Rainier Accident

**ex-powderbroker** · 06-01-2014, 10:54 AM

They're not sure what caused this but an Alpine Ascents summit attempt has gone awry leaving six climbers missing and presumed dead.

http://seattletimes.com/html/localne...imbersxml.html

**itsnowjoke** · 06-01-2014, 12:03 PM

Awful. Just unbelievably horrific. RIP.

**PNWbrit** · 06-01-2014, 05:08 PM

Horrible news.... Terrible.

**DasBlunt** · 06-01-2014, 06:06 PM

Horrible. I wonder if a summit push was forced because of a split decision?

The freeze/thaw up on that spot must be the extreme of fickle.

sending good vibes.

**Jethro** · 06-01-2014, 08:47 PM

When we did the Liberty ridge in 2000, I don't recall any serac danger except for crossing the Carbon glacier at the bottom of the face. The only fall danger was a steep walk up pitch, which you'd hate to slide down. Roped climbers could take a tumble though. Did they fall off the cornice at the top?

SB · 06-02-2014, 04:24 AM

News report mentioned a 3300' fall. Hope it was quick.

Vibes

**hutash** · 06-02-2014, 10:43 AM

Anybody have any idea how often guide climbs end in disaster? I suspect guided climbs have a pretty good safety record, and that most fatalities involve unguided parties, but I really don't know.

**Crass3000** · 06-02-2014, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by hutash

Anybody have any idea how often guide climbs end in disaster? I suspect guided climbs have a pretty good safety record, and that most fatalities involve unguided parties, but I really don't know.

Yah I think that's true for Rainier. Sad to hear about it. One of the guys was from MN. It's a tough mountain even in the best shape on the easy route at least for flatlanders. Looks like it would be a really tough route. As someone mentioned above that there were no seracs to worry about. I find that interesting as even the easy routes have serac danger. RIP guys. At least they died working for something worthy to them. Hard route I'm sure. Bad stuff can happen on that mountain even on the easy routes. So much falling things from the freeze/thaw cycles that things are constantly falling even on the easy route.

Given the reported height of the fall I'm sure they were done right away which is all you can wish if something horrible like that happens.

**Soups** · 06-02-2014, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by Crass3000

Yah I think that's true for Rainier. Sad to hear about it. One of the guys was from MN. It's a tough mountain even in the best shape on the easy route at least for flatlanders. Looks like it would be a really tough route. As someone mentioned above that there were no seracs to worry about. I find that interesting as even the easy routes have serac danger. RIP guys. At least they died working for something worthy to them. Hard route I'm sure. Bad stuff can happen on that mountain even on the easy routes. So much falling things from the freeze/thaw cycles that things are constantly falling even on the easy route.

Given the reported height of the fall I'm sure they were done right away which is all you can wish if something horrible like that happens.

Its a legit dangerous/hard route. Anyone that says different is just stroking their ego. You can pretty much see the whole thing from the longer but "least technical/standard" Emmons route. When I did the Emmons a few years back I was in awe of Liberty Ridge and Willis Wall. Looked scary and commiting as hell. I remember the week before we got to Camp Schurman a private party of two(?) went missing in the same fashion. When we were there I remember the rangers in camp asking some guys coming down from Liberty if they saw any "signs" of the party, pretty sobering when you're getting ready for summit day, even if it was just the Emmons route.

**Crass3000** · 06-03-2014, 01:07 AM

Originally Posted by soups818

Its a legit dangerous/hard route. Anyone that says different is just stroking their ego. You can pretty much see the whole thing from the longer but "least technical/standard" Emmons route. When I did the Emmons a few years back I was in awe of Liberty Ridge and Willis Wall. Looked scary and commiting as hell. I remember the week before we got to Camp Schurman a private party of two(?) went missing in the same fashion. When we were there I remember the rangers in camp asking some guys coming down from Liberty if they saw any "signs" of the party, pretty sobering when you're getting ready for summit day, even if it was just the Emmons route.

Yah I'm sure what they did was a crazy route and what you did was ass well. When you didn't work out at all before going the easy route was hell enough for me and plenty dangerous even on the easy path with so much rockfall even all night as we started at 11PM. We didn't have anybody get lost before summit day but there was a group that I guess went out of Muir Camp behind us in blue jeans (bet it was Iceman) and all three of the guys only had one headlamp. They fell into a crevasse and were pulled out. We didn't know anything about it until the climbing ranger came around and told us after we summited. Man I can't even imagine a hard route. That's 9K uphill on the easy route with a lot of weight at least till Muir. Fucking masochistic.

Glad I did it but never again.. Colorado 14ers are much easier.

But to the question in the thread as to if just as many guided trips have fatalities there is no way. Most are unguided. I went unguided but with someone who had been there and we were on the easy route. Most guides have completed the routes they guide quite a few times I would imagine. They typically know where the problems are going to be. Way more people die on Mount Rainier that are unguided - especially the peeps that do hard routes and haven't been there before. It's a hard mountain any way up. Less dangerous from some approaches obviously. The mountain takes people now and then but the majority of people either quit or make it to the top with no problem on the easy route. I'm rambling...... Hope I'm not irritating anybody as I understand what is being spoken about in this thread.

The mountain takes those preparing for bigger mountains and those who have summited Everest. I know one guy (not personally) from MN that summited Everest and got hit and killed by rocks on Dissapointment Clever on the easy route.

Anyway I talk to much. RIP I think they lived a better life than me if they got out that much. Good for them!!!!

**BaNosser** · 06-03-2014, 07:00 PM

Since SAR reported seeing tents and clothing scattered over the debris field.. and the climbing party had communicated to AAI that they had hit some weather at ~12800' and were going to bivy.. It's quite possible they were bivied and got caught in an ice fall off Liberty cap..

vibes to families and friends

spook · 06-03-2014, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by scottyb

News report mentioned a 3300' fall. Hope it was quick.

Vibes

well that depends.

spook · 06-03-2014, 09:09 PM

Originally Posted by hutash

Anybody have any idea how often guide climbs end in disaster? I suspect guided climbs have a pretty good safety record, and that most fatalities involve unguided parties, but I really don't know.

also depends what country

**bfree** · 06-03-2014, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by soups818

Its a legit dangerous/hard route. Anyone that says different is just stroking their ego. You can pretty much see the whole thing from the longer but "least technical/standard" Emmons route. When I did the Emmons a few years back I was in awe of Liberty Ridge and Willis Wall. Looked scary and commiting as hell. I remember the week before we got to Camp Schurman a private party of two(?) went missing in the same fashion. When we were there I remember the rangers in camp asking some guys coming down from Liberty if they saw any "signs" of the party, pretty sobering when you're getting ready for summit day, even if it was just the Emmons route.

You can't see Liberty Ridge from the Emmons route. You get a side view of Curtis Ridge (rarely but occasionally climbed).

RIP climbers. We'll likely never know the cause, but I would agree with BaNosser that icefall during a bivy seems most likely at this point.

**Soups** · 06-04-2014, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by bfree

You can't see Liberty Ridge from the Emmons route. You get a side view of Curtis Ridge (rarely but occasionally climbed).

RIP climbers. We'll likely never know the cause, but I would agree with BaNosser that icefall during a bivy seems most likely at this point.

I guess you're right. Looking back at my pics it was Curtis Ridge and the Russell Cliffs from Camp Schurman. Not sure why I thought I saw Willis Wall, thought for sure I got a look at it, guess not.