Queen Anne resident Michael Kahler had heard radio ads for years about the Climb for Clean Air, an annual American Lung Association of Washington fundraiser that takes participants to the top of Mount Rainier.
The ads finally got to him. "And I thought it would be a good thing to do," he said. Besides, Kahler has a personal reason for making the 14,410-foot trek to the summit of the state's tallest mountain. "My mom died of lung cancer," he explained. "I'm doing it for that and for the personal challenge."
To be sure, it's not a cakewalk. The climb takes place over two days, and the first leg takes climbers to Camp Muir, a base camp at the 10,060-foot level, he said. That takes about a day, according to an itinerary prepared by Rainier Mountaineering Inc. (RMI), the company overseeing the climb.
The climbers - who are divided into groups for Pamfour separate climbs that start July 13 through July 20 - take a break for a while in a mountain shack at Camp Muir. But they get up early the next morning, don crampons, grab ice axes and other gear, and head for the summit in roped-up groups of three participants each and an RMI guide, Kahler said.
RMI makes a point of warning that its clients are not guaranteed to reach the summit, but if they do and if the weather permits, they'll spend around an hour there, he said. "And then it's time to make your way all the way down the mountain."
Kahler and the other climbers in his group have been training for the climb, he said. In his case, that includes training in the gym and making jaunts around Queen Anne and up the steep Counterbalance slope. But his group has also tested themselves against Rainier.
The Mount Rainier Park opened on May 5, and his group was there the next day, Kahler said. He's been to Camp Muir three times, Kahler said. "Man, there's a lot of snow up there."
He found that out by mistake. At one point, Kahler said, he and his companions were tramping across a snowfield when he noticed some short evergreens peeking their way out of the snow. In reality, Kahler was told, what he saw was the tops of full-grown trees.
It takes him about 20 minutes to go 100 feet up the mountain, Kahler said.
"My pace is kind of slow," he admitted. "Some of the climbers zip right up there."
Each participant in the Climb for Clean Air is expected to raise a minimum of $3,500, said event coordinator Pamela Wuest from the American Lung Association. There are 57 climbers taking part this year, and it's the 19th annual fundraising event for the association, she said. "At this point, we have over $200,000 [in pledges], and we're hoping to bring in $250,000."
More than 850 climbers have taken part in the event since it began almost two decades ago, and famous mountaineer Lou Whittaker is honorary chairman of the Climb for Clean Air, which has raised more than $3.5 million since its beginning, Wuest said. The money is used for research and for programs to prevent and treat lung disease, she added.
Kahler said he's gotten money for the cause from friends. "But I also play music and put on fundraising benefit concerts," he said of gigs in Ballard and Edmonds. "People have really stepped up for me."
Kahler and his group are scheduled to start their climb on July 20. "I'm really looking forward to it," he smiled. "I wish I had started 20 years ago, but I'm glad I'm doing it now."
Anyone interested in making a donation to the climb or a pledge to Kahler can call 206-441-5100.
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