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Mt Rainier Ski Routes
 
 
This is a summary of ski descent routes on Mt Rainier, intended as a historical record not as a guidebook. The first known ski descent of each route is listed. For more information about Mt Rainier ski routes, click here. To submit corrections or new information, contact Lowell Skoog.
 
Mt Rainier, NW Routes

Northwest Routes (click photo above to enlarge; LC = Liberty Cap)

  • PR - Ptarmigan Ridge - Dan Helmstadter, Pete Hirst and Eric Wehrly, June 26, 2011 (descent involved a rappel and traverse on crampons).
  • CMF - Central Mowich Face - Sky Sjue, July 18, 2005.
  • EH - Edmunds Headwall - Armond DuBuque, Doug Ingersoll, Andrew McLean and Carl Skoog, July 19, 1997.
  • SEH - South Edmunds Headwall - Andy Bond, July 2, 2011.
  • SR - Sunset Ridge - Sky Sjue, May 31, 2007 (traverse above Edmunds Headwall required crampons).

 

Mt Rainier, Ptarmigan Ridge

Ptarmigan Ridge (see photo above; LC = Liberty Cap)

  • PR - Ptarmigan Ridge - Dan Helmstadter, Pete Hirst and Eric Wehrly, June 26, 2011 (descent involved a rappel and traverse on crampons).

 

Mt Rainier, Liberty Ridge

Liberty Ridge (see photo above; LC = Liberty Cap)

  • LRE - Liberty Ridge East (a.k.a. "Cryogenesis") - Oliver Deshler, Aaron Mainer, May 15, 2012. (See photo below.)
  • LR - Liberty Ridge - Chris Landry (with Doug Robinson), May 12, 1980.

 

Mt Rainier, Liberty Ridge East

Liberty Ridge, East (see photo above; LC = Liberty Cap)

  • TG - Thermogenesis - Peter Dale, Aaron Mainer, May 23, 2017 (descent involved one rappel over the bottom bergschrund west, or skiers' left, of the crossing shown here.)
  • LRE - Liberty Ridge East (a.k.a. "Cryogenesis") - Oliver Deshler, Aaron Mainer, May 15, 2012 (descent involved two rappels near Liberty Cap and another at the bottom bergschrund).
  • LR - Liberty Ridge - Chris Landry (with Doug Robinson), May 12, 1980.

 

Mt Rainier, Emmons Glacier

Emmons-Winthrop Glaciers (see photo above; CC = Columbia Crest)

  • EG - Emmons Glacier - First ski ascent by Sigurd Hall and Andy Hennig, July 2, 1939. First complete ski descent by Charles Welsh, Cliff Schmidtke, Dave Roberts and Kermit Bengtson, July 18, 1948.
  • WGH - Winthrop Glacier Headwall - Donnelly Miller, June 22, 2004.

 

Mt Rainier, SE Routes

Southeast Routes (see photo above; CC = Columbia Crest)

  • NIC - Nisqually Ice Cliff - Andy Bond, Tyler Jones and Seth Waterfall, April 22, 2011.
  • IG - Ingraham Glacier - John Ahern, Bill Briggs, Roger Brown, Gordie Butterfield, Joe Marillac, Roger Paris, Jim Whittaker and Lou Whittaker, June 18, 1961.
  • EIG - Emmons-Ingraham Glacier (variation) - First ski descent unknown.

 

Mt Rainier, South Routes

South Routes (click photo above to enlarge; PS = Point Success; CC = Columbia Crest)

  • KGH - Kautz Glacier Headwall - Sky Sjue, June 11, 2006.
  • KG - Kautz Glacier - Dale Farnham, Spring 1985.
  • WH - Wilson Glacier Headwall - Jim Collinson, June 1992 (circa).
  • FT - Fuhrer Thumb - Aaron Martin, Lel Tone and Tom Wayes, May 1999.
  • FF - Fuhrer Finger - Dan Davis, Tom Janisch and Jeff Haley, May 3, 1980.
  • NIF - Nisqually Icefall - Oliver Deshler, Aaron Mainer, May 1, 2008 (one rappel on descent).
  • NIC - Nisqually Ice Cliff - Andy Bond, Tyler Jones and Seth Waterfall, April 22, 2011.
  • GC - Gibraltar Chute - Dale Farnham, Spring 1988.

 

Mt Rainier, Southwest Routes

Southwest Routes (click photo above to enlarge; LC = Liberty Cap; CC = Columbia Crest; PS = Point Success)

  • SAC - Sunset Amphitheatre Couloir - Andy Bond and Jesse Dudley, May 9, 2010 (one rappel high on the route).
  • TG - Tahoma Glacier - Rob Gibson, Aaron Horwitz, Darrel Howe, May 1997 (partial ski descent, some cramponing). Matt Farmer and Ned Randolph, June 2001 (complete ski descent).
  • STH - South Tahoma Headwall - Andy Bond, May 4, 2011 (two rappels high on the route).
  • SGC - Success Glacier Couloir - Luke Edgar and Chad Kellogg, July 3, 1998 (both on snowboards).
  • KGH - Kautz Glacier Headwall - Sky Sjue, June 11, 2006.
  • KG - Kautz Glacier - Dale Farnham, Spring 1985.


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Last Updated: Sun, Jul 08, 2012 2:02:16 PM