RMI Expeditions Blog
I climbed
Mt. Rainier just before my 57th birthday. I am from Boston and live at sea level, so the idea of climbing to 14,411’ was a bit daunting. Since I was climbing with my daughter, an RMI Guide, the pressure was on for me to bring my A game, if you can have such game at my age.
For me, the only way to prepare for Rainier was to go hiking. As I am a 9-to-5-office worker, my options were a bit limited, but in general this was my plan. Eight weeks before my climb, I started my program. I did my best to go hiking at least one day per week. Most of my training was done in the White Mountains since it is a two-hour drive from where I live. I started by hiking Mt. Osceola, a five-mile, 2,100 vertical foot climb while carrying a light pack. From there I quickly moved up to Mt. Moosilauke, a seven and a half mile, 2,600 vertical foot climb.
In between my weekend trips to the White Mountains, I would try and bike between fifteen and twenty miles a few times a week after work. In addition, three times per week I included a core workout. So that you do not get the wrong impression about my interests, I am also an avid sailboat racer. In the weeks leading up to my climb, I was trying to balance my sailing schedule and my work schedule with my training for the Mt. Rainier climb.
After the first few hikes, I started hiking Mt. Lafayette, a beautiful hike located in Franconia Notch, New Hampshire. It is an eight-mile hike that climbs 3,600 feet. The first time I hiked Lafayatte I carried a light pack. The following week, I climbed Lafayette again. This time I filled old orange juice bottles with water and added them to my pack for additional weight.
My next move was to add Little Haystack and Mt. Lincoln to my trip. This now created a loop where I could climb 4,400 feet while walking only nine miles. Coincidently, this is comparable to the climb up to Camp Muir. My next step was to add weight to my back and to do this loop two days in a row. Having successfully completed this I felt like I was ready to fly out west to make my final preparations.
A few notes on my final preparations. Most of my hikes were in warm weather and having plenty of water was critical. In addition, occasional cramping in my legs and other muscles were an issue for me. In part the cramping was a fatigue issue, however, it was also a hydration and dietary issue. As I ate more salty snacks and drank sports drinks on my hikes, cramping became less of a problem.
My last concern was the
altitude. One of the challenges of climbing Mt. Rainier is the inability to acclimate. In my ideal world, I would have spent time doing some light hiking at altitude before my climb; however, that was not an option. Instead I was able to fly to Seattle a few days before my climb. I spent a day at Crystal Mountain, rode the gondola to the top of the mountain at 7,000 feet and did a light hike. The following day I went for great hike in the Tatoosh Range in Mt. Rainier National Park. The goal of these hikes was to get some light exercise, while keeping my legs fresh for the following day.
As for my climb up Rainier; it was just Lindsay and me. We left Paradise around nine in the morning and motored up the snowfield, or at least in my mind we did. Then we ate, hydrated and went to “sleep” in the early evening. We woke up in the dark and started climbing. The weather was perfect and we reached the summit just in time to watch the sunrise. By late afternoon we were back at Paradise.
In the end, I felt like my legs were ready for the challenge of the climb. However, I found the altitude to be the biggest challenge. For me, on summit day it was all about finding the rythmn between my climbing and breathing, being mentally tough, and enjoying the climb with my daughter.
- Robert Mann
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Robert Mann is an avid skier, hiker, and sailor who lives with his wife and family near Boston, MA.
Sunday, June 23rd, 2013
Hello all,
We're checking in from 11k! We woke at a more reasonable hour this morning to a centimeter or so of new snow, and crystal blue skies. There was nothing to do but eat a big breakfast, crash our camp, and bounce to
11,000 feet. Just over two hours later we rolled into camp, psyched to finally be setting up shop for a few days. We dug a big kitchen, got the tents all bomb proof, and enjoyed an afternoon lounging in (or hiding from) the sun. With a full rest day tomorrow, it was a relaxed evening, and we spectated as the rangers skied a few laps above camp. The group's competitive personalities are coming out, and tomorrow we have scheduled a competitive napping event. We'll let you know who the winners are!
