Liberty Ridge is a steep buttress in between two upper lobes of the Carbon Glacier on Rainier's north face. It's a classic yet somewhat dangerous route with plenty of falling rock and ice to watch for. The most common approach is from Glacier Basin and the White River Campground, but it's also possible to reach the base of the ridge from Spray Park or the Carbon River Road. The normal route first ascends St Elmo Pass and crosses the Winthrop Glacier near the 7,500 foot level before traversing Curtis Ridge and ascending the Carbon Glacier. Curtis Ridge is a popular place to camp the first night. Climb the Carbon Glacier, avoiding the sometimes large crevasses, to a point where you can make the jump onto Liberty Ridge. The upper part of the Carbon is prone to avalanches coming off of Willis Wall. This is most frequently done on a snow bridge near 8,950 feet, but depends on several factors like the time of year. On the next 1,500 vertical feet of climbing, keep to the west side of the ridge, sometimes skirting under cliff bands. The rock on the ridge, which is usually exposed by early July, is quite loose and unstable. A small level spot beneath Thumb Rock at about 10,500 feet has enough room for a few tents and is frequently made a high camp. The cliff to the south of this camp presents three options, left, center, and right, with the center route up a gully (Class 3-4 rock or snow) most common, but all of approximately equal difficulty. The right variation can have steep water ice. From the top of the gully, the route continues on steep (55°) firn, ice, and snow and swings left to the east side of a small ridge of dark rock that culminates in a feature known as the Black Pyramid. Above this feature, the route merges onto the Liberty Cap Glacier. The crux of the route is the bergschrund at about 13,500 feet. Most parties cross near its left side, then swing right and up for the final climb to Liberty Cap. To reach the summit, descend and cross the broad plateau before a final climb of 800 feet to Columbia Crest. Descent is via the Emmons Glacier route. In addition to normal glacier and climbing gear, bring pickets, ice screws, a second tool. See MNRP website for more info on climbing permits. IV AI2.