Mount Rainier in March 2003
This web page tells the story of getting in shape to climb this 14,400 foot
mountain.
To summit would take 21 hours of climbing over a 32 hour period. 18,000 feet of up and down.
That's like climbing up 6 World Trade Centers, then back down again or it's like
climbing up & down 15 Space Needles.
Seattle in the foreground, the
mountain behind (about 50 miles away), on a very clear day with a long lens
Climbing on Rainier -
photo courtesy of Mount Rainier Alpine
Guides
My father = > Former Naval Aviator and famed
global adventurer = > Capt. Bill Span (USN Ret.)
Dad skiing at
Vail
We trained for four months, starting in the spring of 2003 to attempt a summit of Mt. Rainier on
Sept.3
The story of my father's Russian MIG-29 flight and links to his Viet Nam
combat aviation are here
The younger and much better looking
Bill Span on first climb up halfway Mount Rainier in early June 2003, weighing in at
274 pounds.
Training to reach the summit would cause a drop of 21 pounds.
This picture of the mountain
courtesy of
www.skimountaineer.com Click link for detailed info on Rainier
Span in front of Mount Rainier, looking forward to what would be 10 climbs up the mountain in the summer of 2003
The Muir Snowfield. Looking up
towards Camp Muir in the winter
This picture of the mountain
courtesy of
www.skimountaineer.com
The Nisqually Glacier (photo by Span).
The Nisqually Glacier (photo by Span)
The Nisqually Glacier (photo by Span)
Crampons have steel tips and dig into the snow and ice,
required mountain climbing gear
June 28, 2003
Climb
My wife Melanie, looking out at the Tattosh Range,
with Mount Adams in the background
Melanie is an excellent climber
July 12,
2003 trip up mountain
notes: Whiteout just short of Camp Muir at 9,600 feet, got down to trail
just as
a front moved in and took visibility down to a few feet.
This was the best trip yet, felt like a blizzard, wind topped 45 mph high up,
temp around 35 degrees. Wind blew straight up the mountain, pushing me uphill on
the ascent.
Started at 1:50, got back to parking lot at 8:30
After two months of hard training, I've dropped about 12 pounds.
Going up, I could see the clouds covering the upper part of mountain
At the high point of my climb, 9,400 feet, visibility dropped to less than 10 feet
It socked in
good as I descended, passed by these guys going up, at about 7,000 feet
July 20, 2003
- 4th trip up mountain
notes: Left parking lot at 1pm, made 9,360
feet (Anvil Rock) at 6pm, got back to car at 8:30pm
Up the slope
Melanie in stride
Get higher up the Muir Snowfield
The view from 9,360 feet, the highest point of trip, just shy of Anvil Rock
Feeling Good! Coming down the mountain
Feeling REAL good! Going down is easy and fun
__________________________________________________________
August 9, 2003
- 5th trip up mountain
Notes: Left Kirkland at 8:30 am, started climb at 12:00 noon, made 8,850
feet at 5:30 and descended to pitch tent at 8,700 feet.
Cooked dinner and took a short rest in tent with sustained 40 mph winds with
gusts to 60. Up high on the mountain the winds
were so strong it was blowing the water out of the stream.
Broke camp at
9:30 pm to make descent using the light of rising full moon. Made car at 12:30
Sunday morning.
I wish I could describe how unreal beautiful the views were hiking down last
night with just the light of the full moon,
I did not even use a headlamp, just the light from the moon.
Setting up tent after digging level base in snow at 8,700 feet on the side of Mt. Rainier
Melanie in tent with Rainier summit behind her
As always, the
massive force of Rainier was making it's own weather and winds were gusting to
60 mph
at the campsite, while down at the parking lot, 3,300 feet below, there was no
wind at all.