Until then,
Happily resting at 11k.
RMI Guides Pete, Geoff, Robby, et al.
On The Map
Sunday, June 23rd, 2013
We woke up with a couple of inches of snow on the tents this morning. No storms or winds, just the friendly June kind of
Denali snow.
We had a very pleasant rest day. We checked in with the camp gossip and watched a few teams head up the fixed line towards 17k. Our plan is to head up to
17,000 ft and make a camp. We have really been doing a great job of sport eating and no one has had any problems with this altitude. We are all very excited because we do not drag any sleds up past this camp.
RMI Summit Team 6
P.S. Lance wants Penny to know that he is keeping up with his dental hygiene. (But the rest of him has not washed in ten days!
Also,
Uchal says Happy 2nd Birthday Lulu!
On The Map
Summit! The
Mt. Rainier Four Day Summit Climbs led by JJ Justman and Kel Rossiter stood on top just after 7:15 a.m. Snow and sometimes rain was falling on the summit and the teams are currently in a
mountain cloud cap. Both teams recharged and refueled in the summit crater before starting their descent at 8:25. Although precipitation was falling, the guides reported pleasant climbing conditions and an excellent route.
Congratulations to today's summit climbers!
Saturday, June 22nd, 2013
Greetings from Pete, Geoff, Robby and Team,
Under cool temperatures and partly sunny skies, we moved uphill again this morning from our camp at 7,600' to 9,600'. The slopes of Ski Hill offered up our first significant climb of the
expedition given our full loads weighing down our packs and our sleds. After building camp at 9,600', we continued to lighten our loads and fill our bellies by feasting on soups and Tasty Bite delicacies, followed by some hot beverages and storytelling. Our team is feeling strong and weather looks accommodating for a move to 11,000' camp tomorrow morning, where we'll finally post up for some rest and acclimatization.
RMI Guides
Robby,
Pete, and
Geoff
On The Map
Saturday, June 22nd, 2013
Movin' on up! We woke up early and set out to cache some gear up high. Even though the sun was not on us, we thought it was warm for 14k camp. We were wrong. As we set out towards the fixed ropes that allow us to climb the steep face up to 16,000 ft safely, a cold wind picked up and made us cold...like
Denali cold! I think we needed it because we were getting a bit spoiled. Once we gained the ridge, we were out of the wind and in the sun and immediately life was better.
We decided to make a cache a around 16,600' under a prominent rock feature called Washburn's Thumb. We cached some food and fuel for when we head up to our last camp at 17,000' in a couple of days.
I was really impressed at how everyone did at the altitude and on the fixed lines. Go team!
Rest day tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mike Haugen and the RMI Summit Team 6
On The Map
After a relaxing night at the hotel Casa Sol, we headed to the world famous market in downtown Otavalo this morning. Here the indigenous Otavaleños display their artisan craft goods, including ponchos, blankets, and sweaters woven from the wool of sheep and alpaca, jewelry, paintings, wood carvings, and the like. We spent the morning exploring the market, and now we're about to head out to the climbers' hut on
Cayambe, where we'll spend two nights and hopefully get good weather for a shot at the summit. Cayambe sits at an elevation of 5,790 meters, with massive glaciers flowing from the summit. It is the 3rd highest peak in
Ecuador, and also holds the distinction of the highest altitude on earth over which the equator passes.
The weather today is beautifully warm and sunny, and we are optimistic that the good weather will continue while we are up on our climb.
Hasta luego...
RMI Guide Mike Walter
On The Map
The Four Day Summit Climb Teams Led by
RMI Guides Brent Okita and Walter Hailes called as they reached the
Summit of Mt. Rainier at 6:59am this morning. The teams have clear weather with light winds, but cold temperatures. They spent some time on the summit before starting their descent back to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to today's teams!
