Cascades, USA
Mount Rainier – Disappointment Cleaver
Route detail
About this route
Four days from Ashford: snow school, a carry to Camp Muir and the Disappointment Cleaver route to the crater rim.
Daily activity
5–7 hr training days; summit day 10–14 hr.
Terrain
Glacier travel, crevasse fields and snow ridges.
Best season
May to September
Your guide office
RMI Expeditions
Based in Ashford, Washington, USA
What's included
Guides, group climbing gear, camp at Muir, permits.
Not included
Travel to Seattle, personal gear rental, meals in town.
Itinerary
- 1
Orientation
Time: 4–5 hr
Gear check at Ashford and route briefing.
- 2
Snow school
Time: 5–6 hr
Self-arrest, rope travel and crampon work on the Muir snowfield.
- 3
Camp Muir
Time: 4–5 hr
Carry to 3,000 m, early night before the alpine start.
- 4
Summit day
Time: 6–8 hr
Cleaver route to Columbia Crest and the full descent to Paradise.
What to pack
Built for this route's terrain, altitude and number of days. Tick items off as you pack — without the right footwear or hard shell, a guide can refuse to take you up.
0 / 37 packed
Footwear and pack
Broken in before the trip — new boots are the most common cause of an abandoned day.
Clothing layers
Three layers, no cotton. Temperatures can swing 20 °C between valley and summit.
Technical equipment
Your guide office (RMI Expeditions) rents most of this locally — ask when you confirm your dates.
Sun, health and altitude
UV rises roughly 10% every 1,000 m of altitude.
Overnight kit
Keep these in a zipped pocket, not the main compartment.
Boots, crampons, ice axe and harness can usually be rented from RMI Expeditions in Ashford, Washington, USA — confirm sizes when you agree your dates.
Traveller feedback
Ratings collected from travellers who completed this route with RMI Expeditions.
4.9
★★★★★88 ratings
Written reviews for this departure are still being collected. Ask us for references from previous groups before you pay — we will forward them from the guide office.
Questions about this route?
Talk to the guides who run it — gear, fitness, weather windows, private dates. We answer within one working day.
€2,190
per person
Guides, group climbing gear, camp at Muir, permits.
Next departure · 9 July 2027
6 of 6 spots left
Live availability updates daily and after every booking.