Climbing Mt. Rainier

Over the Labor Day weekend this year I had this wonderful opportunity to climb Mt. Rainier with some friends.

Some facts about Mt. Rainier from Wiki:

It is Washington's highest mountain. It is the 21st most prominent mountain in the world with an elevation rise of 13,211 feet from its nearest low point. It is the most glaciated mountain in the contiguous United States with 26 major glaciers as well as 35 square miles of glaciers and permanent snowfield

We went through a day of Glacier training, which was mostly about the techniques of walking on snow and ice with or without crampons. We also learnt how to climb up and come down steep slopes and how to arrest your own or a team members fall.I found out from first-hand experience that mountaineering is a hard job especially on the lungs and legs. Perhaps as one gets more efficient, it may get easier. It required a lot of physical ability, not just brute strength. Since leg muscles are almost always under strain, the trick was learning to take the rest step without stopping. Like swimming...the resting arm must learn to rest while getting to the next stroke sort of thing. All the training, like the climb was done with 50 lb+ backpacks.

The biggest blessing was that it was a great group. We laughed till it hurt....stupid jokes, making fun of people within the group kind of thing. The backpack that we had to carry up the mountain had the absolutely necessary stuff plus some potential emergency supplies, in case bad weather rolls in or one has to get involved in a rescue effort. To me it was all new. I soaked it in and got an appreciation and respect for the skills and abilities of real climbers. 

We climbed up about six to seven hours on day one and then woke up the middle of the night next day to make a summit attempt. Climbing in the dark with headlamps, Stars, Sunrise, Crevasses...were all out of a storybook. Unfortunately due to a 25-30 ft.Crevasse on the higher reaches that made the route impassable, we could not actually summit and the party had to return to the safety of the base camp after a few hours of climbing up and then coming back down.

They say that summit is for the ego, climbing is for the soul. I got a good sense what they mean. After a challenging climb, throwing down the backpack and taking a break while looking at this incredible vista...it does feed your soul. Having one’s friends around who are going through the same pain and pleasure is a the ultimate bonding exercise.

The mountain has stood like this forever, approachable, accessible even inviting for all who are willing to make the effort...sort of like life's real challenges. Lot of preparation, guidance, teamwork, luck...and then it is just gaining one firm footing after another on the slopes. Every step counts, not just your own but that of everyone that you are roped to. That’s how you get to the top.