Local Venture Crew summits Mt. Rainier
On the afternoon of Aug. 4, Venture Crew 2917 of Whitefish scrambled up the last rocky slopes separating them from their goal. Moments later, they stood at the top of the windswept summit of Mount Rainier, exhausted but victorious.
The group had been planning this trip since the middle of 2008, and after several months of careful preparation and rigorous training, they set off to conquer the tallest mountain in the Pacific Northwest.
Beginning at the Paradise visitor center at the base of the mountain, the group embarked on a strenuous hike to Camp Muir, some 10,080 feet above sea level. At Muir, the weary crew members spent a day recuperating and practicing glacier travel and crevasse rescue techniques.
Training wrapped up that afternoon, and the group turned in at 5 p.m. in a dubiously successful attempt to catch some sleep before making its bid for the summit at 10 p.m. that evening.
Crew members remember summit day as "harrowing." Deep crevasses, the risk of falling rocks and disappearing trails made the climb difficult and kept both youths and adults on their toes.
After completing the climb up the infamous Disappointment Cleaver, extreme winds and developing hypothermia forced the group to descend several hundred feet and take shelter until after sunrise.
After weathering the worst of the storm, the group ascended the vast glacial snowfields that separated them from the large crater abutting the summit. The group got a crash course in the proper (and improper) use of ice axes and crampons.
Weariness and fatigue took a significant toll on the climbers as they ascended, but with the summit almost in reach, they pushed on.
At about 1 p.m., the group reached the massive crater adjacent to the summit and took a break in the ice caves near the far edge. After unroping, they walked across the crater and proudly, if a little breathlessly, set foot on Mount Rainier's highest point.
They stayed for only a few minutes before beginning the descent, as gale force winds and thin air made walking and communicating difficult. Several hours later the group returned to Camp Muir. The entire climb had taken 21 hours.
Needless to say, the crew members were grateful for the shelter of the climber's hut and their own sleeping bags. The following day, the group returned to the Paradise visitor center, where clean clothes and the wonders of indoor plumbing greeted them.
The Venture Crew is a co-ed organization for youths 14-20 years old and is a great way to experience the outdoors and get involved with the community. For more information, call Mike McNamara at 406-314-1638.