elevation:	14,411 ft (4,392 m)
location:	Washington State, USA
range:	Cascades
coordinates:	46° 51' 11.9? N 121° 45' 35.6? W
first ascent:	1870 by Hazard Stevens and P.B. Van Trump

Climbing Mt. Rainier is not an easy endeavour. It is a technical glacier climb and most climbers require two to three days to reach the summit, with weather and conditioning being the most common reasons for failure. Climbing teams require experience in glacier travel, self rescue, and wilderness travel. In most years, dangerous route conditions and/or storms take the lives of several climbers.

Captain George Vancouver sailed into Puget Sound in 1792, and became the first European to see the mountain. He named it in honor of his friend, Rear Admiral Peter Rainier. In 1833, Dr. William Tolmie explored the area looking for medicinal plants. He was followed by other explorers seeking challenge. Hazard Stevens and P.B. Van Trump received a hero's welcome in the streets of Olympia after their successful summit climb in 1870. John Muir climbed Mount Rainier in 1888, and although he enjoyed the view, he conceded that it was best appreciated from below. Muir was one of many who advocated protecting the mountain. In 1893, the area was set aside as part of the Pacific Forest Reserve in order to protect its physical/economic resources: timber and watersheds.

On March 2, 1899, President William McKinley established Mount Rainier National Park as America's fifth national park.