The Mountains are Inherently Unpredictable and Unforgiving

Warning: Mountain Climbing requires special training and gear and is inherently dangerous.  

We have Skilled and Experienced Youth and Adult Climbers in our Troop.  If a climb is considered, a good amount of training must be completed prior to a summit attempt and only a select few Scouts and Adults will be able to attend.

If you are considering a Climb, consider taking a climbing course and using a Guide Service for your big adventure.

Do NOT Attempt Mountain Climbing without Properly Training for it or without Experienced Guides!

Glacier Gear

This is a generic list of what you would need for a multiday adventure on a glacier, such as summiting Mount Rainier.  The list is mostly for summer trips, but can possibly used in the fall and spring.  

Winter trips in the mountains are much more dangerous and special consideration is needed for gear selection. 

Clothing:

• Fleece Hat

  • Should be able to fit under helmet

• Balaclava/Bandana (winter/summer)

  • Buff is great for most spring, autumn, and summer trips

  • Examples

    • Original Ecostretch Buff

    • Merino Lightweight Buff

• Sun Hat

  • Brimmed hat to block sun

• Sunglasses

  • Category 4 lenses (< 8-12% visible light) and side shields

  • Consider nose or face shield 

  • Examples Glasses

    • Julbo Shield

    • Women's Julbo Monterosa

    • Julbo Explorer 2.0

• Goggles (winter)

  • Used for adverse weather

  • Amber or rose-tinted 

  • Photochromatic lenses the most versatile in a variety of light conditions

    • Mostly for contact lens users

  • Examples

    • I/O Goggle

    • Smith I/O MAG

• Gloves

  • You may need several types of gloves

    • Dexterous Thinner Gloves

      • SHOWA 282-02 TEMRES PU Coated gloves

        • These PU gloves breathe - most don't

    • Insulated Warmer Gloves/Mittens

      • Outdoor Research Baker IIs are the best

      • Can get military surplus if you are lucky and want to save money

    • Rappel/Belay Gloves

      • If you will rappel or do any real belaying

• Upper Body Layers (Synthetic or Wool)

  • Lightweight Upper Body Baselayer or Sun Hoody

    • Men's Black Diamond Alpenglow Hoodie

    • Women's Black Diamond Alpenglow Hoodie

    • Men's Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie

    • Women's Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie

  • Light Weight Upper Body Insulating Layer

    • Men's Patagonia R1 Air FZ Hoody

    • Women's Patagonia R1 Full-Zip Hoody

  • Medium Weight Upper Body Insulating Layer

    • Hood should fit over helmet

    • Examples

      • Men's Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody

      • Women's Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody

      • Men's Black Diamond Firstlight Hybrid Hoody

      • Women's Black Diamond Firstlight Hybrid Hoody

  • Expedition-style Heavy Parka

    • Must extend below the waist

    • Examples

      • Phantom Belay Down Parka

      • Women's Phantom Belay Down Parka

  • Waterproof/Breathable Upper Body Shell

    • Hood should ideally fit over helmet

    • Examples

      • Men's Arc'teryx Beta AR Jacket

      • Women's Arc'teryx Beta AR Jacket

      • Men's Black Diamond Highline Stretch Shell

      • Women's Black Diamond Fineline Stretch Shell

• Lower Body Layers (Synthetic or Wool)

  • Underwear

    • 1-2 pairs if you wear them

    • Cotton is NOT acceptable

    • Examples

      • Men's Patagonia Essential Boxer Brief

      • Men's Smartwool Merino 150 Boxer Brief

      • Women's Smartwool Seamless Bikini

  • Trekking Pants

    • May be optional

    • Used for approach at lower altitudes

    • Examples

      • Men's Black Diamond Notion Pant

      • Women's Black Diamond Notion Pant

  • Lower Body Baselayer

    • Men's Smartwool Classic All-Season Merino Base Layer Bottom

    • Men's Patagonia Capilene Midweight Bottoms

    • Women's Capilene Midweight Bottoms

  • Softshell Climbing Pants

    • Men's Outdoor Research Cirque III Pant

    • Women's Outdoor Research Cirque III Pant

    • Men's Black Diamond Alpine Pant

    • Women's Black Diamond Alpine Pant

  • Waterproof/Breathable Lower Body Shell

    • Men's Black Diamond Fineline Stretch FZ Rain Pants

    • Women's Black Diamond Fineline Stretch FZ Rain Pants

• Socks (non-cotton)

  • At least 2 pairs

  • Wool or synthetic

  • NO Cotton!

