Trailside: Climbing Mt. Rainier

• Release Year: 1995
• Run Time: 30 minutes

Plot

This pair of videos comprises a two-part adventure from the second season of the Emmy-nominated PBS TV series that features host John Viehman and renowned mountaineer Peter Whittaker demonstrating that scaling Washington's Mount Rainier's glacier-encrusted 14,410-foot peak is a difficult and major undertaking, but one that most anyone in good physical shape can handle. The first episode provides a snow and ice-climbing course in which Viehman and Whittaker discuss and show how to use an ice axe and crampons and how to safely rope up with partners. Part two documents the big-mountain ascent. For a first-timer, Whittaker explains, such a climb will likely be "the longest, hardest day of your life." Other topics covered include altitude sickness, pre-trip training, and the gear needed to camp out on a snowfield. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide