Path to Rainer (and maybe Denali)

Hi everyone, have been lurking for a while and decided to sign up to post for your input.  I just watched Dawn Wall last night and it’s inspired me to go after one of my bucket list: Denali.  I understand that may be a lot, that’s why Rainier would be my first “end goal” and if I like enough to continue, Denali would be next.  

A bit about me.  I don’t rock or ice climb.  I don’t have a huge desire to be honest (just not interested).  I live in northwest VT and backcountry ski a lot.  Hiking, mountain biking, general decent shape for someone in their 30s.  Mt Mansfield is my typical playground (I know, not big) but I do typically get out to the White mtns once/twice a year to do Tucks.  I’ve also climbed about 20 Adirondack peaks (summer time).  I have Wilderness First Aid training. 

My goal is to be able to do Rainier in 2025, with Denali either later that same year (if I like doing Rainier) or in 2026.  I would rather use a guide, as I’m just not familiar with those mountains.  I’d take the DC or Emmons at Rainier and the West Buttress.  I know they are crowded but solitude, while I love it while skiing, isn’t something I want on these big mountains.  

I’ve read tons of posts about spending time in the PNW for training, but I haven’t seen any posts about people training in the Northeast.  Is this possible since we don’t have any 8k+ ft peaks?  What do you all recommend?  TIA

You can train easy.  Wait till the temps drop below 20 degrees F,  Strap on the heaviest boots you have, put on a 60 lb pack, run around your house for 12 hours straight with your wife spraying you down with a hose on each lap and kicking you in the balls every other lap. 

After 5 months of that you’ll be ready to start your training to become an alpinist 

If you’re using a guide, talk to that guide service.

Mark Pilate wrote: You can train easy.  Wait till the temps drop below 20 degrees F,  Strap on the heaviest boots you have, put on a 60 lb pack, run around your house for 12 hours straight with your wife spraying you down with a hose on each lap and kicking you in the balls every other lap.

After 5 months of that you’ll be ready to start your training to become an alpinist 

Below 20F? Lol

Honestly, if you're in decent shape, you could do Rainier next year. Get used to carrying a heavy pack, and put in some long days in the mountains. Practice self arresting on steep snow and traveling roped up for glaciers. That's really all you need.

Many motivated climbers out of the northeast have cut their teeth on Mount Washington in the winter. Conditions can certainly get real enough up there, regardless of elevation. 

Jake wander wrote:

Below 20F? Lol

Ya wanna kill the guy before he even starts training ?   It’s not recommended to jump right into my pre-training regimen suggested above at temps significantly below 20.  

Now AFTER that 5 month break in period....

Check out Uphill Athlete for both Rainier and Denali training plans.

If you're going guided then just work on your fitness and you could do Rainier easily in 2020. 

I'd also recommend to climb Pico De Orizaba after Rainier but before Denali for some high altitude experience. It's a nice climb and pretty affordable. 

Mark Pilate wrote:  run around your house for 12 hours straight with your wife spraying you down with a hose on each lap and kicking you in the balls every other lap.

After 5 months of that you’ll be ready to start your training to become an alpinist 

I’ve got years of that experience.  Just need to add the weight

Get out on Mount Washington this winter with crampons, ice axe, and a weighted pack. If you go with a guide, you will be good to go.

Basic fitness is all you need for a guided trip up Rainier. The three day itinerary yields the highest percentage of success.  

When I trained for my Rainier trip I used the technique of making something else sore every day. Get off work and do squats till failure. Next day do some nasty core workout that sucks, next day a different muscle group and so on. Eventually your legs are ready for more squats.  3 days a week running 3-9 miles and 1 9-15 mile assbuster hike with pack 2-3 times a month. I did that for 6 months and summited. Breathing was real hard for me after 13,000. 

Thanks all. Ive been trying to respond for 2 days but couldn’t reply with my new account so I’ll make this my response to everyone.  

I’m less worried about the cold, as I regularly skin in -5 to 10 degrees F.  I know it can get way worse on these mountains but I’d also bring a different layer setup.  

As for a pack, I sometimes carry my 4yr old on my back to skin up a resort after it closes.  That’s pushing 50lbs for 1,500ft.  I know I need more but sounds like I can have a partner and the weight for my training!

Mt Washington was my thought as well.  The weather can change in no time.  I won’t bring my kid on this....

It seems like Rainier can be done sooner than my thoughts.  What’s everyone’s thought on how to go from Rainier to Denali?  Should I have 2 or 3 14k peaks under my belt first?

I know with guides it makes it easier and there’s lots of people that have no business being there.  I want a guide since they have a better understanding of the mountain, the trails and the risks.  My goal is to be an asset to my team and others on the mountain, not a liability.

Honestly, you can probably do Rainier next summer...Some guiding services even do a weeklong trip where they practice crevasse rescue, rope management, etc..., before heading up Tahoma.  Three days is a great itinerary--Emmons Route, get up to Camp Schurman, chill a day, and summit the next...Just do a lot of hiking with weight...NPS publishes a great Route Guide each year: https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/upload/Emmons-Winthrop-Routebrief-2017_FINAL.pdf

Dunno about the switch to Denali--that's a major bump up.

I feel like I've gotta comment as a guy that is in a very similar position to you, albeit I'm in the PNW. I'm 28 and I've just started getting into the scene last year. I come from a backpacking background. I did the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016 southbound, and it was exactly the goal of climbing Denali that motivated me to make the switch to mountaineering after that experience.

What I've been doing is absolutely anything and everything I can surrounding the sport. From what I've noticed, all of these outdoor sports seem to build on each other and share so many of the same skills. I picked up a copy of Freedom of the Hills and read it cover to cover.

- I've joined a rock climbing gym and taken all the basic courses. I took a trip to JTree and have quite a few more planned around the PNW area. I've got a lead course I'm taking in March and an outdoor multi-pitch specific course in May. I really want to get a handle on rope management and feel comfortable with all of the knots and common setups common in climbing.

- I've got a crevasse rescue and glacier travel course at the end of May.

- I'm climbing Mt. Shasta at the end of April with the same crew I'll be climbing Rainier (and hopefully eventually Denali) with this group.

- Last weekend I climbed Mt. St Helens with a much heavier pack than was necessary. At one point the weather got pretty gnarly with 50mph gusts and some pounding snow towards the top. It felt like a perfect sort of intro to how weather can turn bad quickly on these mountains. I got my first case of the screaming barfies which was a nice bit of fun... Obviously St. Helens is a low altitude mountain, but 2/3 parties ahead of us turned back. You've gotta start somewhere.

- I get out every possible weekend I can -- whether it's just a small snowshoe with some snow camping or a longer, multi-day trip. If it's one thing I learned doing the PCT, it's that familiarity is key and so many outdoor skills come through repetition.

- I exercise A LOT. I do 4-5 days of weights a week, 5 days of cardio (running/stair stepper), and quite a bit of yoga/stretching. One thing I really found this weekend was I need to focus on longer but slower stuff with running. I kept pushing my pace in the 3-5 mile range when I think I should actually be pushing distance and caring less about pace.

Anyway, these are just some things I've noticed and personally things I'm doing to work towards the same goal as you. I'll be doing Rainier this summer and am looking to climb Denali in 2022. Not sure if anything I shared is helpful, but it's helped me to get an insight into your thought process. Good luck with your climb!

VermontMatt 2025 wrote: I don’t rock or ice climb.  I don’t have a huge desire to be honest (just not interested).  

^^^ Read what he said, because he has motivation and a plan to get there.  Reassess your interest in technical skills because to achieve your goals you're going to need some of the very skills you're "just not interested" in. You need to be able to engage in rope work, know use of an ice axe, setting anchors, belaying, ascending and descending a rope, etc.  Get in shape and go take a 3-4 day course on Rainier where you learn some basic skills and a guide takes you to the summit if you're up to it.

I’m not sure anyone has mentioned it yet, but altitude is important. I grew up, and live, and recreate at fairly high altitudes. 4k-10k. Most of the US population lives below this, I think, and a lot of people bonk hard, despite their fitness level, at surprisingly low altitudes. I just last summer met a group retreating from a popular backpacking route near me after one night, because several of them had altitude sickness, one pretty bad. The trail doesn’t quite make 10k, but they had flown in a day or two before, from less than 1k, where they lived. Take your time, no matter how fit you are.
When I climbed Rainier, it was basically just a slog, and most folks who turned back were thwarted by altitude, not by anything else. 

Andrew Rational wrote: I’m not sure anyone has mentioned it yet, but altitude is important. I grew up, and live, and recreate at fairly high altitudes. 4k-10k. Most of the US population lives below this, I think, and a lot of people bonk hard, despite their fitness level, at surprisingly low altitudes. I just last summer met a group retreating from a popular backpacking route near me after one night, because several of them had altitude sickness, one pretty bad. The trail doesn’t quite make 10k, but they had flown in a day or two before, from less than 1k, where they lived. Take your time, no matter how fit you are.
When I climbed Rainier, it was basically just a slog, and most folks who turned back were thwarted by altitude, not by anything else. 

Couldn't agree more with this. I've done quite a few 14'ers (many in CO, Mt. Whitney, etc.) and the altitude is almost always the toughest part.

Perry Gowdy wrote:
Couldn't agree more with this. I've done quite a few 14'ers (many in CO, Mt. Whitney, etc.) and the altitude is almost always the toughest part.

Too add, Ive had plenty of low-elevation visitors bonk in the car up to whatever trailhead, or sleep 12-14 hours on their first night. Take it slow and in increments. The mountains aren’t going anywhere, at least not that quickly. 

Besides having a good fitness level and practice with emergency skills, climbing an easier peak the week before really helps.

Before Rainer we did Middle Sister in the Oregon Cascades. Was a nice shakedown trip since we got exercise at altitude, we practiced as a rope team in glacier travel, route finding, crevasse rescue.  Then no nausea on Rainier like previous.

Also, Rainer is a serious peak with objective hazards. When things go right it's a slog. But it makes it's own weather and has rock fall and ice fall hazards that can catch anyone.
Good to travel with enough experienced  people to help with the unexpected.

Andrew Rational wrote:

Too add, Ive had plenty of low-elevation visitors bonk in the car up to whatever trailhead, or sleep 12-14 hours on their first night. Take it slow and in increments. The mountains aren’t going anywhere, at least not that quickly. 

That's what we thought while on Mt Saint Helens when turned back by snowfall May 1979.