Why do people climb? The danger, mixed with being in an exotic place can be really exhilarating. Being safe and coming home is one of the most exciting things about climbing. Ed Viesturs from Seattle has a mantra, "Getting to the top is optional, getting down is mandatory". When mountains are covered in snow they become very dangerous. Combine that with high altitude and things become very dangerous. Snow will cover crevasses (caves or cracks) and some climbers will have fatal falls. Some crevasses are hundreds of feet deep and a mile long. Snow is basically water that is always shifting and moving. It moves slower, but suddenly an avalanche or a serac (giant ice blocks) can crush climbers in a second. Many climbers also get lost because they lose the trail. Willow wands or markers help climbers stay on course during the decent. Surprisingly many climbers don't use willow wands when climbing in the snow because they think its a nice sunny day. Mountains are notorious for having afternoon storms, and many climber get caught and the trail gets covered with fresh snow. Another factor to deal with, especially a bigger mountain like Mt. Rainier is altitude sickness. Headaches and dehydration problems are usually normal, but occasional pulmonary edema, (fluid in the lungs) could occur, and the only remedy is to get down fast. Altitude sickness is something that could happen to anyone at anytime, the only thing one could hope for is that someone is around who is capable of a rescue. Here is a great video about the risks on Mt. Rainier by Ed Viesturs; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt3mRvwmPQY.
Cited: Ed Viesturs Book. No Short Cuts to the Top.
