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The Challenge of Rainier: A Record of the Explorations and Ascents, Triumphs and Tragedies on
CLICK HERE to download the first chapter of The Challenge of Rainier, 40th Anniversary Edition
* Special 40th anniversary edition* Featuring 125 photos, 90 illustrations, and 15 maps* Original cover art by Dee MolenaarOriginally published in 1971, The Challenge of Rainier is a classic in mountaineering reference and literature, long considered the definitive work on the climbing history of Mount Rainier. Author Dee Molenaar covers geology, glaciology, and climate; early climbs dating before 1900; the pioneering efforts on over 35 routes in winter and summer; notable summit climbs; mountain tragedies on the steep slopes; and the guides who have led summit seekers over the years. For the 40th anniversary edition new information includes more recent ascents, rescues, mountain guides, and climbing trends; updated statistics through 2010; and a new foreword by famed climber (and former Rainier guide) Ed Viesturs.
* Special 40th anniversary edition* Featuring 125 photos, 90 illustrations, and 15 maps* Original cover art by Dee MolenaarOriginally published in 1971, The Challenge of Rainier is a classic in mountaineering reference and literature, long considered the definitive work on the climbing history of Mount Rainier. Author Dee Molenaar covers geology, glaciology, and climate; early climbs dating before 1900; the pioneering efforts on over 35 routes in winter and summer; notable summit climbs; mountain tragedies on the steep slopes; and the guides who have led summit seekers over the years. For the 40th anniversary edition new information includes more recent ascents, rescues, mountain guides, and climbing trends; updated statistics through 2010; and a new foreword by famed climber (and former Rainier guide) Ed Viesturs.
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1971
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 3, 2014
The view of Mount Rainier from Seattle is breathtaking. You can't view this majestic mountain without wondering its origin and stories. Last June when visiting Washington State I had a day to drive towards and through a bit of Mt. Rainier National Park. Setting out from Seattle, the day started out warm and balmy but as we drove higher and higher the weather quickly turned to ice, sleet and snow, temperature dropping quickly to the low 40's. My plan was to take the Crystal Mountain Summit Gondola Ride. If only. Closed for a few more weeks. Still the drive was scenic and I got to see a bit of the park including Longmire, Paradise, some glaciers and enjoyed a late lunch at The Sunrise Visitor Center, the only thing I could find open. Of course one day visiting Mt. Rainier is like seeking a straw in a haystack. No time this trip to explore more so buy the book.
The Challenge of Rainier is comprehensive, yet not in a narrative fashion which may lose some readers. It met my expectations and my needs. History, formation, exploration, mountaineering while explaining the lure and legend of this great mountain.
Though I do not hike anything that needs crampons and detest ice and snow, I understand the why. I can imagine the thrill of reaching the your goal of the summit and certainly Rainier's is a special achievement. Even animals wish to make it as evidenced by spotting of bear, a porcupine, ground squirrel, raven and even bumblebees. Dr. Richard Emerson, a mountaineer-sociologist describes the why this way
"To a climber, the summit defines a problem, but pleasure is found in the process f solving, not in the solution...I predict a long future for this game."
The author says the reasons have undergone subtle changes over the years. "Years ago the sport's attraction was the basic simplicity and directness of purpose--its freedom from material restrictions, organizations, and legalities. Today, after many decades of having to be explained and justified, climbing for its own sake has become accepted by the general public."
After reaching the summit the climber dutifully signs his name in the register boxes. Mission completed.
More than the why of climbing I marvel at the dedication of those who immediately and at risk to themselves, jump in when help is needed when a climb goes wrong. These men/women are given their due. Amazing people.
There are lots of statistics here with stories of the triumphs and tragedies as the subtitle promises. Who climbed, who made it, who didn't, the oldest, the youngest, etc. Citing just one, Al Gore and his 15 year old son, Albert III made the summit in severe windstorm in 1999. Most members of this party turned back including his Secret Service men. I love that of this printing the oldest male Bill Painter of Richland, WA climbed the mountain at age 82 (2005), 83 (2006) and 84 (2007) in his efforts to keep his record.