  • Example

    • Men's Smartwool Mountaineer Classic Edition

    • Men's Smartwool Hike Light Crew Sock

    • Women's Smartwool Hike Light Classic Sock

• Gaiters

  • These keep snow out of your boots

  • They can also provide a bit of protection to your leg/pants from your crampons

  • Example

    • Outdoor Research Expedition Crocodiles

• Mountaineering Boots

  • There are many boots to choose from

    • Climbing shoes either fit or they don't

      • They don't break in that much

      • Whatever you choose - MUST FIT

      • You may wish to rent these, unless you plan to do a lot of climbing

      • Climbing boots MUST fit crampons 

    • Many are not ideal for the type of climbing we may do

    • Some are overkill

  • B1 Boots (Three-Season/Light Alpine)

    • Stiff enough for kicking steps in snow

    • Best paired with C1 (strap-on or flexible) crampons

      • NO welts for crampons

    • Designed for summer mountaineering

      • NOT Ideal for Glacier travel - such as on Rainier

    • Example

      • Scarpa SL Active 

  • B2 Boots (Technical Mountaineering)

    • Recommend option for Glacier travel such as summiting Rainier

    • Semi-rigid and insulated 

    • Designed for C2 (semi-automatic/heel-bail) crampons

      • Rear heel welt for quick crampon attachment.

    • Classic alpine climbing, steep snow slopes, and mixed rock and ice climbing

      • Sufficient and Summer Rainier climb

    • Example: 

      • La Sportiva Aequilibrium LT GTX 

      • Lowa Alpine Expert II GTX

  • B3 Boots (Full Rigid/Ice Climbing)

    • Completely un-flexing

      • Maximum security on vertical walls

    • Require C3 (step-in/fully automatic) crampons

      • Both front and rear welts

    • Designed for ice climbing and harsh glacier climbing

      • Overkill for most Rainier summer treks

    • Example

      • La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX 

  • Double Boots (High-Altitude/Expedition)

    • A two-part system featuring a highly insulated, removable inner liner and a rigid outer shell

    • Ideally C3 (step-in/fully automatic) crampons

      • Both front and rear welts

    • Designed for extreme high-altitude peaks (like Denali or the Himalayas) where frostbite is a serious risk

      • Overkill for most Washington climbing adventures

    • Example

      • La Sportiva G2 Evo

      • Scarpa Phantom 6000 HD

• Approach Shoes

  • Highly recommended an may climbs

  • Use as you approach glacier

  • Used as camp shoes

  • Examples

    • La Sportiva Mutant

    • La Sportiva TX4 Approach

Climbing Harness:

• Harness

  • With adjustable leg loops

  • Alpine harness preferred

    • Lighter

    • Less bulky

    • Less padding to soak up water

    • Examples:

      • Black Diamond Couloir

      • Petzl Altitude

• Belay & Rappel Device

  • ATC Guide

  • Petzl Reverso

  • Edelrid Giga Jul 

    • Only if you already use this and love it

• Single Alpine Sling

• Double Alpine Sling

• Personal Anchor

  • Can also be a 2nd Double Alpine Sling

• Pulley

  • Ideally Micro Traxion Pulley

• Carabiners

  • Triple Action Locking carabiner

    • 1 x Petzl William Triact Lock

  • 3x additional locking

    • One should be HMS pear shaped such as Petzl Attache

  • 2x nonlocking

• 2x Prussik Cords

  • 5-6mm loops

  • NOTE: many local climbing leads don't like the Sterling Hollow Block

    • It may hold a lot of water - which will freeze

    • Frozen cords are stiff and can slide

  • one can be replaced with Petzl Tibloc

• Cordelette

  • 18 -20 feet of 7mm nylon accessory cord

Personal Gear:

