Washington·United States
Photo: Jun Bum Kim · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Mount Rainier carries more glacial ice than any other peak in the lower 48 and climbs 2,700 m from Paradise to the summit crater. Its routes teach everything that bigger mountains demand: crevasse fields, early alpine starts, rope teams and a long summit day.
In season: May–Jul · Peak: Jun–Jul
A two- or three-day climb via Camp Muir, leaving in the middle of the night to cross crevassed glaciers to the crater rim. Around half of climbers reach the top, with weather and conditions the usual reasons to turn round.
The standard guided route from Camp Muir
The bigger, quieter glacier route from the east
Steeper ice line on the south face
Buy the annual climbing pass and register at Paradise before going above high camp. Most first-timers climb Disappointment Cleaver with one of the park's authorised guide services; climb the Emmons Glacier from White River once you have your own glacier skills.
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