Lessons learned summiting Mt. Rainier

In H2’ 2023, I attempted to climb Mt. Baker (10,786 feet) and Mt. Adams (12, 281 feet). I failed to summit during both the climbs for reasons beyond my control. While feeling dejected, it mentally made me stronger to conquer something bigger. As soon as I got back from my trip to Mt. Adams, I decided to commit to climbing something bigger and that’s Mt. Rainier (14, 410 feet). I did a bit of research to look at the right time to climb Rainier and booked my trip well in advance (almost 10 months). Fast forward to 2024, on 7-Jul-24, I was part of a group of climbers that successfully summited Mt. Rainier. And our group was featured on the RMI blog page owing to the 100% success of the entire team!

For those who don’t know much about Mt. Rainier, she is the tallest in the Pacific NorthWest standing at a vertical elevation of 14, 410 feet or easier said as the tallest point in Washington state. Climbing this mountain is every mountaineer's dream as reaching the summit requires technical skills, perseverance, and patience. The most driven climbers prepare to climb Mt. Rainier over a training period that spans several months and I am proud to say that my entire group successfully reached the summit with a 100% success rate across all of our rope teams. The National Park Service states that about 10,000 attempt the summit each year and 50% succeed. And of course none of these trips are fulfilling until you do a self-reflection on the 5-key learnings that gave me the motivation to do this post.

Challenge yourself, stay fit mentally and physically.

Everything starts with a goal and a commitment. When I decided to climb Mt. Rainier last year, I decided to improve my overall cardio-vascular strength. I followed the American Heart Association recommended target heart rate of 50% to 70% (zone 2) of your maximum heart rate for moderate exercises and 70% to 85% (zone 3) of your maximum heart rate for vigorous exercise intensity. And most importantly, aiming to lower the target heart rate to a comfortable zone on demand and establishing self-control. Patience is key. It took me a lot of persistence to fit within the profile of “excellent” cardio fitness score, but I was able to do it.

Learn to fail and acknowledge failures.

Turning around and failing to summit is hard, but its only when you fail you become mentally, physically, and emotionally stronger. As the famous quote goes “Getting to the summit is a great achievement. But the mountain will always be there. Getting back down alive is the priority”. Climbing mountains has matured me actively listen to myself and signals my body tells me so I know exactly when to stop, make a conscious decision to push myself, keep going or not. Even while I don't summit, I leave the place smiling because I know there is another chance and opportunity to climb a mountain the next time.

Reaching a summit is only half the journey.

Every time I climb a mountain, I fondly remind myself that climbing the summit is only half the journey. As you climb more and more mountains, you realize that you need to manage time effectively and plan for a successful descent. A 2006 study found that more than half of injuries have happened during the descent which is alarming because our mind likes to think that reaching the summit is the goal, when in fact, it’s not the summit of the mountain you conquer, but ourselves. Climbing several mountains over the years has matured me enough to manage time effectively and when I get the slightest doubt that I am running out of time, I turn around.

Respecting your team and culture of teamwork.

When I climb mountains, I remind myself that “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team”. On a technical climb, your ability to conquer a mountain is largely dependent on the qualities that each team member brings to the table. Similar to a project at work, each team member brings an unique skill and strengths to the table, together these are the skills required to overcome obstacles and summiting safely.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Climbing mountains has pushed me to my limits of staying uncomfortable. I have realized that learning happens when you acknowledge that you need get to comfortable being uncomfortable. Whether it’s about sleeping in a bunk or tent in the cold, learning to use the wag bag, filtering water in the wild, navigating with an ice axe while on a rope team, descending in the dark with a night light, carrying a 40lb+ backpack at a stretch to elevation gain of 4k+ over 4-5 hours, learning to sweat and stay warm in multi-layer clothing ... everything counts!

And last but not least, one of the finest learning and appreciation I have for Mother Nature is the concept of “leave no trace behind”. Having climbed mountains, I have developed a deep respect and humility for Mother Nature, respecting her by leaving no trace and doing my part to leave the environment better than I found it. Small changes, big impact.

Onwards and upwards.