• Backpack

  • 40L for Day Summit

  • 65L+ for Overnight

    • Black Diamond Mission 75

    • Women's Osprey Ariel Pro 75L

    • Mountain Hardwear AMG 75L

• Ice Axe w/ Leash

  • With leash

  • Debate over how to size axe

    • Best to measure by hanging it by leg - point should be over ankle

    • Height Method of Measuring Ice Axe

      • <5'8" = 65 cm axe

      • 5'8" - 6'2" = 70 cm axe

      • > 6'2" = 75 cm axe

  • Examples

    • Black Diamond Raven Pro

    • Petzl Summit Ice Axe

• Crampons

  • Need to match and fit to boots

  • Note: you may need micro-spikes or snow shoes depending on snow conditions

  • Examples:

    • Petzl Sarken Crampon

    • Black Diamond Contact

  • Types

    • Glacier Travel & Trekking (C1)

      • NOT ideal for steeper glacier travel - such as summiting Rainier

      • Usually 10-point steel or aluminum crampons

      • Flexible and will fit most boots

      • Designed for low angle and flat terrain

      • Example

        • Petzl Irvis (Flexlock)

    • General Mountaineering (C2)

      • Preferred for steep glacier travel - such as summiting Rainier

      • Standard 12-point crampons made of steel

      • Horizontal front points that provide a stable platform on steep snow, alpine ice, and rock edges

      • What we generally use for glacier travel

      • Example

        • Petzl Vasak Leverlock Universel

          • Designed for walking on glaciers

    • Vertical Ice & Mixed Climbing (C3)

      • NOT ideal for general glacier travel

      • Vertical front points often designed to act like ice picks to penetrate hard water ice

      • Rigid 

        • Meant strictly for vertical ascents

        • Use with rigid boot (B3 and Double Boots)

          • Might not be suitable for boots that flex

        • Some will NOT work on non-ridged boots

      • Example

        • Petzl Lynx crampons

          • Modular, universal binding allow it to be used on different boots

          • Designed for ice climbing

• Helmet

  • UIAA/CE-certified

    • UIAA (Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme) 

    • CE (European Committee for Standardization) 

  • Headlamp clips to accommodate predawn alpine starts

  • Should allow space for beanie

  • Examples:

    • Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet

    • Petzl Sirocco Helmet

    • Women's Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet

    • Black Diamond Vapor Helmet

• Headlamp (full charge)

  • Must fit on helmet

  • Extra Batteries or way to charge headlamp

  • Examples

    • Petzl Actik Core Headlamp

    • Black Diamond Spot 400

    • Petzl Swift RL Headlamp

• Picket

  • Examples

    • SMC Pro Light Picket (with or without cable)

• Ice Screw

• Water Bottles

  • You need about 2-3 liters of water for the summit push

    • You can fill 2 for your approach and fill them all before summit push

  • 1 should be Co-polyester wide mouth (Nalgene style) to allow for boiling water

    • Other bottles are damaged if boiling water is poured in them

  • NOTE: tubes for hydration bladders tend to freeze

• Water Treatment

  • Can be extra fuel for boiling, chemical tabs, bleach, filter, UV pen, etc

  • See below for options

• Food

  • 2x freeze dried dinner

  • 2x freeze dried breakfast or oatmeal

  • 3x bags of daily lunch/snacks

• Cookware

  • Long handled spoon

  • Mug - multipurpose tool

    • Hot brew 

    • Snow scooper

    • Can be used for oatmeal if you don't have a bowl

    • Used for electrolyte, energy and recovery drinks

  • Bowl/pot - if not eating meals out of plastic bags

• Multi-tool

• GPS w/ Topo Map Loaded

• Sleeping Pad(s)

  • Closed Cell foam will work even if popped and makes a great sit pad

    • Examples

      • RidgeRest Solar

        • 3.5 R-value

        • Use as stand alone for a cold night of sleeping

      • Z Lite Sol

        • 2.0 R-value

        • Stacked or use with inflatable 

        • Use as puncture-proof backup and sit pad

      • NEMO Switchback

        • 2.0 R-value

        • Stacked or use with inflatable 

        • Use as puncture-proof backup and sit pad

  • Inflatable pad will generally provide much more insulation per gram 

    • Help with warmer and better sleep prior to summit

    • Examples

      • Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT: 

