OlegV

got to keep business straight with new-yorkers

there are young climbers and there are smart climbers... let's just drop the topic, not a big deal!

Pete is good, but complicated. We all are - to the point when we don't understand ourselves. I think this topic doesn't belong to this TR

Pete is another story

Thanks fellas! Alex brought his new SLR digital camera and it worked great! We had two cameras, his big Pentax (for landscapes) and my compact cheap Canon (for actions). Reid was in a better shape than we expected - after all this snowfall and high avi danger. The entrance couloir was a potentially dangerous spot, especially at crevasse crossing: Higher up, conditions greatly improved. We encouneterd some thin sections of alpine ice and shallow snow: The best part is a final 500 ft of Reid - lots of ice climbing. We simulclimbed most of the way, although roping up wasn't necessary. We had not a single encounter of falling ice or avalanches. Except for the top of the Reid, the wind was zero. We topped out via the left variation of the West Crater rim - lots of loose snow. The rim ice at the summit ridge is all rotten and porous inside. Probably, the Yocum would be the same. Overall, it was one of the best Hood climbs in terms of conditions.

We didn't plan to - it just happened - it was the most logical line of ascent. I am glad we followed this line though - the last 500 vertical feet of Reid was super icy and took few screws.

Hey! Nice TR and pix! It was very nice meeting you, likewise! Forgive my oxygen-deprived brain, I got mixed up with the names. Were you Mike or Brian? A party of four? We did go all the way up the reid. Sweet conditions! The TR is coming. Alex got some nice pictures to show!

Nice TR! Probably one of the last TRs for a while now.

Agree, Iain. There is no easy way up the Hood anymore. The Pearly Gates have changed and require a move or two of the technical climbing.

Guys! The south side of Hood is nothing but a walk-up! Don't be intimidated. People 'climb' it in running shoes. In fact, going light is a key to the Hogsback. Going through the Pearly Gates is another matter. Three weeks ago MtHigh and I retrieted of the Devil's Kitchen HW variation due to ice fall, finishing via the right shoulder of Hogsback and the Pearly gates. We encountered sweet 50-55 degree alpine ice and the Gates was a 10 ft icy step. So, if you are a novice, I would recommend the West Crater Rim variation as a direct finish - it's just a snow slope. Here is another shot of Yocum a couple of days ago - morning and afternoon ones:

I'll post some tonight!

Thanks! I was around - the board takes too much time, you know. My wife spends hours on the ultra-running blog, it kinda drives her from the other tasks.

Have to say, Eric is not just a bad-uss climber, he is also a cookng maestro. Bravo, we loved your chicken so much, Stephen swollowed a peice right in the car - in a russian style with no fork or napkins. I swear. I felt somewhat zombified this night - kinda just wanted sit in the corner and sleep.

Thanks for the compliments, folks! It was a really nice day out - perfect conditions for the pseudo-extreme photography. I love this mountain! Seriously, did people climb the Castle Crags to the top? This rock looks sketchy.

