19m, I’ve struggled with depression, suicidal tendencies, and anxiety my entire life. From the second I saw my first mountain, and the first time I looked over the Rockies, I knew that nothing would ever fulfill me as much as they did. This past summer I went back to the Rockies alone and summited my first 14er. It was only class 3, I know it’s not mountaineering and really just a hike, but when I was up there every problem I had ever felt drifted away and I knew I wanted more I’m climbing Rainer next August with my best friend. I know this is what I want to do for the rest of my life, and it’s a blessing and a curse to be so aware of my purpose at such a young age. Does anyone have a similar experience?

Someone online once told me they got approved with only Mt Baker, solo Mt Hood south side, and 2x solo Mt Washington (Olympic range not NH) ascents.
Thought this seemed slim given what NPS suggests on the application page (‘previous Rainer, Denali, Baker, Blanc’). Maybe NPS is more generous during good conditions..?

Wondering what others experience has been and whether you’ve been approved or denied.

Edit: I’m not asking for advice nor did I mean to at all imply I was going to lie on an application. Wanted to learn what the qualifications of someone who is capable of a solo Rainer summit looks like.

I built an interactive map that lets you select a location and explore the surrounding mountain peaks based on elevation and visibility.

My guide Tomas promised me something slightly more difficult for our final day today. We climbed Arête des Cosmiques aka the Cosmic Ridge (3,842m). Gorgeous views, and a fun challenge. Some slabby scrambling towards the end.

The string of Shasta shenanigans continues.

The pair had left for Avalanche Gulch at 4 a.m. Monday and reached Red Banks around 5 p.m., five hours past the recommended turnaround time for climbing Mount Shasta, the sheriff’s office said.
By 5 a.m. Tuesday, they had reached Horse Camp but could not see the trail, authorities said.

They traveled northwest into Cascade Gulch, a steep, dry river canyon, and continued about 3 miles before becoming trapped between cliffs.

The sheriff’s office said the rescue was the third on the Avalanche Gulch route in a month.

gift link:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/10/14/magazine/yosemite-climbing-dad-east-buttress.html?unlocked_article_code=1.I1E.vKoM.v6IU3vl_yOuI&smid=url-share

Summitted Aiguilles Marbrée Nord (3,535m) today. Conditions were amazing; blue sky, very little wind. Pretty warm even wearing just a long-sleeved technical top and a wind-stopper soft shell.

The approach from the Courmayeur lift was straightforward (avoiding the crevasses!). Some scrambling especially towards the top. We down-climbed rather than rappelling down, but that would have been a fun option.

Hello guys, like the title entails I am planning a winter expedition on mount katahdin in maine and I’m looking for advice.

I have been on katahdin solo this sumner already so I could get an idea of the place.

I understand that the road to roaring brook campground is not cleared out of snow in winter so that can be a whole day in and of itself in regards to movement.

I remember the trail from the campground to chimney pond not being very long, could this be done the same day as the movement from the road to the campground or those of you who have done it think its too much ?

The point would be to be set at chimney pond on day 2 so we have 2 possible summit days if we plan a 4 day exped.

Also, during my summer hike up knife edge and down the saddle, there where those big rocks in the saddle trail down the mountain that make it kind of a pain in the a** to follow the trail (if you’ve been you can’t miss em) are they snow covered in winter or do they stick out of the snow ? Because they would make a sled virtually impossible to use.

There is supposed to be 4 of us on this trip.

If you have any other advice they will be welcome.

Edit : added the rock questions

Hi all, I’m considering this hike in December this year. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do but I’m extremely amateur and with only 2 months out is it realistic? Does anyone have any experience

Hey, I was just wondering how would be the condition on Mt Temple be tomorrow? The only thing that I would worry is avalanche tbh. We are pretty experienced, just don’t have avalanche gears.

I was wondering if it would be a good idea to attempt summit, knowing that we’re still in mid october and that weather looks pretty good.

If not, is there any other similar exciting alpine hike that is pretty similar to that, but more safe?

Thank you!

Was thinking about summiting Mt Jefferson (Oregon) on Friday. The weather forecast is looking solid but I'm wondering how much snow is up there. Has any one been up there recently?

I recently replied to a post here about a rescue on Lenin Peak, sharing my perspective as someone who summited the mountain back in 2017.

That discussion prompted me to dig out my old expedition report and publish it on Substack. I also went through my old photos and videos and added quite a few to help illustrate what the mountain, the route, and life at high altitude are actually like.

The report covers everything from preparation, equipment, and acclimatisation to the logistics of getting there, conditions at the different camps, and the final summit push. It also includes some of the less glamorous aspects of spending more than three weeks on an expedition.

The original report helped a few teams prepare for their own attempts over the years, so I thought I'd share the English version here as well. Hopefully, someone considering Lenin Peak in the future will stumble upon it and find something useful.

The report was originally written in 2017, so some details, particularly prices, logistics, and records, may be outdated.

Full report: https://matejgjurkovic.substack.com/p/lenin-peak-7134-m-expedition-report

The Reddit discussion that prompted me to revisit it: https://www.reddit.com/r/Mountaineering/s/YoUu2nrdVE

Happy to answer questions about the experience, although quite a few years have passed since my expedition!

Captured these shots on the summit of Pequeño Alpamayo (5,370m) in Bolivia, just as the sun was rising over the Andes.

I also captured some moving footage of this incredible moment. If you'd like to see what the mountain and sea of clouds looked like in motion, here's the video:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DeW1QTIzrxr/

After months of travelling and climbing across South America, this turned out to be one of my favourite moments of the entire journey.

Standing on that narrow, snow-covered summit, surrounded by endless mountains and a sea of clouds glowing orange and gold, was something I'll never forget.

What made it even more special was how quiet the mountain was. Hardly another climber around, just the mountains and an incredible sunrise.

California’s Eastern Sierra

I know the term is mostly used in rock climbing but come to think about it, has anyone really done most or all of the peaks without ascenders, fixed lines from other groups, or ladders ?