Building a Route

The Disappointment Cleaver on Mount Rainier would not be your average glacier climb if it were not for route work. As a matter of fact the route might not even connect to the summit if guides did not scout ahead and fix ladders and ropes across the larger crevasses and skeleton snow bridges.

If it were not for guides making the route go no o

ne would climb the Cleaver. This kind of work, however, is standard in the greater ranges. a couple days ago I had the honor of climbing with the legendary Lakpa Gelu Sherpa holder of the Everest speed record and highly experienced fixing ladders through the Khumbu Ice Fall low down on Mount Everest. To him fixing the Glaciers on Rainier is child's play.