After becoming a #CHIPSTARTER winner, it was on! No longer could I simply talk about climbing a mountain, I actually had to find a guide and secure a climb. Because June, July, and August are the best months to climb Mt. Rainier, and because climbers secure their slots well in advance, almost all of the climbing spots were taken for those three months—in particular, all of the spots up the traditional route for novices, the Ingraham Glacier/Disappointment Cleaver Summit Climb. I could find a spot here  and there for almost any time, but I was looking for four-five spots because my plan was to form a team of friends to climb with me.

What to do? No spots remained for my team up the traditional novice route. After visiting more with the guide company that I’d chosen, International Mountain Guides, four spots were available on their Mt. Rainier Emmons Route Summit Climb. The guide explained this is a novice climb, as well; but, it is more demanding than the traditional route—you carry a heavier load, and the route is longer. Four spots were available. I took it.

The 4½ Day Emmons glacier climb is another excellent basic mountaineering training program. It is perfect for anyone desiring a less-rushed summit experience in a more remote alpine environment, away from the greater crowds found on the south side of the mountain. The focus of this small group climb is on glacier skills training, self-sufficiency and teamwork. This climb is physically more demanding than the Disappointment Cleaver route due to the heavier loads carried and longer distance traveled.

Friends Ricky Chapman, Ryan Bakke, Jon Guthrie, and I are scheduled to climb June 18-22, 2018. That leaves us five and a half months to train. Now, these three guys are something else—I’ll be blogging about them in coming weeks.

Until then, if you’d like to learn more about our route up Mt. Rainer, take a look HERE. Don’t forget to check out their PHOTOS.

All for now,