Mt. Rainier and Liberty Cap, Ingraham Direct

Activity Notes

More details and prospectus to come, but basic outline is:

**Crevasse Rescue training is required for this climb. If you do NOT have a Mazamas Crevasse Rescue badge, please email explaining your equivalency training and experience. Thank you!**

OVERVIEW

Liberty Cap will be included as an out-and-back across the summit massif. Planned route is Ingraham Direct, but will utilize the Disappointment Cleaver variation dependent on snow conditions. 

https://caltopo.com/m/5880Q6M 

We will be tagging multiple highpoints:

• Columbia Crest (14,392 ft, traditional highpoint)
• SW Rim (14,399 ft, new highpoint)
• Liberty Cap (14,091 ft, WA #2 Top 100 Elevation)

Read more about Eric Gilbertson's Mt. Rainier surveying work:

• https://www.countryhighpoints.com/mt-rainier-elevation-survey/
• https://www.countryhighpoints.com/rainier-liberty-cap-spring-survey/

HIGHPOINTS

• Rainier
  • https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=2296 
• WA Top 100 Elevation
  • https://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=21303
  • https://www.countryhighpoints.com/the-lidar-dgps-washington-top-100-list/

LOGISTICS

• Each climber must pay the Mt Rainier National Park (MRNP) $70 annual climbing fee AFTER being accepted to the climb and BEFORE the weekend of the climb.
  • https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/climbing.htm
• Each car entering Mt Rainier National Park (MRNP) must have a park pass. Can be bought at the gate but advise to by ahead of time.
  • https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm
• MRNP now has 'Timed Entry' to the park to for SW, SE, and E entrances from 07:00 to 15:00 (7:00 AM to 3:00 PM). Make sure you have this or arrive outside the timeframe - you may otherwise not be able to get to the TH!
  • https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/timed-entry-reservations.htm

GEAR LIST AND PROSPECTUS

• Climb-specific gear list (current link is for REFERENCE and NOT updated yet):
  • https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1y4AIAqSum1gRWbSECgkj9SeaI5WTsDWrgHnYF6mBCUw/edit?usp=sharing
• Prospectus:
  • TBD

SCHEDULE

• May 16 Fri
  • I plan to arrive late afternoon for permit if not already secured online
• May 17 Sat
  • 12:00 - depart TH to Camp Muir, 4-5 hr, or Ingraham Flats +1-2 hr
• May 18 Sun
  • 01:00 - depart Camp to Summits, 4-8 hr
  • ~09:00 - depart Summits to Camp, 4-5 hr
  • Decide to camp or hike out
• May 19 Mon
  • ~07:00 - depart Camp to TH if camped

**Note to potential applicants**: 

The first priority is ensuring fitness and well-balanced experience for the team. You can make this easier for leaders to evaluate by having a thorough climb resume linked externally, e.g. Google Sheets (see mine as an example, albeit extreme https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HO1FJPx3ro3HRTbe82DN8OhZqFwt7d4a2IVai5kKngY/edit?usp=sharing) with Peak, Route, Date as minimum. The more detailed the better, including attempts without summit! 

Also, describe SPECIFIC details of your CURRENT fitness - excessively slow climbers will be left in camp. (Fitness Assessment Rule of Thumb: on a treadmill, be able to maintain a minimum speed of 2.0mph @ 15% for at least 1 hour with 25+lb pack.)

After experience and fitness, I then give priority to selecting team members who: 

1. actively volunteer with the Mazamas, especially LD/those interested in becoming climb leaders!!
2. have not been accepted on other climbs/been accepted on few climbs for the season. 

These are preferences, NOT requirements, and I always try to include several qualified newbies and people I haven't climbed with yet, amongst other equity-minded choices. Feel free to contact me any time about climbs with questions or additional information!