We start guiding the "summer season" in May and guide Rainier through the end of September. The conditions on the mountain change throughout the season, below is a quick look at how it shakes out. Remember there are pros and cons to climbing at any time of the year!

May/June
This is still early in the season. When the weather's good, these are incredible months to climb Rainier. The mountain is typically at its pristine best, snow covered and beautiful. The route tends to be more direct and the number of other climbers is lower than the peak months of July and August.

July/August
This is the peak Rainier climbing season. Though weather can prevent an ascent at any time of year, the odds of good weather are certainly the best during these months, although the number of other climbers is at its peak. As the season progresses, the route tends to get a bit more circuitous.

September
After Labor Day, the number of climbers on Rainier diminishes — that's a big selling point for September climbs. Plus, potential climbers have had the summer season to get in the best shape of their lives. We often get periods of very nice weather in September. Additionally, we normally don't encounter any snow prior to Pebble Creek, at 7,200 ft., on the Muir approach. The snow is typically firmer on the upper mountain.

Check out our Quickscan Schedule for mountaineering difficulty and instruction level, route descriptions, and availability.

All of our Rainier programs include basic mountaineering instruction that is tailored to the route being climbed. A novice climber might consider the Disappointment Cleaver route (3½ Day or 4½ Day Seminar), or the 5½ Day Emmons Glacier Climb — both are considered appropriate climbs for first time climbers.

IMG Rainier summit climbs will normally be staffed at a 2:1 climber:guide ratio (8 climbers and 4 guides). On the Muir and Emmons routes, per our NPS contract, we can ascend if necessary above high camps (Camp Muir on ID/Cleaver; Camp Schurman on Emmons, Camp Hazard on Kautz) at a 3:1 ratio, which might be necessary if a guide must descend with a climber who is unable to continue. On all three routes, in case of emergency, or if clients need to descend, we are permitted to go at 4:1 ratio. For IMG training programs below 10,000 feet, if travel occurs on glaciers, the maximum NPS ratio is 4:1. Below 10,000 feet, if travel does not occur on glaciers, the maximum NPS ratio is 5:1.

You must be 18 years old to climb without a parent or legal guardian accompanying you on the climb. With a parent, 16 is our minimum age on scheduled climbs. A parent or legal guardian must accompany minors age 16-17 at all times for the duration of the program and climb. If either person needs to turn around during the climb, the other person will also need to turn around and an IMG guide will work with both of them to descend back to camp.

Yes, we strongly advised Travel/Trip Cancellation coverage for your program. Our fees are completely non-refundable and non-transferable. Your program fees will not be refunded if you need to cancel your program. Non-transferable means you may not apply your fees paid to another IMG or IMG affiliate program in the future, and you may not apply or gift your fees paid to another person.

The Travel Insurance page on our website lists some suggestions. You can click on the options provided to view insurance providers and generate quotes. Covered reasons for cancellation or trip interruption will likely not involve the actual mountaineering portion of the program, but rather other day-to-day travel related issues requiring a traveler to have to cancel, interrupt or inconvenience their normal travel schedule. Read and understand the details of your policy!

Maybe. Most expeditions that return to Ashford in EARLY SEASON (through June) will be back by 4 PM or so. You will need time to return rental gear, complete any paperwork and make your goodbyes (1 hour), then drive to SeaTac (2 hours), with enough time to check in a couple hours prior to your flight departure time. Inclement weather and other unplanned events can delay your return from the mountain as well as delay your travel to the airport, so it may be prudent to either stay an extra night or choose a flight late that evening (a "red-eye"). Later in the season (generally after July 1), it is common to return to Ashford after 5:00 PM. By August and September arrival time can be as late as 8:00 PM. Generally, it is usually safest to either keep your return flight flexible or book it for the following morning.

Trips using the Emmons Glacier route should finish earlier on the last day of the climb, normally between noon and 1:00 pm. The drive back around to IMG Headquarters takes another 1½ hours. You should be ready to depart from IMG headquarters between 3 and 5:00 pm.

The best place to store your extra gear during the climb is in the trunk of your locked car, which will be parked in our dedicated parking area off the main road next to our buildings. We cannot guarantee the safety of your vehicle or personal belongings, but we have not had break-ins or theft from vehicles left on site to date. If you are dropped off at IMG and do not have access to a vehicle, we can store a locked bag for you on site. Again, IMG cannot take responsibility for loss of your personal items.

We will collect everyone's vehicle keys prior to departure for the trailhead and store them until your return in a marked bag in our shop. This saves the inevitable search through your pack to find the keys upon your return.

This is our most Frequently Asked Question — we've taken the time to lay it all out in a blog for you, please take a look here.

