Acknowledgments & Resources

To every climber who has trusted me on a rope team: thank you for your preparation, your honesty when you were hurting, and your willingness to put the team above the summit.

To the National Park Service climbing rangers at Mount Rainier: you keep people alive and the mountain intact in ways most summit photos never mention. This book leans on your public guidance because it is the standard.

To the guide services, including RMI and Alpine Ascents, and to the broader community of instructors who teach self-arrest, glacier travel, and judgment: you turn ambition into competence.

To the families who wait in Ashford and Seattle and somewhere refreshing email for a check-out call: you climb a different route, and it is not easier.

To the mountain itself: thank you for the clarity. I will try to be worthy of the next attempt, whether or not it ends on Columbia Crest.

Suggested Resources

• Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills (The Mountaineers) is required reading, non-negotiable

• Mount Rainier National Park: nps.gov/mora

• NPS Disappointment Cleaver Route Brief (official park climbing publications)

• REI Expert Advice: rei.com/learn/expert-advice

• Rainier Mountaineering Inc. (RMI): rmiguides.com

• Alpine Ascents International: alpineascents.com

• Washington Trails Association: wta.org (for training hikes)

• Leave No Trace: lnt.org

Verify all URLs, fees, and regulations on official sites before your climb. Mountains change. Rules change. Your preparation should change with them.

END

One foot in front of the other.

Conquering Mt. Rainier