Rookie Here

Hi All,

I'm new to this forum. I've become very intrigued by mountaineering, of recent. I have little to no mountaineering experience. I'm 26 and in good shape. I have done a fair amount of strenuous backpacking (Quetico - canoeing; Chimanimani Mountains - Zimbabwe; Colorado, etc) but nothing that would qualifyy as mountaineering, per se.

My question is this: I've been looking at guided expeditions on Mt. Rainier, since through my research this seems to be considered a good jumping off point for people who are interested in this passtime. Is this a reasonable place for an in-shape novice to start(In addition to the research and conditioning I need to do)? I saw that a few outfits even offered McKinley prep courses (that include Ranier summits).

Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Thanks,

Mbutz60