Mt. Baker Summit & Ski Descent

Qualifications

This trip is open to all individuals in excellent physical condition, with "Advanced" downhill skiing or riding ability, and previous ski touring experience. Participants should feel comfortable on black diamond terrain in ski areas, skiing in a variety of off-piste (ungroomed) snow conditions. If split-boarding, participants should be an "expert" in transitioning their board.

Participants should be able to ascend and descend 5,000' vertical feet in a day of backcountry touring, carrying a 15-20 lb backpack, or 3,000' vertical feet carrying a 35-40lb backpack.

Qualifying Programs

Recommended climbing experiences prior to Mt. Baker Summit and Ski Descent include:

Physical Fitness Training

Mountaineering requires a high degree of physical stamina and mental toughness. Even for the healthiest and fittest individuals, climbing mountains qualifies as an extremely challenging endeavor.

• Start immediately. Start a rigorous fitness and training program now with the goal of arriving in top physical condition and confident in your skills.
• Be intentional. Focus on gaining the necessary strength, stamina and skills to meet the physical and technical demands of the climb.
• Be sport-specific. The best fitness and training program mimics the physical and technical demands of your climbing objective. The closer you get to your program date, the more your training should resemble the climbing.

For the Mt. Baker Summit and Ski Descent you are preparing for:

• Steep ski touring, climbing and glacier travel with a 40-45 lb load
• A 12+ hour summit day
• Mountaineering techniques requiring core strength and flexibility

Nothing ensures a personally successful adventure like your level of fitness and training. Bottom line: Plan on being in the best shape of your life and ready for a very challenging adventure!

Below are approximate outlines of the program's physical demands that will be helpful in planning your training schedule and goals: 

Please refer to our Resources for Mountaineering Fitness and Training for detailed fitness and training information.

Acclimatization

No acclimatization is necessary for this program.

MEALS

On the Mt. Baker Summit and Ski Descent you will need 3 mountain lunches, 2 dinners, and 2 breakfasts while on the mountain.

OVERVIEW

Nutrition while training and nutrition while climbing are two very different things. You may follow a specific nutrition regimen while training to aid your desired outcomes, but once it comes to the climb, calories are what count the most. While climbing, you are trying to maximize energy and performance over a short period of time.

Our food priorities when climbing are:

• a high-calorie intake
• a variety of flavor profiles (sweet, salty, sour, etc.)
• durability/packability
• enjoyment

Caloric requirements will vary widely from climber to climber based on physical size and metabolism. It is important for you to know what your body requires. One of the normal, albeit disconcerting, adjustments to altitude is a slight loss of appetite. Bring food you enjoy. If you don't love a food at home, you certainly won't like it on the mountain!

Ample hot and cold water will be provided for your meals, drinks, and refilling water bottles. When planning your menu, don't bring any items that require extensive preparation, cooking, or simmering. We are able to provide you with boiling water but do not have the ability to actually cook food items.

Things to keep in mind as you plan your meals:

• How much space the food will take in your backpack
• How well the food will hold up throughout the trip in your backpack
• How much waste does the food produce

Consider repacking items into smaller Ziploc bags to minimize the space in your pack. Your food will get crammed into your backpack, jostled around, exposed to extreme temperatures, and even sat on (by you, of course!). What holds up better in these conditions, two slices of bread or a bagel? When packing, it is essential to consider the waste you will produce on the climb; after all, you have to carry it off the mountain. We've already mentioned repacking items to minimize space. Repacking items can also eliminate waste!

MOUNTAIN LUNCHES

Mountain lunches, aka snacks, are eaten during short breaks throughout the day. We continually snack to keep our energy levels up while we climb. We typically take rest breaks every hour or so to adjust our clothing layers, eat, and hydrate. Avoid packing any items that require preparation or hot water at each break. In terms of quantity, aim to bring 1 lb. of climbing food per day. We suggest using snack or sandwich size Ziploc bags to portion out snack food.

The importance of having foods that you genuinely enjoy cannot be overstated. Eating properly is the key to maintaining strength while in the mountains. To combat the loss of appetite at altitude, we aim to have a variety of foods that stimulate the whole palate, from sweet to sour to salty. See the sample menu and packing list below for ideas!

Breakfast

Single-serving instant oatmeal, Cream-of-Wheat, or granola make a good main course fare. A variety of granola bars, pastries, fruit, and a hot drink mix of coffee, tea, cocoa, or cider are suggested. Plan on eating a breakfast that tastes good and that you find filling. See the sample menu and packing list below for additional ideas!

Dinner

This meal will give your body the initial fuel it needs during your summit attempt. Spend time considering your options so that you go to bed nourished and ready for the climb ahead of you. Freeze-dried entrees are very convenient mountain dinners. Pay attention to the caloric quantity – it varies from meal to meal. See the sample menu and packing list below for more ideas!

