Mt Rainier Summit & Skills Expedition 5 Day
We'll tackle the following objectives and skills:
- Push Your Limits - The Mt Rainier Skills Expedition 5 Day program is an incredible expedition climbing experience for anyone looking to summit one of the hardest 14ers in the United States and gain skills to climb in the great ranges of the world.
- The Route - On this wild alpine climbing experience we’ll ascend the largest glacier in the lower 48 and build serious mountaineering skills as we climb the Emmons Glacier Route.
- Mountaineering Skills Training - Including crampons, ice axe arrest, glacier rope travel, crevasse rescue, and more.
Here's the schedule for your trip:
- Day 0 - Mandatory Orientation & Gear Check - Our guides will double check that you have all the right gear for the trip and help you minimize weight, decide on the perfect layers, and choose how much food and water to bring.
- Day 1 - White River Trailhead to Glacier Basin. - 8:00am We’ll meet on the first day of our trip at the White River trailhead and set out for Camp at Glacier Basin.
- Day 2 - Glacier Basin to Camp Schurman - Along the way, we’ll cover mountaineering skills before setting up camp, and then diving into additional skills training.
- Day 3 - Skills and Ice Climbing at Camp Schurman - We'll get into crevasse rescue systems and we'll do some live drills and practice extricating a fallen climber from a real crevasse. We'll also get a few laps of ice climbing in on the vertical walls of the crevasses around camp.
- Day 4 - Skills, Weather or Summit Attempt - Depending on our weather forecast and training objectives, we'll either go for the summit or practice more skills at camp.
- Day 5 - Descend to White River Trailhead - On our last day on Mt Rainier, we'll rise early, pack up camp and descend to the White River Trailhead.
Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:
- Mountaineering Skills - Ice axe use, crampons, glacier travel and basic rope skills are useful skills for this climb, but also ones you can learn during this climb. If you do not already have those skills then consider taking our Intro to Mountaineering Skills course prior to attending.
- Strong Fitness - Able to spend a long, active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of 1-1.5 hours between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 8-10 miles, climbing 2,500 - 3,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day. People with strong fitness typically have a strenuous workout 3-4 days a week.
- Mountaineering Gear - Come prepared with your own gear or rent from us
Here's what's included with your trip:
- Experienced IFMGA Trained Guide
- Ropes & Gear
- Tent
- Stove & Fuel
- Group Safety Gear - your guide will be equipped with snow science tools and a first aid kit
- Wag Bags - for human waste disposal in with compliance 'Leave No Trace' principles
- Meals
- Ice Axe, Crampons, Climbing Harness
- Guide Gratuities
Mountaineering Gear
- Ice Axe
- Crampons
- Climbing Harness
- Headlamp
- Sleeping Bag
- Sleeping Pad
Know Before you go
PRIVATE PROGRAMS
- Custom Scheduling: Choose your dates and plan around your availability.
- Tailored Experiences: Itineraries and objectives are adjusted to suit your goals, experience, and fitness.
- Cost-Effective for Most Large Groups: Private programs are typically more cost-effective for groups of 3 or more.
- Flexibility Comes at a Price: For groups of 1-2, private programs are generally more expensive.
- AIARE Courses: AIARE course pricing is based on a group of 6. Running these as a private program with fewer than 6 participants will increase the per-person cost.
SCHEDULED PROGRAMS
- Fixed Dates & Costs: Scheduled programs have set dates, itineraries, objectives, and pricing.
- Great for Solo or Small Groups: Ideal for individuals or small groups looking to share costs with others.
- Affordable for 1-2 People: Scheduled programs are typically less expensive for groups of 1-2.
- Less Flexibility: Dates fill quickly, and group programs require adapting to the skill level and pace of all participants
- Group Atmosphere: Meet others with similar interests and make some new backcountry buddies!
Note: Any scheduled program can also be run as a private program with customized dates and rates.
Both options offer exceptional guiding and experiences. Choose what works best for you!
Tentative Daily Itinerary
Day 0 Gear Check and Orientation
4:00pm-6:30pm Meet your guide and review the plan for the day. The guide will discuss the challenges of the route, expectations for clients and guides, LNT procedures and perform a thorough gear check to make sure we have everything we need for the mountain and the current conditions at hand. We also divide all group gear, including food, fuel, stoves, tents, shovels, pickets, solid waste bags and other items so that you are able to pack completely for the trip.
Day 1 White River trailhead to Glacier Basin
8:00am We’ll meet on the first day of our trip at the White River trailhead. We’ll do a quick trailhead check to make sure we’re not forgetting anything, and we’ll set out for Camp at Glacier Basin.
We’ll set up camp, discussing camp craft and the challengers of camping on an expedition, as well as some basic skills that will help us prepare for the climb and more technical training like fixed lines, glacier travel and crevasse rescue. After skills, we’ll eat a hot dinner and settle into our tents for the night.
Day 2 Glacier Basin to Camp Schurman
After a good night's sleep, we'll rise for hot drinks and breakfast before we break down camp, pack up and depart for Camp Schurman.
