Rainier park may split climbing services

The king of Mount Rainier climbing since 1968 may be forced to share the volcano's most popular climbing route.

Rainier Mountaineering Inc. (RMI), founded by brothers Jim and Lou Whittaker, could lead only one-third of the mountain's would-be guided climbers to the summit under a new proposal by Mount Rainier National Park.

After years of grousing by other guide services about RMI's near-monopoly in taking clients up the popular Muir route, the park is recommending that its guiding concession be split among three contractors. If the proposal is adopted, the park for the first time would accept competitive bids from guide services seeking to share in the lucrative climbing business on one of the nation's premiere peaks.

"Guiding on Rainier is a real privilege — it's an icon in American climbing," said Dunham Gooding, with the American Alpine Institute in Bellingham. "I think tens of companies would be very interested in guiding there, but obviously the competition would be severe."

Gooding's company is one of four that since 1997 have held "incidental" permits to lead 36 clients a year up Rainier's Emmons Glacier. But RMI has exclusive rights to lead climbers up the Muir route, and, by comparison, took 3,333 climbers in 2001.

Over the years, guides — and some climbers — had complained that RMI's long "mule trains" of up to 24 climbers at a time didn't suit everyone's needs.

RMI manager Peter Whittaker told The Seattle Times last fall that the company had changed many of its practices but still expected the Park Service to make a change.

Under the plan, RMI would likely retain one of the contract positions, said Christopher Jones, who helped author the plan. Guides could lead 1,333 climbers each up the Muir route and 160 apiece up the Emmons and Kautz routes. Up to 18 "single-trip" guided climbs would be offered to other guides.

Craig Welch: 206-464-2093 or cwelch@seattletimes.com

Public meetings


Mount Rainier National Park will hold four public meetings and take comment until Nov. 25 on a plan to open up guided climbing to other companies. If the plan is enacted, it would likely take effect for the 2005 climbing season. The plan can be found at: www.nps.gov/mora/current/
park_mgt.htm#CSP

The meetings:

• Yakima: Sept. 16, 7 p.m., at the Doubletree Inn, 1507 N. First St.

• Tacoma: Sept. 18, 7 p.m., at the Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Ave.

• Ashford: Sept. 23, 7 p.m., at a location to be determined.

• Seattle: Oct. 2, 6:30 p.m., at The Mountaineers Club, 300 Third Ave. W.