This sentiment caught my eye and while I love to travel out of the country there's a simple truth here:
"It is un-American to visit other shores when our own country contains so many places of interest" from a publication by E.S. Ingraham (1895)
My last thought on completion is the respect I feel for those who "listen to the mountain" and heed the advice of Ed Viesturs in his introduction "Just because you love the mountains, it doesn't mean they love you." He is correct in his summation that The Challenge of Rainier will provide great insight into what Mount Rainier is all about.
The Challenge of Rainier is comprehensive, yet not in a narrative fashion which may lose some readers. It met my expectations and my needs. History, formation, exploration, mountaineering while explaining the lure and legend of this great mountain.
Though I do not hike anything that needs crampons and detest ice and snow, I understand the why. I can imagine the thrill of reaching the your goal of the summit and certainly Rainier's is a special achievement. Even animals wish to make it as evidenced by spotting of bear, a porcupine, ground squirrel, raven and even bumblebees. Dr. Richard Emerson, a mountaineer-sociologist describes the why this way
"To a climber, the summit defines a problem, but pleasure is found in the process f solving, not in the solution...I predict a long future for this game."
The author says the reasons have undergone subtle changes over the years. "Years ago the sport's attraction was the basic simplicity and directness of purpose--its freedom from material restrictions, organizations, and legalities. Today, after many decades of having to be explained and justified, climbing for its own sake has become accepted by the general public."
After reaching the summit the climber dutifully signs his name in the register boxes. Mission completed.
More than the why of climbing I marvel at the dedication of those who immediately and at risk to themselves, jump in when help is needed when a climb goes wrong. These men/women are given their due. Amazing people.
There are lots of statistics here with stories of the triumphs and tragedies as the subtitle promises. Who climbed, who made it, who didn't, the oldest, the youngest, etc. Citing just one, Al Gore and his 15 year old son, Albert III made the summit in severe windstorm in 1999. Most members of this party turned back including his Secret Service men. I love that of this printing the oldest male Bill Painter of Richland, WA climbed the mountain at age 82 (2005), 83 (2006) and 84 (2007) in his efforts to keep his record.
This sentiment caught my eye and while I love to travel out of the country there's a simple truth here:
"It is un-American to visit other shores when our own country contains so many places of interest" from a publication by E.S. Ingraham (1895)
My last thought on completion is the respect I feel for those who "listen to the mountain" and heed the advice of Ed Viesturs in his introduction "Just because you love the mountains, it doesn't mean they love you." He is correct in his summation that The Challenge of Rainier will provide great insight into what Mount Rainier is all about.
August 21, 2012
This isn't a review of Dee Molenaar's comprehensive book, but my view of the extraordinary mountaineer who wrote it. My impression of Dee Molenaar is that yes, he loves the challenge of climbing, but "conquering" the mountain above all else doesn't wash with him. Getting to the top at the expense of others (including the mountain and its environment) diminishes the mountaineering spirit. Dee Molenaar mentions my father's deadly accident on Rainier in '77. My father admired Dee (and I think my father had the pleasure of knowing him), and when I heard Dee speak at Paradise in July '11, I could see why Dee was so admired. As an artist, a climber, a writer, and a human being, Dee is a role model. He spoke with such humor and insight, a true Mountaineer.
January 26, 2012
This is an informative and inspiring book. That being said, I'm not an out-doors person so it was a little hard for me. I love to learn and enjoyed reading the book. I won a copy through first reads or I may never have read it. I love when I get that chance to step outside my comfort zone and learn something new.
May 13, 2020
Dee Molenaar is not quite as good a writer as he is a mountaineer, but his book is a great resource for any Mount Rainier aficionado.
While I did read the hefty volume cover to cover (I am a glutton for punishment,) I recommend consulting it as a textbook rather than starting it at page one.
It reads pretty drily as an actual book, but is much more informative and digestible if consulted in chunks depending on what route you’re climbing.
While I did read the hefty volume cover to cover (I am a glutton for punishment,) I recommend consulting it as a textbook rather than starting it at page one.
It reads pretty drily as an actual book, but is much more informative and digestible if consulted in chunks depending on what route you’re climbing.
June 7, 2017
"As the dominant landmark of the Pacific Northwest, Mt. Rainier (Tacoma, Takhoma, or simply The Mountain) early became a magnet to those desiring to grapple with the snow and ice at a high altitude."
This is an interesting book but reads as a bit dated.
