I made it! I climbed Mount Rainier!

I made it! I climbed Mount Rainier! It was an incredible experience, definitely one of the highlights of my entire life, and one I will never forget. Our group of eight climbers and four guides departed the Paradise trail head on the morning of August 2nd and climbed steadily up to Camp Muir at just over 10,000 ft. With our 45 lb packs that first 4700 ft of climb in just over 4 miles was a real workout, but I felt the benefit of all those training hikes on Mt Sentinel! From Camp Muir we could see over 150 miles, to Mount Hood in Oregon, Mt Adams and Mt St. Helens further south in Washington. The next day we did some training in how to travel safely on the upper part of the mountain before heading out roped up for the high camp at Ingraham Flats. Things started to feel a bit more serious as we moved across some pretty steep ground and under areas where rock and ice fall was a real hazard. At high camp at 11200 ft we got our summit gear ready, ate a big meal and then tried to rest before our early morning departure for the summit. I didn’t get much sleep as I was too excited about the next day! Up to that point it had been perfectly clear and calm, but when we got out of the tents at 1.00am it was foggy and windy. However we decided to give it a shot and see if the weather would improve. As we roped up to leave camp we heard a huge cracking sound from the Ingraham ice fall and saw the headlamps of teams already up on the route dancing around as they tried to spot the falling debris. Luckily whatever caused all the noise didn’t hit anyone, and we left our camp at 2.30 am for our push to the summit. The first mile or so, below the Ingraham ice fall and up steep rubble, rocks and snow onto Disappointment Cleaver in the dark was the most hazardous part of the climb and we had to move as fast as we could. By the time we reached the top of the Cleaver at 12,500 ft I was feeling the altitude, but I knew that the summit was less than 2000 ft above us. We headed on up across steep snowfields with some enormous crevasses, including one that we had to cross on a ladder! We settled in to a steady pace, breathing hard and resting momentarily on each step as our crampons squeaked on the hard snow. The sun came up and we had some amazing views out across the surrounding mountains. Another short rest stop at 13,500 ft and then my rope team, guide Jess, fellow climber Larry and me, led the last section to the summit. At around 7.30 am we were climbing steadily on moderately sloping snow, and then the slope just laid back and we were on the edge of a huge crater. It was quite a moment, and pretty emotional. I’d told my team mates about my cancer and about Fit to Fight, and they had been incredibly supportive. There were lots of high fives and hugs, then we hiked across to the “true” summit on the north side of the crater rim to sign our names and take the all important summit shots. All too soon it was time to head back down the nearly 9000 ft to Paradise. This was by far the hardest part of the climb for me and there were times when I worried I might not be able to get all the way back down. The descent of the Cleaver was especially tough as we couldn’t afford to trip and fall on the steep, rocky slopes that dropped steeply onto huge cliffs. Finally we got back to Camp Muir. I was so exhausted I could hardly force myself to eat, but managed to get down a few apricots and raisins before the final 4 mile descent to the end of the route. By this time I was just on auto-pilot, moving my legs down hill and trying not to fall. Then, at Panorama Point about 2 miles from the trail head I got a huge boost as my wife Sarah was waiting to meet me. It felt so good to see her again, and to have her beside me on the last bit of the hike down. Finally, at around 4.30 pm, after climbing 3200 ft to the summit and descending nearly 9000 ft in one day, we reached the Paradise parking lot and the end of the climb. What a day! What an experience! And I never would have done it if it hadn’t been for FIT TO FIGHT. They got me back on track towards being fit and strong. They made me believe that I could still pursue big physical challenges despite my illness. Thanks to Sam and all of the people at FIT TO FIGHT for giving me one of the greatest experiences of my life!