Surviving Mount Rainier climber evacuated
A helicopter evacuated a climber stranded on Mount Rainier Tuesday, the day after his severely injured companion died on a copter flight to a hospital.
Mt. Ranier, in the state of Washington, is a mere 14,000+ feet, which makes it puny by Mt. Everest standards. Yet experienced climbers say the glaciers, storms, and often treacherous conditions on Ranier are comparable to most anything in the Himalayas. Yes, it can be that dangerous.
The tallest mountain in the lower 48, Mt. Whitney, can be summited easily in one day in the summer by people wearing shorts. Mt. Ranier, although not quite as tall, has major glaciers, and requires roped climbs with crampons and ice axes – it is orders of magnitude more difficult. And that’s not even considering the storms.