M O U N T R A I N I E R · 1 4, 4 1 1 F T
Reaching New Heights
Theodore Walrond on a guided climb of Mount Rainier by the Disappointment Cleaver, July 2020.
theodorewalrond.com
Mount Rainier · 14,411 ft
The mountain
Mount Rainier is a heavily glaciated volcano in Washington that rises to 14,411 feet and is big enough to make its own weather. For many climbers it is a first serious mountain and a proving ground for bigger expeditions. For Theodore Walrond it was the first summit he ever stood on.
Going guided
Walrond climbed in July 2020 with International Mountain Guides (IMG) on a multi-day program. On a mountain with crevasses, rockfall and fast-changing weather, a guided team brings route knowledge, glacier and rope skills, and the judgment to turn around when conditions call for it.
The route: Disappointment Cleaver
Paradise to Camp Muir (10,080 ft). A long climb up the Muir Snowfield to the first high camp. Camp Muir to Ingraham Flats (11,400 ft). A higher camp on the Ingraham Glacier, which shortens summit day. Summit day. A roped, pre-dawn start across the glacier and up the rocky spine of the Cleaver while the snow is still firm, then the upper mountain to the crater rim and the summit.
Round trip about 18 miles · about 9,000 ft of gain
Theodore Walrond on Mount Rainier, July 2020. theodorewalrond.com
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Preparing for Rainier
Train for the long day. Summit day means hours of steady climbing with a pack at altitude. Stair work, long hikes with weight and hill intervals all help. Learn the basics before you go. Guided programs teach cramponing, self-arrest and rope travel, but arriving comfortable with them makes the climb safer and more enjoyable. Trust the alpine start. Leaving in the dark is about firm snow and safer conditions on the Cleaver, not drama. Accept the turnaround. Weather and route conditions decide summit days. A good team turns around when it should.
What came after
Rainier opened the door to everything else in Walrond's log: the John Muir Trail in 2021, the Teton Crest Trail in 2022, Glacier National Park in 2023 and a fifty-mile High Sierra traverse in 2025. The long-term list includes Denali, for which Rainier is the traditional training ground. Read the rest of the log in “Theodore Walrond's Backcountry Log” and at theodorewalrond.com and rexwalrond.com.
theodorewalrond.com
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