I didn't realize the latest update on this book was in the 90's, so there are a number of things that we've learned about Rainier that aren't included. However, this is really more a historical look at the mountain and not so much stories about training for or climbing the mountain. The story is more about the mountain its self and how it's related to humans.
I learned a few new things from the book but would have preferred to learn more about the typographical and anthropologic history of the mountain. It's a good read about people trying to conquer the mountain throughout history.
This is an interesting book but reads as a bit dated.
I didn't realize the latest update on this book was in the 90's, so there are a number of things that we've learned about Rainier that aren't included. However, this is really more a historical look at the mountain and not so much stories about training for or climbing the mountain. The story is more about the mountain its self and how it's related to humans.
I learned a few new things from the book but would have preferred to learn more about the typographical and anthropologic history of the mountain. It's a good read about people trying to conquer the mountain throughout history.
October 8, 2025
BOOK REVIEW – The Challenge of Rainier, by Dee Molenaar (1995)
I read this book in anticipation of a winter climb of Mt. Rainer. We ended up snowed in our tent for 2 days with the climbing rangers warning us not to attempt a climb. More precisely they said, “We can’t stop you for making an attempt, but if you do, you will like die in an avalanche.” We chose the better part of valor. But returned 6 months later for a successful summer climb.
The Challenge of Rainier is a big, generous chronicle of Mount Rainier, part history, part field guide, and part love letter from a climber-artist, Dee Molenaar, who spent a lifetime on the mountain. Molenaar blends geology, glaciology, route descriptions, portraits of early guides, rescues, and hard lessons—illustrated with his own drawings, maps, and photographs—so the book reads as both a reference and a lived narrative.
What makes the book unique is dual vantage point Molenaar. He writes as a participant, observer, climbing ranger, rescuer, guide, geologist, cartographer, and painter—whose authority comes from decades on rope and years in weather. The result is clear, practical writing about terrain and risk, braided with memory and culture. The book underscores his lifelong stewardship of the story: he kept adding new ascents, rescue accounts, and evolutions in gear and guiding, never letting the history calcify.
Molenaar refuses to romanticize Rainier’s hazards. He records whiteouts, crevasse falls, cornice collapses, and the sober calculus of turning around—never with sensationalism, always with respect. The book describes the mountain’s darkest day: the June 21, 1981 Ingraham Glacier icefall that entombed eleven climbers, the deadliest accident in Rainier history. His treatment of such events enlarges, rather than diminishes, the mountain’s moral gravity—reminding readers that judgement, partnership, and humility are as central to alpinism as strength.
Part of the book’s draw is Molenaar himself. His mountaineering career reaches far beyond Rainier: he served as a climbing ranger in the park; trained and mapped as a geologist and cartographer; and joined the 1953 American expedition to K2—experiences that deepen his eye for terrain and his respect for judgment. Back home, he climbed Rainier more than fifty times by a dozen routes, including several first ascents, the kind of miles that make his route advice and historical vignettes ring true.
Climbing books range from sensational, tragic, and heroic. Molenaar voice is simple and plainspoken. He writes to teach as much as to memorialize. He teaches that Rainier is so much more than beautiful peak on the horizon, but a living volcano that demands respect. He defined mountaineering success as more than a summit photo.
Quotes:
“In my ‘twilight years’ I’ve come to realize how empty my life would have been if devoid of mountains and the friendships gained through climbing.”
“Mount Rainier is among the highest and topographically most impressive of the world’s volcanoes.”
I read this book in anticipation of a winter climb of Mt. Rainer. We ended up snowed in our tent for 2 days with the climbing rangers warning us not to attempt a climb. More precisely they said, “We can’t stop you for making an attempt, but if you do, you will like die in an avalanche.” We chose the better part of valor. But returned 6 months later for a successful summer climb.
The Challenge of Rainier is a big, generous chronicle of Mount Rainier, part history, part field guide, and part love letter from a climber-artist, Dee Molenaar, who spent a lifetime on the mountain. Molenaar blends geology, glaciology, route descriptions, portraits of early guides, rescues, and hard lessons—illustrated with his own drawings, maps, and photographs—so the book reads as both a reference and a lived narrative.
