Brent Okita Sets World Record of Over 600 Mt. Rainier Summits
Join us in congratulating Brent Okita on 600+ summits
Written by: Caitlin Habenicht
Date: July 7, 2025
On June 13, at 64 years old, Crystal Mountain’s Patrol Director Brent Okita officially set a new world record: over 600 successful summits of Mt. Rainier. This achievement is more than a milestone—it’s a testament to Brent’s perseverance, leadership, and lifelong love of the mountains.
In the off-season, Brent becomes a full-time mountaineering guide. Trading patrol skis for glacier gear and rope systems, he guides on Mt. Rainier with Rainier Mountaineering Inc. (RMI). His journey with RMI began in 1986, when he was just 25 years old.
Caption: Brent Okita, 2002, top of Crystal Mountain
“A buddy introduced me to guiding,” Brent recalls. “I was hooked. There was nothing like it.”
That hook became a lifelong pursuit, leading him to major peaks across the world, including Mt. Everest and Denali—and now over 600 summits of Mt. Rainier.
Brent’s connection to the mountains began long before his guiding career. At just five years old, he fell in love with the high peaks of the Swiss and Italian Alps, unknowingly setting the course for a mountaineering life.
Winding down from the excitement of his 600th summit, we had to ask what advice Brent has for aspiring guides or patrollers:
“Be strong. Your skills need to be totally dialed,” he said. “And if you don’t like people… you’re probably in the wrong job.” Fair enough!
Caption: Brent with second-year ski patroller Brooke Auvil on an early morning control route… don’t worry, Brent has his helmet.
Even after 600+ summits, Brent says his love for guiding grows stronger every year. From all of us at Crystal Mountain, join us in congratulating Brent Okita on another incredible world record.
With passion, grit, and a lot of steps uphill, anything is possible. Here’s to you, Brent.