BEVERAGES

Staying hydrated on the climb is crucial. You will have access to ample cold water while at camp for drinking and replenishing water bottles. When climbing, you will want to ration how much water you drink at each rest break to ensure you have water throughout the entirety of your climb. You can expect breaks to occur approximately every hour or so of climbing.

Just as with food, it is important to have a variety of things to drink that excite your taste buds. Drink mixes such as Gatorade, Kool-Aid, Liquid IV, Nuun, etc., are great for flavor. Hot beverage options are also an important component to consider while at camp. Coffee, tea, cocoa, and cider are great ways to warm up in the evening before bed, when you wake up for your alpine start on summit day, and to recharge once back at camp.

Payments

Deposit Payments: A non-refundable deposit payment of $400 per person secures your reservation.

• Deposit payments may be made via MasterCard, Visa, American Express*, e-check/ACH, check from a U.S. bank, or wire transfer**.
  • **Wire transfers must cover all fees charged by your bank. The amount of the incoming wire to our bank must equal the balance payment amount.

Balance Payments: The balance payment is due 120 days before the start of your program.

• Balance payments may be made via MasterCard, Visa, American Express*, e-check/ACH, check from a U.S. bank or wire transfer.**
  • **Wire transfers must cover all fees charged by your bank. The amount of the incoming wire to our bank must equal the balance payment amount.
• A payment reminder is emailed approximately three weeks before your payment due date. If your balance payment is not received 120 days before the start of your program, your reservation will be canceled, and all program fees will be forfeited.
• Payment in full is required when registering for a program within 120 days of the departure date.

*There is a 3% surcharge on all credit/debit card transactions. Credit/debit cards are not accepted for payments of $10,000 or more.

Cancellation

The $400 per person deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable.

• All cancellations require written notification. Once the RMI Office receives your written notification of cancellation, the following policy applies:
  • If you cancel 120 or more days before the start of your program, the $400 per person deposit will not be refunded.
  • If you cancel less than 120 days before the start of your program, no refunds will be issued.

Due to the time-sensitive nature of these programs, and the amount of preparation time required for this program, we strictly adhere to our policy and cannot make exceptions for any reason.

Cancellation Insurance

We highly recommend travel insurance for this trip. Please see our Travel Tab for details.

Change of Date

Date changes are subject to availability and apply only to the current climbing season. Date changes may be requested at anytime up to 90 days prior to your departure date for a $200 fee per person. No date changes allowed less than 90 days before departure.

Risk Management

Please clearly understand that mountaineering is inherently hazardous. Managing risk is RMI’s number one priority. Our guides manage significant hazards inherent in mountaineering, but they cannot eliminate them.  Objective hazards include rockfall, icefall, avalanches, slides or falls by individuals and rope teams on steeper slopes, weather-related problems including cold, heat, high winds, and other unnamed dangers that can occur while climbing.

You are choosing to engage in an activity in which guided and non-guided climbers have been injured or killed. While those accidents are indeed infrequent, they may occur at any time and be out of our control. We ask that participants acknowledge the risks and hazards of mountaineering and make their own choices about whether or not to engage in this activity. 

Participant Responsibilities

Mountaineering is both an individual challenge and a team endeavor. Each Participant is required to share in the responsibility of the safety and success of the team. For this reason, we ask that each Participant:

• Possess the climbing prerequisites required for this program.
• Possess the necessary physical and mental fitness required for this program.
• Review and understand all program information.
• Update the RMI Office if there are any changes to your health or medical information before departure.
• Be properly attired and equipped as outlined in the Equipment List.
• Act in a considerate manner toward all team members.
• Help minimize our impact on the environment and follow appropriate Leave No Trace practices.
• Describe yourself, honestly and accurately, in terms of fitness, health, skills, abilities, and your equipment to your guide staff.
• Communicate with your guide staff if there are any changes in your medications or health while on your program.
• Adhere to the advice of your guide staff.
• Continue to self-assess throughout the program, evaluating your fitness, health, skills, and abilities in terms of the demands required of the program.

RMI reserves the right to dismiss the Participant from a program or to send the Participant to a lower altitude at any time if the RMI Guide Staff determines, in its sole discretion, that the Participant is not physically, technically, or psychologically prepared for, or capable of participating in the program, or for any other reason that may compromise the safety, health, or well-being of the Participant or the entire group. If this decision is made, the Participant will not receive any refunds or credits and will be financially responsible for all additional costs associated with an early departure, including but not limited to, evacuation, transportation, hotel reservations, meals, etc.