On the Disappointment Cleaver route your pack will weigh about 35 to 40 pounds, including a small amount of group food. On other routes your pack will probably weigh about 50 pounds, including group gear (tents, stoves, fuel, climbing gear) and food.

Depending on which trip you take, some of the group gear is cached on the mountain and you will pick it up during the trip. In general, though, yes, we will divide up the group gear (tents, stoves, ropes, cooking gear, food) among all the trip participants to help carry everything we need on the mountain.

Here is a rough estimate of how much group gear and food you might have to carry (in addition to your own):

• 3-day climbs: less than 5 pounds per person; primarily group food
• 4-day climbs: 10 pounds each
• 5 and 6 day seminars: 15 pounds each

Meals — International Mountain Guides provides dinner, breakfast, and hot drinks while on the mountain for most Mt. Rainier programs (does not include 1 or 2 Day programs such as CMGH or CRS). We do our best to provide simple, tasty and nutritious breakfasts and dinners for you while on the mountain. We try to supply high quality, hearty food considering the mountain setting. Your guides will be melting snow for hot drinks and for cold drinking water.

The dinner at Camp Muir is often something like burritos: rice, refried beans, sautéed vegetables and pre-cooked chicken or beef. At high camp on the Ingraham Glacier it will commonly be a one-pot rice or pasta meal with added fresh vegetables and a meat option. Breakfasts are simple and quick affairs. Pancakes and bacon are common at Camp Muir. We depart high camp on day three before dawn, so breakfast is either instant oatmeal or cold cereal. Normal hot drinks are provided at each of these meals — coffee, cocoa, tea and hot cider.

We do our best to accommodate most dietary lifestyle preferences, such as vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan and gluten free diets. We recommend that vegetarians, pescatarians and vegans bring additional protein supplements. Talk to your guide when you arrive for your ½ Day Team Orientation about food. (Please see *below if you have Medically Necessary Dietary Restrictions).

Trail Snacks/lunches — It is your responsibility to provide your own lunch/trail food for your climb, as well as meals before and after your climb. You can click here to see what some of our guides bring to eat on the mountain. Make sure you bring enough calories to keep you going all day. We will be working hard while on the mountain so don't cut yourself short. This is no time to go on a diet, because if you don't keep fuel in the furnace you'll run out of energy. You will often hear the guides saying, "Lunch begins after breakfast, and ends at dinner," meaning that we eat at every rest break throughout the day and there will never be a set "lunch" break. Bring foods that you know you'll want to eat. Some mountain favorites for the first day are cold pizza, deli sandwiches, fried chicken, and potato chips. Things like G.O.R.P, granola bars, fruit, string cheese, crackers, dried meats like salami, candy bars, etc. are good any day. It never hurts to throw in some electrolyte powder or other drink mix for your water.

Powerbars, Cliff Bars, Luna Bars, etc. can be great energy but just make sure that you are going to want to eat them. They can be bland and unpalatable in the high altitude cold of a mountain and can also freeze and be impossible to eat. Make sure that whatever you bring can either be eaten while cold, or can fit in your pocket to stay warm. Finally, it is not a bad idea to bring a couple of gel packets (like Gu or Power Gel) for summit day. If you lose your appetite on the upper mountain, a Gu will keep you going and is easy on the stomach.

Beverages — For all of our programs on Mt. Rainier, we recommend each person carry two wide mouthed Nalgene plastic bottles. Wide mouthed bottles are easier to fill, especially when melting snow, and resist freezing a bit longer than small necked bottles. In the early season (May-June) you may want to carry your bottles in insulated covers, like the Outdoor Research Water Bottle Parka to avoid freezing. In the later summer, we carry our bottles wrapped in our puffy jackets inside our packs on summit day. Two bottles should last you through the hiking day until you get to camp. Later in the summer, running streams may provide an additional source of water below 8,000 feet. If you drink stream water, we recommend treating it with either iodine tablets or chlorine dioxide tablets. Iodine is fast (30 minutes) but has a bad aftertaste unless used with the optional taste neutralizing tablets. Chlorine dioxide takes 4 hours but has little aftertaste.

At camps, the guides melt enough water for all to hydrate and fill their bottles. The guides also melt water for the morning and evening meals which both include a variety of hot drinks. At meals, all water consumed is brought to a boil and is safe to drink. For filling water bottles, we can't boil enough water to fill everyone's bottles. Instead, we recommend that each person decide for themselves whether to treat their water or not. If the water source is clean, untouched snow, we normally assume it will be relatively pure. Later in the season, when the last winter's snow is all melted, it might be a good idea to treat un-boiled water. Again, we leave it to the individual to make their own decision. IMG and our guides cannot guarantee the purity of any drinking water on the mountain.

