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On Rainier, we always rope 3-man teams with 30M, 4 man with 45, basically nearly 15 meters between climbers. If you have a 3-person team, consider simply getting an 8mm, 30M rope for Rainier (Beal?). These little 30M lightweight gems are great for quick belays on spring/summer alpine routes. Of course you don't lead vertical rock with them. Last time I bought one they were just about 60 bucks. voila!

climbing_rob wrote:On Rainier, we always rope 3-man teams with 30M, 4 man with 45, basically nearly 15 meters between climbers. If you have a 3-person team, consider simply getting an 8mm, 30M rope for Rainier (Beal?). These little 30M lightweight gems are great for quick belays on spring/summer alpine routes. Of course you don't lead vertical rock with them. Last time I bought one they were just about 60 bucks. voila!

So on your 30m 3-man scenario, you're not coiling rope on the ends? I thought a little extra was thought to be good in the event of a crevasse fall/rescue situation. No?

d_baker wrote:

climbing_rob wrote:On Rainier, we always rope 3-man teams with 30M, 4 man with 45, basically nearly 15 meters between climbers. If you have a 3-person team, consider simply getting an 8mm, 30M rope for Rainier (Beal?). These little 30M lightweight gems are great for quick belays on spring/summer alpine routes. Of course you don't lead vertical rock with them. Last time I bought one they were just about 60 bucks. voila!

So on your 30m 3-man scenario, you're not coiling rope on the ends? I thought a little extra was thought to be good in the event of a crevasse fall/rescue situation. No?

Certainly not a bad idea, but not really needed either, IMHO. I've found that coils are highly annoying and make the messy situation of all that gear hanging on you even messier. We practice these C-falls all the time with only the 30M, and cover what I think are all the scenarios well. I never found the need for the extra, personally, though I'm always willing to tune the system if someone can describe a credible scenario that needs this. IF we were climbing a remote mountain, Logan, Fairweather, something like that, I would probably highly consider this, but not Rainier by a standard route.

For actual real-life crevasse falls, I personally have fallen in once, as the point man, about 15 feet down, but ultimately managed to climb out on my own (my fall was caught by the guy behind me). So I've never been a real-life "rescuer", only a "rescuee". So my REAL crevasse falling experience is somewhat limited.

Sorry to hijack the thread, haha. To clarify:

When I said "winter/spring alpine routes" I was thinking steep couloirs, ridge runs, traverses, rappels. Maybe short rock pitches like Bancroft's East Ridge.

The rope's main purpose will be glaciers. Thanks for the feedback so far, guys.

I live inthe PNW and all I have are 60 and 70 meter, 9.2 - 10.5 mm ropes. If there are two of us we may shorten the rope (rescue coil) on either end, if there are 3-4 we just do even spacing.

About the weather, who knows what time of year is best, anywhere form now till early September you just have to take your chances so do not cut your trip short,make sure you have a few days just in case. Theorectally the routes will be the best May thru Mid July, of course thats prime avy season as well.

I own the edelweiss discover 8mm 30m and a regular climbing partner has a comparable beal rope. Have used them on a few glacier routes (rainier, hood, mt. blanc) with 2 or 3 person teams and they worked well. Also been happy with them on snow climbs and summer raps in Colorado. I have a bluewater dominator 9.4mm 70m that I've been really happy with on alpine trad routes. It's quite light for a single rated rope, but I'm glad I don't have to take it on glaciers or snow climbs.