Whatever life throws at him, Brandt says, he'll always know he did Rainier. Give me hope Help me cope, with this heavy load. The great Sierra Club founder, John Muir, for whom Rainier's midmountain camp is named, exulted about climbing the mountain in 1888. But he added a caveat. Participants need to arrange lodging for the first night.
Equipment is extra.
Other necessities, from sleeping bags and an insulated parka to glacier glasses and headlamps, can be rented at Summit Haus in nearby Ashford. 10,700-foot Mount Baker in the north Cascades of Washington. Climb stairs before mountains You don't have to be a superb athlete to climb Mount Rainier. But poor conditioning is the No. 1 reason climbers fail to reach the summit, says John Krambrink, chief ranger at Mount Rainier National Park. Nearly every member of a recent climbing team pumped up their workout schedule, some adding hill climbing or Stairmaster work.