Knowledge for the Mountain & Beyond
Expert Stories, Gear Advice, and Mountain Insights
At Whittaker Mountaineering, we believe the right knowledge is just as important as the right gear. Our blog brings together decades of guiding experience, gear testing, and mountain stories — all designed to make your next adventure simpler, safer, and more rewarding.
Mountain Knowledge
Gear & Summit Guides
Check out the full Summit Gear & Apparel guides from RMI Expeditions, or our simplified Gear Guides below.
Keep scrolling to see all our awesome blog content!
Make Your Point: How to Sharpen Ice Axes and Crampons
Much like a relationship, climbing gear requires upkeep in order to avoid serious bodily harm. When you’re climbing, the points of your crampons and ice axes are often the only things keeping you a...
Mountaineering Boots: Choosing the Right Boot for your Climb
With early-season climbing in full swing on Mount Rainier, we figured it was time to revisit one of the most common questions we get here at Whittaker Mountaineering; how do I choose a mountaineer...
Puffy Washing 101 We love our Puffys. They keep us warm on rest breaks, double as perfect pillows, and keep us cozy on those post-aprés walks home. But let's face it, sometimes they get real stinky...
Alpine Photography: Sunrise Pictures
If you’ve ever done an alpine start (waking up at an ungodly hour so you can be on the summit at sunrise), there’s a good chance you’ve taken a picture of the sunrise from altitude. Now, the odds t...
Mountaineering Backpacks: A Beginners Guide
If you’ve ever been mountaineering, you know how much gear you’ve got to lug along with you. Crampons, ice ax, helmet, harness, carabiners, ascenders, rope, food, water, sleeping bag, tent… the lis...
Keep Your Fingers: A Guide to Mountaineering Gloves
If you’ve been mountaineering, skiing, or even hiking in cold weather you know how quickly your fingers get frosty. When you’re surrounded by civilization, warming up your digits might be as easy a...
The Mountaineering Training Program (Part II)
This post is a repurposed version of a post at our sister company, RMI Expeditions. Find it here. Recap: Creating your Training Program This is part 2 of a 2 part series: for a guide on how to cre...
Creating a Mountaineering Training Program (Part I)
This post is a repurposed version of a post at our sister company, RMI Expeditions. Find it here. Introduction This is part 1 of a 2 part series: for the Mountaineering Training Program itself, cl...