        • 7.3 R-value 

        • 15.5 oz

      • NEMO Tensor Extreme Conditions

        • 8.5 R-value

        • 16.3 oz

• Sleeping Bag rated between 20° and 0° F Bag

  • Big debate over down vs synthetic

  • Synthetic generally recommended for Youth in our part of the world

    • Synthetic - Mountain Hardwear Lamina 15°F

    • Women's Synthetic - Mountain Hardwear Lamina 15°F

  • Only special Youth and Adults will be allowed to go on Glacier Adventure

    • Down is acceptable if not preferred

      • Compacts far better than synthetic bags

      • Far lighter than similar rated synthetic bags

      • Will fail to insulate if it gets wet

        • Requires care to keep dry

        • NOT for use by regular Youth on regular outings

      • Examples:

        • Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 15

          • Considered "budget bag"

          • 650-fill down

        • Western Mountaineering 

          • Apache MF 15F

            • 15°F

            • 850+ fill power goose down 

            • Mummy Bag

          • Badger StormShield Sleeping Bag

            • 15°F

            • 850+ fill power goose down 

            • Allow some room to move around in

        • Feathered Friends Hummingbird UL 20

          • 950+ fill power down

          • Super light weight

          • 3-season bag

        • Feathered Friends Snowbunting Light 0 Sleeping Bag

          • Expedition quality bag

          • 900+ Fill Power Down

          • Premium bag with premium price

• Compression bag

  • • Sea to Summit eVent Compression Dry Bag

    • Sea to Summit Ultra Sil Compression Sack

• Personal First Aid Kit

• Prescriptions/Medications

• Sunscreen

  • Sunscreen (SPF 50)

    • Badger Adventure Sport Mineral Sunscreen (SPF 50)

      • REI

      • Fred Myers

    • All Good Sunscreen Butter (SPF 50+)

      • Fred Myers

    • Thinksport Clear Zinc Sunscreen (SPF 50)

      • REI

      • Costco

    • Sun Bum Mineral Face Stick (SPF 50)

      • REI

      • Costco

  • Lip Balm (SPF 30+)

    • Badger SPF 15 Mineral Sunscreen Lip Balm

      • REI

    • Aquaphor Lip Repair + Protect SPF 30

    • Sun Bum SPF 30 Lip Balm

• Hygiene kit

  • Toothbrush

  • Toothpaste

  • Foss is nice

• Bluebag Kit

  • Blue Bag for each day on mountain

  • Paper Towels

  • Hand Sanitizer 

Group Gear:

• Rope(s) 

  • One per group

  • Dry preferred

• Snow Shovel

• Stove

  • 1 set for 2-3 people

  • Recommendation: 

    • MSR Reactor 1.7L for 1-2 people

    • MSR Reactor 2.5L for 2-3 people on longer trips

    • NOTE: Do NOT use MSR Reactor in tent, especially on low setting

  • Stove Selection Considerations:

    • Glacier travel can be cold and windy

    • Protecting stoves from wind is vital

    • Some are better suited for glacier travel

    • Main Types:

      • Liquid Fuel Stove

        • Not affected by cold

        • Heavy

        • Ideal for Denali 

        • Examples

          • MSR XGK-EX

          • WhisperLite International

      • Remote Canister Stove

        • Allows you to run canister upside down

        • Can be used in much lower temperatures

          • Vaporized propane forces other liquid fuel towards stove, instead of being used up first

        • Stove and pot need a tight windscreen to protect it from wind

        • Examples

          • WhisperLite Universal

          • Kovea Spider 

      • Stove system using pot with heat exchanger

        • MSR Reactor and JetBoil

        • Fast melt and boil times

        • Reactor has excellent protection from wind

        • Jetboil has special windscreen accessory that helps protect it from wind

        • Can be generally be used for summer glacier travel without issue

          • May need to preheat canister in jacket

        • NOTE: Reactor prototype produced lethal levels of carbon monoxide when used at low settings

          • Don't use in enclosed space

      • Regular stove over canister stoves

        • Must be protected from wind

          • Prone to blowouts

          • Reduced efficiency as wind blows heat away from pot

        • Risk of failure at low temperatures

          • Need to preheat canister in jacket if it gets really cold

• Stoves Accessories

  • Lighter

    • Remove child safety prior to adventure
      helps if you need to dry out a wet lighter

