Best Mount Rainier Climbing Guides 2025

I had a great experience climbing Mount Rainier with Alpine Ascents even though I did not make it to the top. This was my first time climbing. The guides were great, we were fed well, I learned some mountaineering skills and I got to camp on a glacier at 11 thousand feet with fantastic views. . Be warned it is very physically challenging so if you want to make it all the way be ready. I would highly recommend Alpine Ascents to anyone who wants to climb a mountain.

I recently completed the Mount Rainier climb with Alpine Ascents International. This was my first time mountaineering. On our climb, there were four guides that accompanied us: Peter, Robin, Phura and Travis. They were spectacular. It is hard to imagine having better leaders. All four were professional, courteous, instructive, entertaining and caring. They truly made a concerted effort to make the trip as enjoyable and informative as possible. In my opinion, it is the people that make an organization, and AAI has that in spades. If you are deciding between which organization to leverage for a climb or trek, I would strongly encourage you to choose AAI. I did, and will continue to do so in the future!

After receiving a last minute email a year ago, calling off the climb due to the extended warm temperatures, we were excited to be on the mountain this year. As my first-ever mountaineering experience, our journey up Emmons Glacier to the peak of Mount Rainier was a true adventure and great learning experience. Our guides Timm, Jackson, Kevin, and Jacob all did a fantastic job. They were all very hospitable, interesting, fun to be around, and did a great job communicating and explaining everything throughout the 5 days. I recommend to anybody willing to put it the work!

My experience is a bit older. I went with Miyar Adventures to Mount Rainier in 2017. The first day was full of practice and it ended with camping at Ipsut Creek Campground. On the next day, we did a lot of practicing and we went climbing the beautiful Carbon Glacier. It was just a beautiful adventure and I don't think I can ever forget the time I spent at the summit. Again, thanks to all the Miyar Adventures teams for making this trip so special for me.

When I first moved to Seattle in 2015, I wanted to climb Mount Rainier. I was to go to RMI expeditions, one of the leading guiding companies for Mount Rainier in Seattle. RMI is very goal oriented, they are not customer oriented. They have these insane guidelines and will turn a climber back when they feel the climber can no longer reach the summit. Also since they have broken it down to a science, one doesn't have a sense of magic when they reach the summit. It is almost too mechanical. Miyar on the other hand is an amazing experience from the get-go. Their guides are really friendly, the guide to climber ratio is around to 1:3 and they understand what kind of an experience one is seeking. The reason why I would love to climb again with Miyar is because the experience is tailored to my needs. Plus, they have a plethora of climbing programs, from Shukshan to Everest Base Camp, from camping and backpacking in Rainier to outdoor rock climbing. Plus their store is very conveniently located in Redmond.

Overall season went extremely well with culmination of successful Mount Rainier Summit Climb. Sandeep & Glen from Miyar were very meticulous in planning & helped us with all the gear that we needed for Mount Rainier & Baker climb, would not have been possible without their support, thank you Miyar Adventures

I have been on multiple climbs and hikes with Sandeep, including Mount Baker and Mount Rainier. He is a great lead, and it felt very safe all the time. The climbs are super fun with him, and he works hard to help you learn as much as possible. It's the best deal you can get!

I climbed Mount Rainier with a great bunch of people! It was super fun training and climbing with Miyar Adventures. Special thanks to Anthony and Sandeep :)

THE guides to climb Mount Rainier with. They know the mountain better than anyone. Excellent training program. Extremely patient guides. Anyone seeking to climb Mount Rainier would be wise to do so with RMI. Used them twice--on my unsuccessful attempt in June 2022 (we could not go past Camp Muir due to avalanche danger) and my successful summit in 2023. Special shout-out to guide Joe Hoch who was extremely patient with me and the rest of our group despite me repeatedly stepping on the rope and traveling faster than his set pace on the upper reaches of the mountain. Also enjoyed glissading on the lower slopes. I look forward to using RMI's services again, perhaps to climb Denali in a few years.

Last year, we had an amazing experience with Alpine Ascents on our Glacier Peak climb, which inspired us to book another adventure with them—this time, a 3-day ascent of Mount Rainier. There were several highlights of the trip worth noting. Guides John and Kate were exceptional—patient, kind, and personable. They consistently went above and beyond to ensure our safety and comfort. The real food prepared for us at camp was also a fantastic touch, making the experience even more enjoyable. However, there were some areas that could use improvement. The guide who conducted our gear check provided incorrect gear-related advice to multiple clients and seemed unapproachable. He did not engage with us or greet us either at the office the morning of the climb or at Camp Muir, which was disappointing. Our lead guide, despite her technical skills, left much to be desired in terms of client interaction. Her responses to basic requests, such as more hot water or antacids, were met with indifference or excuses. Her answers to questions about the weather or route were often unhelpful, and she displayed noticeable impatience with our inquiries. There was a lack of encouragement and acknowledgment of our efforts throughout the trip. Opportunities for building team morale and connecting on a personal level were missed, and there was no celebratory recognition of our accomplishments at the end of the climb. Given these issues, particularly with the lead guide’s attitude, we would be cautious about booking another trip with Alpine Ascents in the future.

Our RMI expedition on Mount Rainier was a frustrating and disappointing experience. From the start, we felt like we were misled. The guides, changed their attitudes drastically once we left Camp Muir, making it clear they were more interested in getting us back down quickly than helping us summit .When we reached Ingraham Flats, despite keeping up well, they began pushing us to turn back, citing that another climber had just done so. By the time we arrived at Disappointment Cleaver (D.C.), four of us were forcefully turned around. The constant emphasis on "safety" felt more like an excuse than a genuine concern, used to prevent us from continuing rather than guiding us forward.If the guides doubted our ability to summit, they could have made that judgment during our ascent to Camp Muir or even during the first day of training. Instead, they waited until the last day of the summit, only to crush our motivation with discouraging (but professional) words. The whole experience almost felt like a rip-off, as if they were more interested in doing the bare minimum (of taking us somewhere in the mountain)than actually summit. Absolutely not recommended.