A great way to mask the taste of boiled or treated water is with drink additives like Gatorade, Nuun, Cytomax and others. These electrolyte replacement mixes add flavor and some essential nutrients to your water. Just be sure to let the water treatment you use work completely before adding sugared drink mix or it will neutralize the effect.

*Medically Necessary Dietary Restrictions — Individuals with medically necessary food restrictions should disclose this information during the online application process. While it is possible for us to accommodate many situations, we encourage you to inform us in advance if you have a serious condition necessitating strict medical food restrictions (i.e. serious food allergies) so we can help advise you. You should also consult with your licensed medical practitioner and follow their advice. In certain circumstances we may advise you to supplement your meals with your preferred protein options or replacement diet. If you have a history of anaphylaxis, please consult your physician and plan to have an epi-pen available in case of emergency exposure. Please inform your guide on arrival of food restrictions.

Please note that we will still bring, prepare and make available to you the same meals that are provided for the entire team. No credit, compensation or refund will be provided for unused team food provided by IMG.

From Eric Simonson, International Mountain Guides CEO & Owner: "If you are going to be a safe and successful climber, you need to see well in many different conditions: darkness, extreme sun, snow, wind, dust. On a normal climb of Rainier you are likely to encounter all of these conditions. If it is windy, there is always some fine volcanic dust in the air which is horrible to get in your eyes. I have seen many people over the years completely incapacitated by dust... for example going up Cathedral Gap in the middle of the night when it is windy — without goggles you are effectively blinded.

I have needed vision correction for near-sightedness since I was in 4th grade and have never been very excited about getting the Lasik eye surgery (no offense to my eye surgeon friends!) So, for 45+ years as a climber I have learned to adapt. Most of the time when I am "down low" I like to wear contact lenses, but I have found these don't work so well for me at higher altitude because my contacts cut the oxygen to the cornea causing foggy vision. Also, I am super sensitive to getting dust in my eyes while wearing my contacts. I often wear my contacts up to Camp Muir (with glacier glasses), but for the upper mountain I do not wear them. Instead, I use my eyeglasses in the dark (with goggles if it is windy) and switch over to prescription glacier glasses during the day (I can put my goggles over the top of these, too, if it is windy).

Here are my suggestions:

If you wear contacts: bring good "glacier glasses" (very dark sunglasses with side protection) for super bright conditions (I like the Julbo Explorers with cat 5 lenses). Then, you must also have goggles available in case the wind kicks up (not real dark lenses) that you can use during the nighttime while climbing, and they need to fit with your helmet and headlamp. You should also bring your eyeglasses as a back-up.

If you wear eyeglasses (not contacts): the best option is to get prescription glacier glasses. Find a pair of frames that fit your face and then have your optometrist put dark lenses in them. Or, you can order them from Optics Planet or other companies. Make sure you also bring your eyeglasses and goggles (that will fit over your eyeglasses) in case of a windy/dusty day.

If you wear eyeglasses and do not have prescription sunglasses: you will need a very dark solution to modify your eyeglasses. For example, very dark clip-ons and side shields (you can make side shields with tape), or you can try the sunglass shields that fit over the top of eyeglasses (if they are very dark). You should also have goggles in case of wind and dust. The problem with relying only on the goggles is on a hot day (going to Camp Muir, for example), you will sweat, and the goggles will fog up.

Bottom line, if you need glasses or contacts, do not rely on only one solution; always bring your eyeglasses, prescription sunglasses (preferred), back up sunglasses, and goggles for wind and dust."

You can read more in the IMG blog's Gear Q&A »

Mild altitude illness, also known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), is not uncommon among people climbing Mt. Rainier. Typical symptoms tend to include headache, loss of appetite, nausea, shortness of breath, fatigue, restless sleep, and an increased heart rate and increased respiratory rate.

There are many things you can do to help prevent altitude illness. Hydrating during the climb is the most important and effective, but other effective techniques also include "pressure breathing," using medications such as Diamox, and taking acclimatization hikes prior to your climb. Ibuprofen or aspirin can help with the headache and other symptoms of altitude illness.

