So mission not accomplished. But was it worth it? Totally and unreservedly. It was incredible, and even if I never make it back on the mountain, it will go down as one the biggest adventures I've ever been on.
I'll tell the tale of our triumphs and tribulations through some pics below - enjoy! Just click on the pics to see larger images, and if you want more you can check out my Flickr album.
You park your car at Paradise, which is at 5500 ft elevation. Climb starts there with the ice-cream licking day-trippers and mega tour buses.
Meyer of the mountains.
A rest for the crew.
Home at Camp Muir - 10000 ft, the launching point for the summit.
The scene at Camp Muir.
That's the mountain's shadow in the sunset. Weird things happen when you get up high in the mountains.
Not a great photo, but it gives you a sense of what its like to get started. In the dark, by headlamp - you can see the other teams headlamps on the mountain behind us.
Again, not the best photo, but kinda cool to see glacier travel at night.
Climbing under the full moon.
Sunrise on the upper mountain.
I've seen the mountain glow pink many times - but it was surreal to be standing in it!
Mount Adams in the far off distance.
Looking back down the cleaver and towards base camp.
Orange glow as the sun begins to appear.
Mike Weber - he and I have been doing such things for 20 years.
Getting pretty high on the upper mountain.
The sights were simply stunning.
Weber soaking it in.
The team as high as we got. Unusually warm weather and a slow-moving 6-person rope-team meant we turned around for safety.
Down we go.
Onto the Disappointment Cleaver.
Back on to the ice...
Through the Ingraham Glacier.
Those are climbers on the slopes of the upper mountain - just sharing to give some perspective!
Emmons Glacier busting up as it goes downhill. Skyscrapers could fit into those crevasses.
Meyer and Weber.
Goodbye, Mount Rainier.
