Mt. Rainier: The Real Story

It's now been several months since the "highly-publicized" climb and Dave has had the time to physically & mentally recover from the effects of dealing with 17 year-olds (and their leaders) at high altitude.

Day 1: Camp Muir

Embarking from the Harbour Pointe area at the early hour of 5:30am, the motley crew began their adventure. And when I say motley, I mean it. At 9:30, the caravan arrived at Paradise - don't let the name fool you - where they ran into their first problem. Due to some minor issues with permits, the group packed up their stuff but could not start climbing until 11:30am.

For the next 5- 6 hours, they climbed the Muir Snowfield. It was really hot day and the snow reflected the sunlight so that they had to apply sunscreen every hour. Seriously, it was applied EVERYWHERE (not covered by clothes). I bet you didn't know that you could get a pretty bad sunburn inside your nose!

Dave and another leader were the first people to arrive at Camp Muir (10,500 ft). While they waited for the rest of the group to trickle in, they dug all of the tent platforms for their group. (In order to pitch a tent in the snow - on a mountain - you have to make a level surface. This takes considerable effort and the moving of a lot of snow, especially when you find yourself on very unlevel ground. You know, like the side of a volcanic mountain.) After everyone arrived, the group spent the next two hours cooking dinner and melting snow for drinking water. They dined on freeze-dried meals - and according to Dave, they were less than appetizing.

At Camp Muir, quiet hours begin promptly at 6pm because many climbers will be waking up 5-6 hours later to begin their quest for the summit. Because of the strenuous nature of the climb to Muir, the boys had no problem keeping this rule.

Day 2: Camp Muir to Ingraham Flats

Because Dave's group was taking an extra day to acclimatize, they did not have to wake up at midnight. Their next day involved a shorter climb to their high camp at Ingraham Flats. After dividing into rope teams and preparing their gear, the groups tied into ropes and began crossing the Cowlitz Glacier to Cathedral Gap.