Mount Rainier (Tahoma)
Cascade Range • Washington, USA
Mount Rainier (Tahoma) in the Cascade Range (Washington, USA) rises to an elevation of 14,411 feet (4,392 m) with +13,210 ft of prominence. Ranked as Most Topographically Prominent Peak in Contiguous USA, the standard route is Disappointment Cleaver (DC) Route / Emmons Glacier (Class 5 (Technical)). Best climbed during Late June through August, the ascent requires an official wilderness permit (Climbing pass and backcountry wilderness permit required through Mount Rainier National Park for all travel above 10,000 feet.).
Peak Geography & History
Towering like an arctic citadel over the Puget Sound basin, Mount Rainier is an active glacier-clad stratovolcano. Ascending Rainier requires serious mountaineering competencies: rope team travel, glacier rescue skills, crampon and ice axe technique, and acute mountain sickness management. The Disappointment Cleaver route begins at Paradise, climbs past Camp Muir (10,080 ft), navigates the crevasses of the Ingraham Glacier, ascends the volcanic rubble of the Cleaver, and summits the volcanic rim of Columbia Crest.
Required Gear Checklist
Pacific maritime weather generates severe rapid blizzards and high winds with zero visibility, even during midsummer.
Nearby Climbing Routes & Trails
Expedition Information
Late June through August
Climbing pass and backcountry wilderness permit required through Mount Rainier National Park for all travel above 10,000 feet.