    • Carry 2 lighters per stove

  • Stove platform 

    • Insulates stove from ground

    • Prevents it from melting and sinking into snow

    • 3mm (1/8") plywood is sufficient

  • Pot lid

    • Reduces fuels use, time to boil and steaming

  • Windscreen

    • Used for liquid fuel and remote canister stoves

    • EXPLOSION DANGER if used with stove-over-canisters stoves

• Fuel

  • Depends on length of trip and how you plan to treat water

  • Recommendation: 1x 230g (8oz) MSR IsoPro canister per person for 2-3 day trip

  • Stove efficiency matters a lot

    • Stoves system that use a heat exchanger are much faster and more fuel efficient

  • Canister Fuel Selection

    • MSR IsoPro

      • 80/20 blend of isobutane and propane 

      • Considered the best blend for cold weather

  • Snow Melt Consideration

    • Snow Melting takes 20g to 25g of fuel to melt and boil 1 liter of snow

    • Plan 4 to 5 liters per person daily for hydration, hot drinks, and rehydrating meals

    • Math

      • 80-125gm per person per day 

      • 3 days minus the 2 liters you bought = 200-325gm per person

• Tent

  • 1 per 3 people

• Group Med Kit

Food & Hydration:

• Group meals and cooking plan

  • Each member packs

    • 2x freeze dried dinner

    • 2x freeze dried breakfast or oatmeal

    • 3x bags of daily lunch/snacks

    • 1 extra emergency meal

    • Note - Empty freeze dried meal bag can be used for breakfast oatmeal

  • Group Food

    • Cocoa

    • Coffee 

    • Summit Treat?

• Water Treatment 

  • Plan to melt snow at higher attitudes

  • Melted snow may contain Bacteria, Viruses and/or Protozoa

    • Risk increases below 8,000 feet

  • Several approaches to treating water - each option is a compromise

  • Recommendation for Glacier Travel: Boil ALL Water you will consume

    • This neutralizes ALL organisms that might be in your water

    • You don’t have to worry about keeping your filter warm or getting sick

  • Snowmelt treatment options

    • Boiling ALL Water Option

      • Boiling water kills everything in it - including Giardia and Cryptosporidium 

      • Boiling requires a LOT of fuel

        • Will need plan for and carry extra fuel

      • Extra time to boil and cool

        • Boiling requires a lot more time than just melting

          • Plan to bring 1 stove per 2 people if you plan to boil all of your water

        • Boiling hot water will damage water bottles and filters

          • Allow time to cool if using non-Nalgene bottles

    • Chemical Tabs Option

      • Some benefit - Bacterial and Viruses

        • Will treat for Bacterial and Viruses

        • Double wait time for cold water - at least an hour

      • NO benefit for Giardia 

        • Required extended and unreasonable wait times - especially with cold water

        • Many climbers don't boil water above 8,000-10,000 feet

          • Lower likelihood of animal waste in high altitude glaciers

          • If you get Giardia, symptoms likely will not affect you until after climb 

            • Deal with infection after climb

              1. Individual risk can be considered

              2. Risk should not be imposed on group

    • Filter Option

      • Quality filters filter out Bacteria, Giardia and Cryptosporidium

        • NOT effective against viruses - but generally not a concern where we travel 

      • Ideal for filtering out most nasties

        • Use in ABOVE freezing environments

      • Damaged if frozen

        • HIGH RISK for glacier travel

        • Won't filter at all when frozen

        • Won't adequately filter after membrane is damaged after freezing

        • Damaged if exposed to boiling water

    • Steripen Option

      • Require batteries and can be damaged

      • Most people don't have these

      • Extreme cold and wind drain batteries incredibly fast

      • NOTE: some glaciers can have a lot of silt and clay mixed in it (Glacial Flour) - which will decrease penetration and efficacy of UV light

Resources

• Emmons Winthrop Routebrief 2017

• mountaineers.org - mount-rainier-emmons-glacier 

• Disappointment Cleaver Routebrief 2017

• mountaineers.org - mount-rainier-disappointment-cleaver