60 mph gusts were
slamming the tent and it needed to be tied down tight
Anvil Rock in the background, sun is starting to set
View from our front porch
Mount Adams in the background and the Tatoosh Range in the foreground
__________________________________
Sixth trip up
Rainier was on Aug. 23. Left Paradise at 1:24, found crampon left behind at
8,700 feet at 4:40
rested 28 minutes then climbed to 9,560 where I broke through snow at bottom of
a snowcup into a crevasse.
Pulled my leg out and broke thorough again on second step, laid out prone and
rolled away from the deep hole
that almost was my fatal destination.
Started descent at 6:20, immediately after my heart slowed down and made car at 9:20. 5 hours up and 3 hours down.
____________________
August 27, 2003
Seventh Trip up the mountain
My Seventh Trip was a charm!
Dad and I reached Camp Muir (10,050 feet). The goal
that had been eluding me
my on all previous climbs due to late starts, whiteouts or Melanie getting altitude
sickness.
Started at 10:00, got to Muir at 4:40. Left at 5:18, made car at 9:20. Followed
RMI group up mountain.
Pulled overweight lady out of a crevasse, she'd broken through with one leg in
hole, like me, one leg out holding her on top,
to her crotch and could not get up. She was very scared, like me.
The two Bill Span's at Camp Muir
Dad crossing Pebble Creek at
7,200 feet
Short rest at 7,400 feet for picture
Dad going up the Muir Snowfield
Mountain guide Lindsay in the lead, with Casey in the blue shirt, guiding the RMI group up the Muir Snowfield
The RMI group
is coming up from below
Getting ready to cross a
crevasse at 9,800 feet
Pushing hard at 9,900 feet.
Casey, an RMI guide below, is carrying two packs (over 120 pounds), his and his
client's (in yellow)
Dad at Camp Muir with the RMI
bunkshack in the background. Dad calls it the "Hanoi Hilton"
At Camp Muir in front of Cathedral Gap and the Cowlitz Glacier, the road to the top
Hut built from the surrounding
rocks
Structure used by the climbing rangers who work for the Rainier National Park
Leaving Camp Muir to start the
descent of 4,630 feet, almost a mile of down or 9 Space Needles
This rock was about half the size of a Volkswagon beetle and was just sitting on
top of the snow at 9,900 feet
Dad heading down at about 9,800 feet
Descending into the warmer temps
and thickening air feels good. At 18,000 feet, the air has half the oxygen as at
sea level
_____________________________________
Sept. 1, 2
and 3 -
2003
First day of three days with RMI to attempt a summit of Rainier. Climbing School is Day One
The route to the top from Paradise
Lou Whittaker, owner of Rainier Mountain Guides. First man to climb the North Wall of Everest
Lou and Dad hit it off right away when they both found out they were 74 years old
Getting ready for climbing
school
Michael Horst, Mountain Guide extraordinaire, taught our climbing school and guided me to the summit
World famous mountain expedition
leader, David
Hahn, gives the briefing on our summit attempt in the bunkhouse at Camp Muir.
Dave's been on 10 Everest
Expeditions, reaching the summit 8 times. He's climbed McKinley 20 times.
He's mounted Rainier over 220 times.
More info on David here
I reached the
summit on Sept. 3, 2003 at 9:00 am, this picture was taken in the crater shown
below.
In the back of my mind was the fact that I would now have to descend 9,000 feet,
almost two miles down.
Crater at the top of Rainier (photo courtesy of Mount Rainier Alpine Guides)
The route to the top has large
crevasses
Coming down off the summit
________________________________________
Reaching the summit was 32 hour adventure
with 21 hours of climbing and 18,000 feet of up and down.
That's like climbing up 6 World Trade Centers, then back down again or it's like
climbing up & down 15 Space Needles.
I was tired for a week
afterward.
I've banked memories and shared moments with my father that are
indescribably treasured.
Getting in shape and losing 21
pounds was another huge benefit of the climb.
I strongly would recommend planning your trip with
Rainier Mountain Guides and doing it
around the middle to end of June.
Call
(888) 89-CLIMB, try to get Dave Hahn or Michael Horst as your
guides
Email Bill
Span more about Span