RMI Guide JJ Justman's team was awarded with a beautiful day of climbing up to Camp Muir. The team is keeping their fingers crossed for good weather tomorrow morning!
Friday, June 21st, 2013
Ahhhh a day of rest. We did not even move in our tents until the sun hit them at 9:30. We had a morning of slowly cooking pancakes for the group. We believe pancakes are the perfect acclimatization food.
We volunteered to be guinea pigs for a medical experiment having to do with high altitude. The test involved having a series of heart rate and oxygen saturation measurements taken and then walk around a track for 6 minutes to see how those measurements change. It was not a competition, but let's just say our group crushed it!
If the weather is nice tomorrow, our plan is to move some gear up to
17,000' Camp. On
Denali, 60% of the time the weather is good all the time!
RMI Guide Mike Haugen and RMI Summit Team 6
On The Map
We packed up our luggage this morning, checked out of our hotel in Quito, and headed north, towards the town of Otavalo. As much as we enjoyed our time in Quito, I think we all are very excited to leave behind the hustle and bustle of car horns and traffic, get out into the mountains, and enjoy the views of the snow covered peaks of the
Ecuadorian Andes. That is, after all, why we’re here.
We summited our second peak today on our final acclimatization hike. Fuya Fuya was the objective this time. At just over 14,000’, the old volcano is lower than yesterday’s climb of Rucu Pichincha but the climbing was consistently steep, from the trailhead to the summit. The trail gained elevation quickly as it climbed thru high Andean grasses, culminating in a short rocky scramble to the summit. Although the summit was in the clouds once again, the weather was terrific for the climb. We were treated to stunning views of the Laguna Mojanda below us, a large lake formed in an ancient volcanic crater. Our team also caught a brief glimpse of an Andean Condor soaring in and out of the clouds around Fuya Fuya.
Now we’re all settle in at our tranquil hacienda, Casa de Sol. We’ll have a relaxing morning tomorrow, visiting the Otavalo market, before heading up to the climbing hut on Cayambe for a couple of nights. We’ll keep you posted as always...
RMI Guide Mike Walter
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I am 57 and just Summited this week…on the 6 day skills course via the Paradise Glacier route. I tried last year with my son and did not make the summit. I had a whole year to think about it and there was no way I was to be denied. I trained harder, had a better feel for the exposure and was mentally 100%. I will be back again as well.
Posted by: Mark Livingston on 7/14/2013 at 6:16 pm
Being Robert Mann’s senior by 10 years I tried Mount Rainier last September at 68 years of age. I made it to the first rest area above Muir but decide to turn back when the guides said any turn back from that point on would cause everyone on my rope to turn back with me. I had no intention of wrecking my teams climb so I turned back to Muir. Looking back I still feel it was the right thing to do…no regrets and also a decision that was totally supported by the Guides. And as a PS, about 5 or 6 other people from other teams turned back with me. I was grateful for that as I didn’t want to be the only one to wimp out.
Robert’s experience is interesting because he got to do this with his daughter, a professional guide. He was, I’m sure, able to stop and rest when necessary. On a rope with 7 or 8 much younger people and guides who can do this climb in their sleep, the schedule became to aggressive for the “old guy’ in the group.
After the climb I joked with an RMI staffer that they should consider a senior citizen climb. Having read Robert’s story I think RMI might find a new market of older people who are fit enough to make Rainier’s summit if provided with individual guides or with a limited number of team members of similar vintage.
Last September’s climb was my first and last attempt at Rainier. I’m back to climbing the White Mountains of New Hampshire and just returned from a 4 day, 15 mile hike up and over Mount Washington.
Cograts to Robert Mann and to the RMI Marketing department, consider a special senior version of the 5 day climb. You might find a market in our aging population.
Regards to all,
Bob
Posted by: Robert French on 7/4/2013 at 7:21 am
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