Mike has reached the summit of Rainier five times via three different routes, including once on January 2, 1995, via the Gibraltar Ledge.

Your recent climb of Rainier was a life goal of yours, you did it in great style, feel pretty good about it. You have a deep sense of satisfaction as you look at Rainier on our increasingly cold days. But a couple of things about your ascent were less than ideal: you didn't like the crowds, the bottleneck at the technical crux, and the sweat on a 75 degree day. Did the soft snow bridges tweak your melon? Have I got a climb for you!

Imagine being high on Rainier, alone with your team on the summit cone. You count the minutes until the rising sun warms your slushy toes, and then race it back to the Paradise parking lot. A winter climb of Mount Rainier is a worthy challenge, to new and experienced climbers alike.

To get true "winter" credit you must climb the mountain after the winter solstice (December 22) and before the vernal equinox (March 21). Completing the climb within this time period means that the short days will be an issue. (If you climb the mountain a week earlier or later, you might encounter winter conditions but technically it would not be considered a winter climb.)

The gear that you bring will be similar to a summer climb of Rainier, although you will want to bring a winter sleeping bag, an insulated jacket with a hood, an extra insulation layer, and warm boots. In order to melt gallons of water from snow you will need a big pot and your stove must be super hot and reliable.

1. Choose a flexible schedule and when the weather breaks, go for it. Because of the fickle winter weather, scheduling a climb of Rainier to coincide with decent conditions is the major challenge. I suggest a fluid approach to scheduling the climb. Historically, every year from late January through mid-February, a high-pressure ridge builds across the region, thwarting the usual marine frontal systems. Gather your climbing companions and choose a ñweather windowî several weeks long. Alert employers (or employees) well ahead of time that you will need to take off suddenly, and then keep an eye on the weather. When the forecast looks great, sunny for 3 or 4 days in a row, go for it.


2. The next major crux is the gate at the Longmire entrance to the park. It is critical to get an early start out of the Paradise parking lot (remember to park in the overnight lot), in order to get to Muir early enough to get a few hours of rest. The Longmire gate usually opens around 9:30 a.m., after they get the road plowed. So a likely schedule would work like this: leave Longmire at 9:30, arrive at Paradise by 10:15, and depart Paradise by 11:00. A five-hour ascent (a good pace with overnight packs and fresh snow) will put you at camp Muir by 4:00 p.m. It will take two hours to set up camp and eat dinner and that puts you to "sleep" at 6:00 p.m. Here you can directly see the significant impact of the timing of the opening of the Longmire gate. Say it opens at 11:00 a.m. This scenario would have you in bed by 7:30 p.m! So the best advice is to get to Longmire around 8:00 a.m., hang out and have a hearty breakfast (choose a table within sight of the gate), and bolt the minute the gate opens, OR arrive prior to gate closure.


3. Choose the Gibraltar Ledge route and minimize time spent there both on the ascent and descent. Pause to tighten a loose crampon here and risk being killed by rockfall. One of the best choices for a winter route is the Gibraltar Ledge. It is direct and mostly free of avalanches. Gib Ledge is the route of the first ascent of Mt. Rainier in August 1870, by Hazard Stevens and Phil van Trump. They characterized the traverse across Gibraltar Rock as "loose stones and debris which were continually falling from above." And, in August, this is to be expected. In the winter months, however, rockfall will still be present but minimized. To avoid rockfall, options (from west to east) may include: the Fuhrer Finger, Nisqually Icefall, Nisqually Ice Cliff, Cadaver Gap, Ingram Direct, and Disappointment Cleaver. Just remember that all are much more susceptible to deep snow and avalanche. Alternatively, you could climb the ledges and then return via a less rockfall-prone route, but this is only advisable to those with a clear understanding of the topology of the upper mountain. It is very easy to mistake one feature from another especially when looking at them from above.


4. Time is of the essence. Keep rest breaks short. The route will take you from Paradise (5420 ft), and around Panorama Point (6800 ft). Follow the treeline to the east of the summer route below Panorama Point to avoid potential avalanche slope. Continue through Pebble Creek (7200 ft), past Moon Rocks (9200 ft) and on to Camp Muir (10,080 ft).


5. Wand the route well to prevent disorientation on the descent. Each year, a handful of climbers and skiers wander off route in the "Muir Triangle:" the zone between McClure rock, the Muir snowfield and the cliff that overlooks the Nisqually Glacier cirque. Bodies are occasionally discovered during the spring thaw.


6. Keep a close eye on the weather at all times. If it's really windy or you encounter low visibility, abort the climb (tents have been destroyed at Camp Muir by high winds) and return to the parking lot, or simply camp as high as the wind allows (perhaps Pebble Creek) and log in the experience as a training trip. But if you make it to Muir by 4:00 p.m., and the weather is cold and stable, then be efficient, cook dinner, hydrate and set up camp simultaneously. Stay in the public Muir shelter if room allows, but bring earplugs. For a quieter night you can set a very well anchored tent. Set your alarm for midnight, and sleep!


7. GET UP! Do not get a few minutes more sleep. GET UP and get after it!!! In the dark and cold of the winter, it will take you longer than usual to get up, get your boots on, eat ñbreakfastî, and rope up. Motivate team members with positive words and helpful deeds. Fill your water bottles with hot water, so they wonÍt freeze on the ascent. Keep the stove going until you head out, no later than 2:00 a.m. Expect nighttime lows to be single digits.


8. Pace the climb. Move quickly along the ledge system to minimize exposure to rockfall. Helmets are mandatory. The Gib Ledge route ascends the left hand margin of the Cowlitz glacier, then onto a trail system and past some bivi sites, to the left of the Beehive (10,900 ft), and then dips down along the prominent and obvious ledge system that traverses the west face of Gibraltar Rock. The ledge terminates at the Nisqually Chute which is the technical crux of the climb. Cruise the 50 degree chute, (punctuated by a bergschrund), placing a picket or two as necessary to protect the 'schrund and the dramatic exposure. Ascend to the saddle (12,600 ft) between Gib rock and the summit cone, by 6:00 a.m. Take a quick break at the saddle and peer down to the Disappointment Cleaver. Ascend the summit cone directly to the summit crater. Crevasse detours should be at a minimum, as most will be well covered with snow. Aim for the crater rim summit between 9-10 a.m. Revel in the isolation for a few moments and then immediately reverse route to minimize rockfall through the Ledges. Alternatives would be Ingraham Direct or Cadaver Gap, but both are subject to avalanche and rockfall. The best advice is to quickly descend the Ledges. You should be back at Camp Muir by 1:00 p.m.


9. Brew up while packing, for energy on the descent. Then head back down to the parking lot. If descending during white out conditions, follow your frequently and well placed wands, and the bearings from Camp Muir to Moon Rocks of 164 degrees (a few degrees east of the fall line), and Moon Rocks to Pebble Creek of 170 degrees (east of the fall line). DO NOT DESCEND IN THE DARK. Aim for reaching the cars before sundown, with time to spare.

A foray up the wintry slopes of Rainier is a humbling and special experience. And whether or not you summit, the experience will give you insight as to how you and your body react to the cold and altitude. This insight may in turn translate into seeking higher - and colder - pursuits.