Mt. Rainier as known as the North American training ground of mountaineering. Which is why professional big wave surfer, Ian Walsh, joins Cody on Mt. Rainier in an attempt to prepare for his goal of climbing and riding Denali, the highest mountain in North America.
Rainier brings a bevy of lessons to the inexperienced Walsh and experienced Townsend as they navigate whiteouts, crevasses, altitude and the decision making on whether to continue and risk it all for a line or to turn around and call it a day. This is Episode 20 for The FIFTY, a project following Cody Townsend as he attempts to climb and ski all fifty of the lines and mountains chronicled in the book, “The 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America.” The series documents Townsend’s journeys, travels, challenges and each line and mountain listed in the book. It’s a journey through the most majestic mountains and ski lines in North America along with a unique insight into how skiers make decisions in the backcountry, how they plan, navigate and safely move through the mountains and the people that dedicate their lives to the mountains.
Mt. Rainier is also known by Native Americans as Tahoma, Tacoma or Ti’Swaq