Along the way, we’ll cover:
- Rest step
- Crampon techniques
- Ice Axe Arrest
- Glacier Rope travel
At Camp Schurman, we'll set camp again and dive into skills, covering any items that need more practice from Day 1 and getting into technical skills including ropes, knots and basic mechanical advantage systems. We'll make a hot dinner and get to bed.
Day 3 Skills and Ice Climbing at Camp Schurman
One of the most fun days of the trip, we'll get up and start in with skills after a hot breakfast. We'll get into crevasse rescue systems and we'll do some live drills (time and conditions permitting) and practice extricating a fallen climber from a real crevasse. We'll also get a few laps of ice climbing in on the vertical walls of the crevasses around camp. While not a strictly necessary skill for the Emmons Glacier Route, ice climbing is a lot of fun and the skills lend themselves to mountains across the world.
Day 4 Skills, Weather or Summit Attempt
Depending on our weather forecast and training objectives, we'll either go for the summit or practice more skills at camp.
If we make a summit attempt, we will get an early alpine start and begin climbing before dawn just after a hot breakfast.
If we do skills, we'll get to bed early to prepare for the summit the following day.
Day 5 Descend to White River Trailhead
On our last day on Mount Rainier, we'll rise early, pack up camp and descend to the White River Trailhead.
We'll tackle the following objectives and skills:
- Push Your Limits - The Mt Rainier Skills Expedition 5 Day program is an incredible expedition climbing experience for anyone looking to summit one of the hardest 14ers in the United States and gain skills to climb in the great ranges of the world.
- The Route - On this wild alpine climbing experience we’ll ascend the largest glacier in the lower 48 and build serious mountaineering skills as we climb the Emmons Glacier Route.
- Mountaineering Skills Training - Including crampons, ice axe arrest, glacier rope travel, crevasse rescue, and more.
Here's the schedule for your trip:
- Day 0 - Mandatory Orientation & Gear Check - Our guides will double check that you have all the right gear for the trip and help you minimize weight, decide on the perfect layers, and choose how much food and water to bring.
- Day 1 - White River Trailhead to Glacier Basin. - 8:00am We’ll meet on the first day of our trip at the White River trailhead and set out for Camp at Glacier Basin.
- Day 2 - Glacier Basin to Camp Schurman - Along the way, we’ll cover mountaineering skills before setting up camp, and then diving into additional skills training.
- Day 3 - Skills and Ice Climbing at Camp Schurman - We'll get into crevasse rescue systems and we'll do some live drills and practice extricating a fallen climber from a real crevasse. We'll also get a few laps of ice climbing in on the vertical walls of the crevasses around camp.
- Day 4 - Skills, Weather or Summit Attempt - Depending on our weather forecast and training objectives, we'll either go for the summit or practice more skills at camp.
- Day 5 - Descend to White River Trailhead - On our last day on Mt Rainier, we'll rise early, pack up camp and descend to the White River Trailhead.
Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:
- Mountaineering Skills - Ice axe use, crampons, glacier travel and basic rope skills are useful skills for this climb, but also ones you can learn during this climb. If you do not already have those skills then consider taking our Intro to Mountaineering Skills course prior to attending.
- Strong Fitness - Able to spend a long, active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of 1-1.5 hours between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 8-10 miles, climbing 2,500 - 3,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day. People with strong fitness typically have a strenuous workout 3-4 days a week.
- Mountaineering Gear - Come prepared with your own gear or rent from us
Here's what's included with your trip:
- Experienced IFMGA Trained Guide
- Ropes & Gear
- Tent
- Stove & Fuel
- Group Safety Gear - your guide will be equipped with snow science tools and a first aid kit
- Wag Bags - for human waste disposal in with compliance 'Leave No Trace' principles
- Meals
- Ice Axe, Crampons, Climbing Harness
- Guide Gratuities
Mountaineering Gear
- Ice Axe
- Crampons
- Climbing Harness
- Headlamp
- Sleeping Bag
- Sleeping Pad
Epic Reviews From Adventurers
- Rated 5 out of 5 starsLiterally the best guide I’ve come across!
Zeb at Blackbird Mountain Guides is literally the best guide I've come across. I've worked with Zeb twice now including the most recent trip up Mt. Baker with my wife. Zeb provides excellent knowledge, route finding, and pace. Most importantly, his great attitude and patience really made the trip, especially for relative climbing novices like us. Put simply, Zeb is the best. I trust him and will definitely work with Blackbird Mountain Guides again!
A B. - Rated 5 out of 5 starsPlan to climb with Blackbird again!
Zeb was great! Great planning; flexible; affordable; and customized the trip for me. Also was fun to climb with. Plan to climb with Blackbird again!
Will D. - Rated 5 out of 5 starsCoudn't have imagined a better Rainier Summit!
Blackbird Guides is the best! I've been using their services for about 3 years and every adventure has been absolutely incredible. Each of the guides are full of knowledge and incredibly good at passing along their years of expertise. I just summited Rainier with Brandon and Andrew and I couldn't have imagined a better experience all around. I refer everyone I know to Blackbird.
April H.Verified Buyer - Rated 5 out of 5 starsMuch better than expected.
BlackBird guides were professional. I highly recommend them.
Justin
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