altitude of Mt. Rainier without any medications, especially if they are on one of our longer (3, 4, 5, and 6 day) programs. If considering medications for altitude illness, you should consult with your physician. Diamox (acetazolamide) can help prevent altitude illness and many climbers use it on high altitude expeditions around the world. It is usually not necessary on Mt. Rainier and is reserved for more extreme altitudes such as those found in the Himalayas and in South America. You need a prescription from a doctor to obtain Diamox so a consultation with an MD is necessary, and that is a good time to ask questions regarding its benefits and drawbacks, as there are several side effects that can affect one’s climb. If you do decide to take Diamox, we suggest starting with a small dose (125mg morning and evening) to minimize unpleasant symptoms (tingling, itching, excessive urination).

In the end, simply maintaining good hydration is the single most important thing you can do for yourself to avoid altitude illness.

For more information about AMS and altitude illnesses, please visit: www.princeton.edu/~oa/safety/altitude.html

May Is A Busy Month!

Here’s a snapshot of what’s on tap for the month of May as we get ready for the Rainier Climbing Season…

May 4-8 – ‘Work Week’ at HQ.

May 9 – May 14 – Liberty Ridge Climb #1 (Guides: Aaron Mainer & Brian Warren)

May 9 -May 15 – Mt. Rainier ‘Denali’ Seminar #4 (Guides: Erica Engle & Eric Gullickson)

May 10 & 11 – Avy Refresher Course for guides

May 12 – NPS Mt. Rainier Natural History Course for guides & staff

May 13 & 14 – IMG Guide Training

Week of May 18 – NPS heli-lift (propane and supplies) to Camp Muir (subject to weather)

May 19 & May 20 – Carry to Camp Muir & Set-up of Camp Muir

May 20 – 3-Day Summit Climbs Begin!

May 23 & 24 – Wilderness First Responder Refresher Course

May 31 – Liberty Ridge Climb #2

So as you can see it’ll be a busy place around HQ but it’s nice to get everybody together before the season starts to take care of some business and have some fun.

See you on the mountain!

Back row (left to right): Phil Ershler, Tyler Gimenez, Aaron Mainer, Max Bunce, Andy Polloczek, Jeff Ward, Dan Otter, Adam Angel, Liam O’Sullivan, Ben Kurdt. Middle: Erica Engle, Brenda Walsh, Paul Baugher. Front row: Chris Meder, Brian Warren, Eric Gullickson, Kelly Ryan, Greg Vernovage, Eric Simonson, George Dunn

Mt. Rainier ‘Denali Seminar’ Summits!

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

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