Schedule/Route

Sunday - Base bus pick up from Sea-Tac airport by 12 noon and/or arrive at Camp Sheppard High Adventure Base by 1PM. Cabin assignments, introductions, seminar orientation and behavior, High Adventure history; equipment check, team building course, service project. Dinner, begin instruction: Leave No Trace, leadership and teamwork, gear and food issue plus packing for The Mountain.

Monday - Early Breakfast, 30 minute bus ride to Fryingpan Creek trailhead, (3820') group picture, hike 4.2 miles to Summerland (5940’). Instruction: Body comfort control, nutrition and hydration, flora and fauna identification, energy conservation, foot care, river crossing, bear camping techniques. Lunch, climb 1 mile to Camp 1-Meany Crest glacier camp (7600’). Instruction: Fixed lines, campsite selection and prep, tent/ fly pitching, stove use and care, water treatment/ illness, basic cooking. Dinner, Instruction: Dressing for the mountains, park/mountain orientation, sanitation and hygiene, glacier camps/ perimeters, emergency procedures, weather/ lightning, mountain ecosystems & habitats, daily travel planning and Mt. Rainier mountaineering history.

Tuesday - Breakfast, Instruction: Ice axe use, self-arrest, break camp. Instruction: Glacier travel, map and compass. Travel 3 miles across Fryingpan Glacier to Fryingpan Ridge for lunch, continue on to Camp 2 - Whitman Crest glacier camp (8580’), make camp. Day travel 1/8 mile to Whitman Glacier (8500’). Instruction:Crevasse rescue, mountaineering knots, rope handling, prussiks, snow anchors/belays pulley systems. Return to Whitman camp. Dinner, Instruction: High altitude illness, geology/ glaciology, avalanche and bivouacs, GPS and route finding.

Wednesday - Breakfast, break camp, rope up, cross Whitman Glacier to Tahoma Gap and descend scree slope to Ingraham Glacier. Proceed 2.0 miles up to Camp 3 - Upper Ingraham Glacier (10’800’). Lunch, Instruction: Route/ hazard evaluation, climbing crampon French technique. Dinner. Instruction: GPS and food planning. Prepare for summit climb.

Thursday - Get up early - midnight. Breakfast, rope up, climb 1 mile and 3600’ to Mt. Rainier summit
(14,410’) by 8 AM. Instruction: Rope handling, running belays. Rest at summit, sign register, group
picture, descend back to Camp 3. Lunch, rest, dinner and rest and free time for the evening.

Friday - Breakfast, break camp then descend for 1 mile to Camp Muir (10,000’). Lunch, then descend 5 more miles to Paradise Ranger Station (5460’) by 3 PM. Group picture, bus ride back to Sheppard Base. Turn in gear, clean up, BBQ dinner, awards presentation, group picture, meet with Base Director to talk about expedition, local trekkers depart for home, free time. Guests are invited to our 5 PM all-you- can-eat chicken BBQ and awards ceremony for $5 per person. They should inform Base in advance of arrival please.

Alternate - If poor weather or other issues arise, the team may rest at Camp 3 on Thursday until Friday for a summit attempt then return to Sheppard Base by 5PM or come out Saturday if transportation arrangements allow.

Saturday - Early Breakfast, bus ride to airport by 9 AM.