Path to Rainer (and maybe Denali)

As someone who has climbed Rainier guided and unguided and attempted Denali unguided here is my recommendation:   If you are doing a guided trip and have plans for future expeditions like Denali I STRONGLY suggest you do a "seminar" climb up one of Rainier's non DC routes.   They will actually take some time to teach you skills you will want to gain for future trips.  The standard DC run is a death March up the worst route on the mountain with little time to learn anything.   You will basically be a tourist tied to a rope and dragged up a crumbling hill.  No route finding, no decision making, often no camp building (Muir huts...)etc.   

 Climbs like the RMI seminars will at least leave you with some skills at the end of it.  I suggest the emmons if you don't want to try out some low angle ice climbing (kautz).   If you want to be a climber capable of independent trips I would even skip this and do a 7 or 12 day mountaineering course.  AMS in Alaska is the way to go if you want to be denali ready.   It teaches everything from sleds to winter expedition planning/camping/anchors/ECT.

I am next door in NH.  If you would like to climb some in the Whites together let know.

Can you train for the big mountains on the east coast? Sure. Your motivation and ability to follow through will be the thing that gets you to your goals. David Roberts and the Harvard guys crushed big Alaskan faces back in the 1960s. As I understand it, they mainly trained in New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.

FYI most of the people here in the PNW live at sea level. Some of us occasionally go up to 14k+ elevation. Tolerance to altitude is very individualized, so you never know until you go....

Dave Olsen wrote:

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

Touché. Better than ash fall, I suppose. 

Check out "Training for the New Alpinism" by Steve House.

I don't think you will need 5 years to get ready...I might, but I'm over 50 and recovering from knee surgery.

Seconding Training For New Alpinism and the uphill athlete website. After you read the book go the UphillAthlete.com andbut thier big 24 week mountaineering plan. Follow it using the knowledge that you gain by reading the book and youll be fine! 

Climb something easier over 13000' first if you can, e.g. Mt. Shasta. Sleep two straight nights at 8000' or more before the ascent.  The elevation is the kicker for most people.

I climbed rainier in June 2017 as my first major mountain. Lots of stair climber to train and used to hiking w heavy pack, but I live in Indiana so little altitude opportunities. As long as you are in good shape, which sounds like you are, you can do it sooner. I used RMI guides and would highly recommend them.

Hope this helps, happy to answer other specific questions. 

Note: I wasn’t trying to be discouraging, but altitude is serious and the effects on individuals are unpredictable.  I’ve seen plenty of people who were MUCH fitter than my sorry ass get totally shut down by less than 10k.