Chris Sypniewski: Four friends set out to climb Mt. Rainier
Climbing Mt. Rainier Photography
All photos, © VisitRainier.com/Chris Sypniewski
Chris, Brian, Becky and Becca, four climbers and friends from New Jersey, came to Seattle in June of 2008 to climb Mt. Rainier. Their first attempt on the Fuhrer Finger route proved unsuccessful when unusual snow melting conditions and a massive avalanche between the lower and upper Wilson glaciers forced them to turn back. After coming back down to Paradise, they decided they would wait a few days for the weather to cool off, and, except for Becky, would make another run at the summit of Rainier.
Their choice of route this time was the Disappointment Cleaver route. This is by far the most popular route and is used by the guide services operating on the mountain. Starting from Paradise, the climb to Camp Muir takes them about 7 hours. Upon arriving, Chris noticed some suspicious looking wispy clouds blanketing the summit above.
The next morning after breakfast, the climbers set off from Camp Muir and crossed the Cowlitz Glacier and Cathedral rocks, making their way to their next campsite on the Ingraham glacier. After a night of mixed weather, the climbers set out for Disappointment Cleaver at around 11:30PM under a full moon. They recall that the moon was so bright that it seemed to light up the whole glacier, and headlamps were optional.
Chris, Brian, and Becca were the first ones to the top of the Cleaver that morning, and were the first to see the sunrise. Shortly after they started up again, Chris noticed the clouds start to roll in at a rapid rate. At 13,000 feet they found themselves in a complete white-out. At 13,200 feet, the group turned around due to the worsening condition of the weather and Brian's altitude sickness.