Zero Tolerance Harassment Policy

Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. (RMI) does not tolerate harassment or mistreatment of our participants or employees. Inappropriate conduct under this policy may include conduct that creates a disrespectful, intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment for a participant or employee. Engaging in such conduct is a violation of this policy.

RMI may consider conduct to violate the policy even if it falls short of unlawful harassment under applicable law. When determining whether conduct violates this policy, we will consider whether a reasonable person could conclude that the conduct created an intimidating, hostile, degrading, or demeaning environment.

Violation of this policy may result in removal from a program, as well as refusal to provide services indefinitely. We place the utmost value on the safety of our participants and employees. Please report any incidents to RMI management.

Age requirements

All participants must be 18 years old at the time of registration.

Photo Release

RMI’s Photo Release outlines the terms and conditions for using your likeness in photographs, videos, or other digital media. 

I hereby grant Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. (RMI) or its affiliates permission to use my likeness in a photograph, video, or other digital media (“photo”) in any and all of its publications, including web-based publications. By granting permission, you allow RMI to utilize these media for lawful purposes. 

Here are the key points:

1. Authorization: You authorize RMI to edit, alter, copy, exhibit, publish, or distribute the photos.
2. Ownership: All photos become the property of RMI and will not be returned.
3. Compensation: You will not be compensated for these uses.
4. Rights: RMI exclusively owns all rights to the images, videos, and recordings and to any derivative works created from them. 
5. Waiver: You waive the right to inspect or approve printed or electronic copies.
6. Release: You release Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. and its assigns and licensees from any claims arising from these uses, including defamation, invasion of privacy, rights of publicity, or copyright.
7. Hold Harmless: You hold harmless, release, and forever discharge RMI or its affiliates from any and all claims, demands, and causes of action which I, my heirs, representatives, executors, administrators, or any other persons acting on my behalf or on behalf of my estate have or may have by reason of this authorization.

Summit Attempt

RMI cannot guarantee that you will reach the summit. Weather, route conditions, your own abilities, or the abilities of other climbers may create circumstances that make an ascent unsafe, and you or your entire group may have to turnaround without reaching the summit.

Failure to reach the summit due to a person’s own lack of fitness or to any of the events associated with mountaineering (such as weather, route conditions, avalanche hazard, team dynamics, etc.), are not Rainier Mountaineering, Inc.’s responsibility and will not result in a refund, credit, or reschedule.

General Policies

RMI's program schedule and itineraries are subject to change or adjustment based on a number of factors. These include, but are not limited to, route conditions, weather, group strength, terrain, other environmental factors, and many other factors. RMI has complete discretion to change plans to accommodate any of these or other factors, including but not limited to, increases in program fees, changes to program schedule or itinerary, and changes to guides or staff, as necessary for the proper and safe conduct of the program. Once the program has started, the Lead Guide will decide on any changes to the itinerary, including ending the program early if the continuation of the program may compromise the safety, health, or well-being of the group.

We reserve the right to cancel any program due to inadequate signups, weather, route conditions, or for any other reason. In such a case, we will make every effort to reschedule the Participant on a different program date. If rescheduling is not possible, we will issue the Participant a refund for all program fees paid to RMI, less any non-refundable payments made on behalf of the Participant in preparation of the program, and prior to the cancellation of the program. RMI cannot be responsible for any non-refundable expenses the Participant incurred in preparation for the program (i.e., airline tickets, hotel reservations, rental cars, equipment purchases or rentals, etc.).

Once a program begins, there are no refunds or credits for weather-related cancellations, or for a program that may end early due to weather, route conditions, or any other circumstances that may compromise the health, safety, or well-being of the group. Furthermore, if the Participant decides for any reason not to begin a program, or to discontinue a program at any time, no refunds or credits will be issued. The Participant will be responsible for all additional costs associated with an early departure, including, but not limited to, evacuation, transportation, hotel reservations, meals, etc.

The Participant is responsible for any costs incurred due to COVID-19, including but not limited to, any testing fees or costs associated with medical care and/or quarantine such as hotel accommodations, meals, separate transportation, etc.

Land Costs are provided as a package, and refunds or credits will not be issued for any unused costs.

The Participant understands and agrees that RMI assumes no responsibility or liability in connection with any travel and hospitality services provided to the Participant by other companies in connection with the program, including but not limited to, the services provided by airlines, hotels, rental cars, and transportation companies. In addition, RMI is not responsible for any act, error, omission, or any injury, loss, accident, delay, irregularity, or danger by a supplier of travel or hospitality services to the Participant in connection with the RMI program. The Participant will be responsible for all costs associated with any travel delays, missed connections, or missing baggage that requires additional arrangements (separate transportation, hotel accommodations, meals, etc.) to be made on your behalf for you or your baggage to rejoin the program.