What makes the book unique is dual vantage point Molenaar. He writes as a participant, observer, climbing ranger, rescuer, guide, geologist, cartographer, and painter—whose authority comes from decades on rope and years in weather. The result is clear, practical writing about terrain and risk, braided with memory and culture. The book underscores his lifelong stewardship of the story: he kept adding new ascents, rescue accounts, and evolutions in gear and guiding, never letting the history calcify.
Molenaar refuses to romanticize Rainier’s hazards. He records whiteouts, crevasse falls, cornice collapses, and the sober calculus of turning around—never with sensationalism, always with respect. The book describes the mountain’s darkest day: the June 21, 1981 Ingraham Glacier icefall that entombed eleven climbers, the deadliest accident in Rainier history. His treatment of such events enlarges, rather than diminishes, the mountain’s moral gravity—reminding readers that judgement, partnership, and humility are as central to alpinism as strength.
Part of the book’s draw is Molenaar himself. His mountaineering career reaches far beyond Rainier: he served as a climbing ranger in the park; trained and mapped as a geologist and cartographer; and joined the 1953 American expedition to K2—experiences that deepen his eye for terrain and his respect for judgment. Back home, he climbed Rainier more than fifty times by a dozen routes, including several first ascents, the kind of miles that make his route advice and historical vignettes ring true.
Climbing books range from sensational, tragic, and heroic. Molenaar voice is simple and plainspoken. He writes to teach as much as to memorialize. He teaches that Rainier is so much more than beautiful peak on the horizon, but a living volcano that demands respect. He defined mountaineering success as more than a summit photo.
Quotes:
“In my ‘twilight years’ I’ve come to realize how empty my life would have been if devoid of mountains and the friendships gained through climbing.”
“Mount Rainier is among the highest and topographically most impressive of the world’s volcanoes.”
November 13, 2011
The Challenge of Rainier is a complete history of Rainier; it's triumphs and tragedies from the first ascents to the present day. The book begins by describing how the mountain may have actually come to be in its current form. Then, all of the different routes to the summit of Rainier are described including sometimes detailed descriptions of the first ascents. The historical aspect of this section is interesting as the equipment and methods that the climbers use becomes more sophisticated as the years pass (from 1880's to the present day.) I was interested to learn that women were a part of climbing parties from very earl times. I also learned a lot about climbing just from reading about all the 'noteworthy ascents.' This section is enhanced by many drawings of different views of the mountain and drawings of views from the mountain as well as route maps and photographs of the climbers.
Next, the author goes on to describe the deaths and near death incidents on the mountain. Each incident is a mini-documentary of the events including the heroism of the rescue parties. Again this section is augmented with photographs of the climbers and drawings of their routes and where the incidents occurred. In the final section, the climbing guides are given their dues with descriptions from their points of view and their reasons for continuing to come back to climb Rainier. All in all, The Challenge of Rainier is a very comprehensive book about a mountain and the people who climb it. I found this book to include a little more detail than the average non-fiction reader would find interesting, but it is definitely complete and readable.
Next, the author goes on to describe the deaths and near death incidents on the mountain. Each incident is a mini-documentary of the events including the heroism of the rescue parties. Again this section is augmented with photographs of the climbers and drawings of their routes and where the incidents occurred. In the final section, the climbing guides are given their dues with descriptions from their points of view and their reasons for continuing to come back to climb Rainier. All in all, The Challenge of Rainier is a very comprehensive book about a mountain and the people who climb it. I found this book to include a little more detail than the average non-fiction reader would find interesting, but it is definitely complete and readable.
June 18, 2015
Juat re-read this. I have an autographed copy my cousin Bob J. got for me. Very good record of the mountain. I remember the first time I saw it out the window of the plane. It was shocking to see the huge volcanic cone rising out of what appeared to be the flat earth. Anyone who enjoys adventures will enjoy this.
September 22, 2010
More facts and small historical stories than a reading book, but very interesting and I like the factual basis of it all. Lots of photos of the original climbers.
November 8, 2011
Great book packed with historical facts. I really enjoyed reading it with my grandson.
November 13, 2014
NPR review made this book sound a lot more interesting than it actually is... Disappointed.
July 1, 2016
Loved this book.. Great read ..( and, a great mountain)!!
October 30, 2012
Reads like a text book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews