Shuksan - Sulphide Glacier

RMI's Sulphide Glacier climb runs as a four-day ascent at a 2:1 climber-to-guide ratio — no prior climbing experience required, just the fitness to move steadily under a pack. You'll approach through old-growth forest, set up high camp below the glacier, and summit the 9,131-foot peak via moderate glacier travel and 600 feet of climbing on the summit pyramid (steep snow plus belayed 4th/5th-class moves on the very top). It's the right route to find out whether bigger objectives like Rainier and Denali are in your future.

For a first technical climb, rent the items you'd only use a handful of times — boots, crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet, pack. Pick up at our Ashford shop and let staff who guide Cascades routes fit your gear in person. Save your money for the layering, sleeping bag, and small items you'll keep using as you build into bigger climbs.

This collection mirrors RMI's official Sulphide Glacier equipment list. Every item is chosen for a first-time alpine climber — boots that walk in comfortably with crampons, layers that handle a wet Cascades summer, and a pack sized for four days on the glacier without crushing a climber new to overnight loads.