Kautz Glacier

The Kautz Glacier is a narrow glacier on the southern flank of Mount Rainier in Washington. Named for August Kautz, who is sometimes credited for the first ascent of Mount Rainier, covers 1.8 square miles and contains 7.8 billion ft3 of ice. Upper Kautz Glacier extends south from the summit ice cap to Kautz Ice Cliff at about 11,700 feet. Immediately west of the main ice cliff, the glacier continues down Kautz Chute which terminates in another ice cliff just above the lower Kautz Glacier at 10,800 feet. Usually reached by a short descent from Camp Hazard at 11,300 feet on Wapowety Cleaver, climbers following the Kautz Glacier climbing route ascend this chute to the upper glacier.

Starting from the Kautz Glacier Headwall at about 12,500 feet, the lower glacier flows generally south-southwest between the Kautz and the Wapowety Cleaver. Just before it meets the Success Glacier, the Kautz makes a right turn and heads west for a short distance.