Mistakes in navigation when traveling to or from Camp Muir during storms or "white-outs" have resulted in lost climbers and hikers and occasional fatalities. To decrease the possibility of this happening to your party, we have a map available with compass bearings to and from Camp Muir in .pdf format. It includes true and magnetic north as well as prominent landmarks. While this map will not substitute for a USGS topographic map, you may find the information very helpful. The text of "Get Your Bearings" follows.

Proper bearings alone will not ensure a safe trip. Camp Muir and the Muir Snowfield are nearly surrounded by glaciers: the Nisqually to the west, the Cowlitz to the north and east and the Paradise to the south and east. A minor error in navigation may lead you onto these glaciers with their hidden crevasses and other hazards. TO STAY ON COURSE YOU MAY HAVE TO CORRECT YOUR DIRECTION OF TRAVEL TO THE WINDWARD OF PREVAILING WINDS.

Always beware of steep cliffs to the east from Camp Muir to Anvil Rock and to the east of McClure Rock. These cliffs, obscured by snow and cornices in the winter, have been the sites of mountaineering tragedies. Panorama Point is a dangerous avalanche area.

While traversing the Muir Snowfield, approach rock islands with care because of holes which form around them as snow melts. Crevasses occasionally open up on the Snowfield in the vicinity of Anvil Rock in late summer and may be hidden by new snow.

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