MOUNT RAINIER, LIBERTY RIDGE (IV, Class 4-5, Steep Snow and Ice) Mount Rainier, Washington

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Climbers at sunrise on Mt. Rainier

What more can be said about Liberty Ridge than has already been said by Roper and Steck, Beckey, and many other writers? A lot, apparently, judging by the number of trip reports and route guides popping up on the internet. And why not? Liberty Ridge is regarded by many as the classic mountain route in the Cascade Range. This most prominent feature of Mount Rainier, a sharp wedge dividing the shadowy Willis Wall, is plainly visible to millions of Puget Sound residents. Liberty Ridge is not extreme, nor is it particularly difficult, but the line is steep and pure, and it beckons. All who climb it agree that it deserves its classic status.

It is surprising that Liberty Ridge was not the first route to breach the imposing north face of Mount Rainier. Wolf Bauer and Jack Hossack made their ascent of nearby Ptarmigan Ridge on September 8, 1935; at that time, Liberty Ridge had not even been attempted. The route was climbed three weeks later, though, on September 30, 1935, by Jim Borrow, Arnie Campbell, and Ome Daiber.

Liberty Ridge

Both Liberty and Ptarmigan Ridges gained a reputation for difficulty and seriousness, and neither was repeated for some twenty years. Dave Mahre, Mike McGuire, Gene Prater and Marcel Schuster repeated Liberty Ridge in August 1955; Ptarmigan Ridge was not climbed again until Bill and Gene Prater’s ascent in July 1959. Since then, Liberty Ridge has become the route of choice on Mount Rainier for climbers from around the world; Ptarmigan Ridge has retained its status as a serious, imposing route, and is seldom climbed.

Liberty Ridge is usually approached laterally, from White River rather than Carbon River, via St. Elmo Pass and a traverse of the Winthrop Glacier. Using this approach, parties can easily reach the bivouac at Thumb Rock in a day, assuming favorable weather and crevasse conditions, although many make the first day a short day and bivouac on lower Curtis Ridge. The approach from Carbon River is longer, with additional elevation gain, which renders it unpopular for the usual weekend ascent, although it is more "pure" than the usual approach.

Ascending Liberty Ridge

From Curtis Ridge, the route crosses Carbon Glacier beneath the menacing Willis Wall. Crevasses are often difficult to pass here, requiring extensive skirting in late season. A late-summer bergschrund often forces an end run onto either Willis or Liberty Walls, or retreat. Once on the ridge, the route is straightforward enough. Aim for Thumb Rock, the customary bivouac site, at ~10,800 feet elevation. This site is unsanitary at times, and is sometimes overcrowded despite Park Service limits on the number of climbers who may occupy the site at a given time. In early season, the lower part of the ridge is largely a snow and ice climb with an occasional rock move. By late season, it can be all rock, generally loose, sometimes unreliable Class 4 and 5, prompting some parties to rope up and belay, although most scramble unroped, at their peril.

From Thumb Rock, the route continues directly up snow gullies and steep, exposed snow and ice slopes, with some Class 4 rock in places. The angle rarely changes from about 45 degrees during the entire ascent. The bergschrund at ~13,000 feet is the usual crux of the climb, sometimes involving a pitch or two of steep ice, although the entire route can be difficult under the right (or is it wrong?) conditions. It is a strenuous route, but sublime, with dramatic views of Willis Wall and its ice cliffs and down to the Carbon Glacier and beyond. Most parties climb to Liberty Cap, then descend the Winthrop Glacier to Camp Schurman.

USGS print of Mt. Rainier

Although this is not a technically difficult route, it is by no means a walk-up. Liberty Ridge is quite long, consistently steep and exposed, and is more serious than many climbers anticipate. Its classic status has lured many an unsuspecting climber to his demise. Rockfall, icefall, and avalanches are unavoidable hazards. The route is best climbed with snow cover sufficient to hold loose rock together, but stable enough to avoid sliding. Too early in the season and avalanches are a problem; too late, and rockfall is copious. The upper slopes can be very icy, making self-arrest all but impossible. Some parties climb unroped to avoid having one climber fall and drag the whole team down the mountain. Others belay the most exposed pitches, which is much safer but also much slower. The average ascent takes three or four days. Some manage the route faster, others take longer. The Grade IV rating means you can climb the entire ridge in a long day, which most parties accomplish under optimal conditions with a bivouac at Thumb Rock. If the weather deteriorates, or snow conditions are poor, or you are not in good shape, the route can take much longer. Climbers should travel light, but also be prepared for the possibility of a forced bivouac high on the mountain.


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