Proper hydration while on an alpine climb can help you avoid cold injuries as well as prevent altitude illness. The more hydrated you are, the better you will feel at altitude and the faster you will acclimatize (adapt to higher altitude), because you will be able to assimilate more oxygen into your blood stream and deliver it throughout the body more efficiently. It is important to keep track of your fluid intake to make sure that you're getting enough. We generally recommend that a person drink between 4 and 6 liters per day while climbing or training on Mt. Rainier. The general rule of thumb is that if your urine is clear and copious, then you are drinking enough. Electrolyte drink mixes will help replenish electrolytes lost from sweating and exertion. It is important, however, to remember to eat as well as drink during the day, both to maintain your energy levels and prevent hyponatremia. Drinking too much water without replacing electrolytes can make you hyponatremic (the flushing away of important electrolytes in the bloodstream due to excess water), which can be a life-threatening illness.

In addition to staying well hydrated, consider avoiding substances that act as diuretics or depressants. Refrain from alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, antihistamines, sleeping pills and other depressant drugs for a few days prior to and during your climb.

Another means of preventing altitude illness is pressure breathing, or purposeful hyperventilation. The more you force yourself to breathe deeply and force out the old stale air in your lungs, the more you will rid your body of carbon dioxide and allow your body to take on more oxygen. This, combined with proper hydration will allow your body to transport more oxygen molecules around the body. This breathing technique is very effective and is employed by most successful high-altitude mountaineers. IMG guides will teach you about pressure breathing during your climb.

Generally, just being fit will help you feel better at altitude. Being fit will also help you manage any symptoms of altitude illness without simultaneously struggling with the journey up the mountain. When possible, go for acclimatization hikes prior to the climb. Hike a local peak with some altitude (8,000 feet or higher) or consider coming out to Ashford to join us on our Camp Muir Guided Hike (10,000ft) to log some time at altitude and start your body on the process of acclimatization.

Some medications have been shown to help prevent altitude illness. IMG does not recommend any specific medications. People tend to do fine with the moderate altitude of Mt. Rainier without any medications, especially if they are on one of our longer (3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 day) programs. If considering medications for altitude illness, you should consult with your physician. Diamox (acetazolamide) can help prevent altitude illness and many climbers use it on high altitude expeditions around the world. It is usually not necessary on Mt. Rainier and is reserved for more extreme altitudes such as those found in the Himalayas and in South America. You need a prescription from a doctor to obtain Diamox so a consultation with an MD is necessary, and that is a good time to ask questions regarding its benefits and drawbacks, as there are several side effects that can affect one's climb. If you do decide to take Diamox, we suggest starting with a small dose (125mg morning and evening) to minimize unpleasant symptoms (tingling, itching, excessive urination).

In the end, simply maintaining good hydration is the single most important thing you can do for yourself to avoid altitude illness.

For more information about AMS and altitude illnesses, please visit: Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Acute Altitude Illness

Mt. Rainier National Park requires climbers to use Blue Bags for their human waste. Blue Bags will be provided by IMG. They contain one clear bag, one blue bag, and twist ties. There are several ways to use the Blue Bags — this will be covered during your half-day orientation.

We are required to deposit these blue bags in specific collection barrels at Camp Muir, Camp Schurman, the tunnel outside Paradise Comfort Station, or White River Campground. Do not drop used blue bags in trash cans or the toilets at Camp Muir or Camp Schurman.

For routes that don't go through Camp Schurman or Camp Muir you'll be required to carry your blue bags with you until your climb is complete and then deposit them in collection barrels at the end of your climb — likely at White River Campground or Paradise.

We try to accommodate two persons sleeping in each tent but will sometimes triple up in 3-person tents to save weight on longer or more advanced programs. Tents on the mountain are included in the cost of your trip.

A show of appreciation for a job well done is always appropriate. We think you'll agree that the guides go above and beyond the call of duty to make your climb as safe, successful and enjoyable as possible. Our guides typically pool the tips and share them equally. Your contribution to the guides' tip pool can go directly to the lead guide on your program and will be appreciated by all of them. For Venmo information, please contact your guide directly. The amount of tip is at your discretion, but tips for excellent service normally average 10-15% of the cost of the program.

All of our Rainier programs are basically snow and ice mountaineering instruction so it really depends on your goals and objectives. For additional skill training on Rainier, consider intermediate level instruction climbs like the Kautz Glacier or the challenge of an advanced instructional climb like Fuhrer Finger. You can also take one of the Denali Expedition Prep Seminars or fine tune your rescue skills on our Crevasse Rescue course.

For additional experience on glaciated peaks that get you a few thousand feet higher than Rainier, consider the Mexican Volcanoes, the Ecuador Volcanoes, Mt. Whitney in California, and our IMG Denali expedition in Alaska.

If you prefer to just trek up to higher altitude without dealing with crampons and ice axes, then you might be interested in Kilimanjaro, Machu Picchu, Everest Base Camp Trek or others to combine hiking in high mountains and great cultural opportunities. Check out all trek options in our Expedition Filter.