Our Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir was a microcosm of mountaineering: athletic, challenging, moments of joy and occasional disappointment, but ultimately and most importantly a safe adventure. Heavy rain on Monday negated our planned ascent to Camp Muir, but we had a productive day at Rainier Basecamp going over numerous techniques. We reached Camp Muir on Tuesday and spent the next three days practicing skills and preparing folks for future climbs. These skills were crevasse rescue, cramponing, ice climbing, beacon searches, rope travel, route finding and more! Conditions at Muir were sunny, windy and icy most of the week. We encountered a layer of hard ice on the surface of the Cowlitz Glacier (and above) which unfortunately prevented a summit attempt. Our high point was the top of Cathedral Gap, approximately 10,500’. RMI Guide Casey Grom