by Susan5443

Question: How do you go about hiking Mt. Rainier?
Like training, equipment, maybe some kind of group or whatever. Any info will help

Answer:

Answer by gcbaby601
One doesn’t so much “hike” the mountain, as they do “climb” it. It is a pretty challenging feat, but definitely attainable if it is something that you really want to do. Most people climb in the summer months, from around mid-May to mid-September. It takes most people 2-3 days, depending on how far you want to push yourself each day. Generally, on day one you climb up to a base camp, set up on the snow, and go to bed early. Day two starts very, very, very early in the morning (sometimes as early as 1AM or midnight), and you climb the rest of the way to the summit in the dark. This is done at night because that is when the glacial ice is the most frozen and safest to climb on, and you use headlamps for a light source. Some people opt to go all the way back down after summiting on day two (this is a loooong day), and others opt to spend another night at base camp before going the rest of the way down on day three. No matter which way you go up, you are going to have to climb on glaciers. If you are not already very comfortable/experienced with ice travel and using crampons and ice axes, you should go with a guide service. The guide services offer you an experienced guide to lead you up, a group of fellow climbers like yourself to go with, and equipment for you to use. Some of them even offer “snow school” a day or two before your climb, to practice using the equipment and learn things like what to do if you fall. Keep in mind that you should be in as good of shape as possible (or at least exercising) before arriving. Climbing the mountain requires endurance, and the elevation will pose a greater challenge if you are not prepared for it. I’m putting a link below that is full of information about climbing the mountain, and should answer most of your questions about routes, permits, regulations, ect. It also has a link to websites for the three main guiding services that are permitted to operate on the mountain. You should spend some time looking around the sites to help you decide which one to choose, what to expect, and if this is really something you want to do. Good luck!