Sunrise on Ranier, as we are passing through 13,000 feet heading for the summit.
Mount Rainier is an active stratovolcano (also known as a composite volcano) in Pierce County Washington, located 54 miles (87 km) southeast of Seattle. It towers over the Cascade Range as the most prominent mountain in the contiguous US and Cascade Volcanic Arc at 14,411 feet (4,392 m).The weekend of June 26th to 28th, 7 of the CFPC team members and one guest led by John Le Blanc tackled this behemoth.
In very difficult wind conditions we reached 4,061 meters, just 333m or 1,000 feet below the summit.
Annually between 8 to 13,000 people attempt the summit, most from the Camp Muir side and the SE flank, the rest from the Northeast flank and Emmons Glacier via Camp Schurman, about 50% of those who attempt the summit, reach there goal. Usually weather and conditioning are the main reasons for not making it. In our case it was weather and safety considerations that turned us back. As a team our conditioning and strength were not factors.
The climbers; John Le Blanc, Teresa Le Blanc, Randy Kolarcik, Jim Weatherall, Kevin Ault, Brad Henry, Don Scamen and Ken Hurley.
We started in darkenss around midnight, at times the wind conditions were so hostile that they would force you down to a safe crawling position as we followed the track around to the North Eastern side of the mountain which meanders through crevasse fields, taking the route that was being used by most climbing groups that weekend.
The mountain showered us with gusts of ice crystals and pebbles, pummeling us and forcing us to lower ourselves for protection.
While we did not reach our objective this trip, (mother nature having won this battle) the team was strong, safe and made the right decision to turn back short of the summit. On the same morning four other teams that followed us had a look and turned back to return to the Ingraham glacier higher camp.
A special thanks to John Le Blanc, who led us with confidence, showed us great leadership when having to make hard decisions and displayed chivalry of the highest class when helping his wife on the last leg up to camp Muir. To Teresa, your display of determination and intestinal fortitude shown was inspiring. To all team members, personally I was impressed at how we all stuck together, showed leadership when needed and shared in the pain and the joy with good humour.
Congratulations to all those who participated it was a remarkable first step for part of the CFPC team.
A few inspiring quotes to spur us on;
John Muir, whom Camp Muir is named after;
"Doubly Happy, however, to whom lofty mountain-tops are within reach"
From Marcus Aurelius; from Meditations
"Short is the little time that remains to thee of life. Live as on a mountain..."
and from Gaston Rubafat
"Climbing is, above all, a matter of integrity....."
and my favorite, Buzz Light Year
"To Infinity and Beyond......"
Yahooooooooooooooooo - Ken H.