Trip: Mt Hood - Castle Crags Date: 12/19/2006 Trip Report: Just before the climb, my dear wife gave me a disturbing look. Are you going to climb Hood?! - No, we are going to hike a ridge, I said. - Safe place, with no avi danger. Clearly not satisfied with my simple answer, she lets me go, play my strange games of Russian roulette. Eric (Ivan) and I are in the mood for Yocum today. Lets skip the next few hours of slow actions and imaginarily land at the base of the I-rock just around 6 am. The wind is strong and we feel sleepy. We nap for twenty minutes on the tope of our packs realizing the IR is an ultimate escape place from the loving family members and pets. Joyfully, we meet the dawn. Isnt it weird to sit on the slope of Hood and see Hood at the horizon? Is the world actually smaller than we know it? The IR is beautiful. The thought crosses our minds (actually Erics mind) to climb the IR and not to worry about the descent. I am not in the mood for the extreme alpinism. We start down towards the Reid and step on the long fracture line. Immediately, my mood is destroyed. Eric finds nothing better but jump, but the slope doesnt go. We wish we had some dynamite. We scream, but the strength of our vocal is not strong enough to trigger an avalanche. We weigh out our options and decide not to take our chances today. We need to climb two gullies, one for going up, the other (escape gully), for going down the Yocum. They have fracture lines too! Good bye Yocum. Experienced alpinists often retreat. We are still greedy for the real adventures. I never climbed the Castle Crags, but heard some people got hurt there. We like the rim ice on it (creates amazing rope stop). While climbing rim ice, a followers job is to continuously move down few steps and break the icicles, he then should climbs back up. I am not sure why we used the rope at all. Finally, we reach the first crux of our trip a narrow passage of 60-80 degree of ice and frozen mud. Here is Eric showing the wonders of his stretchiness. As usual, the follower receives the full benefits of flying rimcicles. Our traverse around the cliff ends on the steep headwall. Right above us a few pitches of melting Castle rock, already in the process of spitting out frozen freezbees. We dont want them. I am not sure if I would agree with my partner that this thing is climbable, especially at +5C. Our short day ends at the Illumination saddle again. We have time, and the energy is not wasted. I reluctantly agree to practice cave digging, so dont be surprised if you find one just below the IR. What does it take for two healthy men with no shovel to dig a shelter in a moderately soft snow? The answer is 1 h. What does it take for two healthy men with no shovel to dig a shelter in a hard snow? 3 hours at least, if possible at all. Thats the end of our day, and we know it. People stare at us as we go down, and it makes us proud. The end.

I was a bit hesitant to release this information until today it occurred to me that the guy who asked me for beta for the NF a few months ago might be a missing climber from Brooklyn. I apologize in advance, if "Fuggedaboudit" is someone else. These are two of his three PMs, the most relevant to this story. My impression was that they are going to climb the NF, not the Eliot HW. From my own experience, there are no crevasses in the left and right gully of the NF. If the guy is called from the cave (and it is presumed, he is high on the route), it must be the Eliot HW, which has 2 deep bergshrund - good hiding place. I hope this information is helpful. PM1 Fuggedaboudit journeyman Registered: 05/16/04 Posts: 89 Loc: Brooklyn Himals Hello Oleg! I am going to do the NF early December this year. I will be leading all the pitches. From the TR you posted looks like you did most of the steeper leads so let me ask you about my rack. I am comfortable leading multipitch WI4. For the ice I was going to bring 2 10cm screws, 4 16cm screws and 1 19cm screw for anchors and for Abalokovs. I am also bringing 2 screamers for use with the 10cm screws. As for rock protection thinking about 4 pitons and 5-6 of the larger size nuts. I was also thinking of bringing a #1 and #2 camalot. What do you think about the rack, especially the camalots? From your TR it doesnt sound like you brought any rock protection at all. Did you guys miss it at all? Last question- how long was the approach from cloudcap parking lot to the bergshrund? Thanks in advance! _________________________ I hate when that happens . . . Fuggedaboudit journeyman PM2 Registered: 05/16/04 Posts: 89 Loc: Brooklyn Himals Thank you very much, I really appreciate it. We werent sure about how long the approach was, and I hate carrying stuff that never comes out of the pack. I'll bring 2-3 pitons just in case and leave the rest. Already planned on 2 pickets. I'll post a TR when its over! _________________________ I hate when that happens . . .

Oh, I have pictures, but they are mostly Pete's butt descending

Finally figured out what Pete and I climbed last weekend - some sort of variation of the Devils Kitchen HW. I still think we went through the Pearly Gates. If you were to stand in the gates and drop a rock, it will follow our accent, I think. Rough boys.

Very cool pictures, sounds like a fun trip! Congratulations!

Fucking real experience!!!!

Gentlemen! You made it sound like a walk in the park. Great job

Steep, icy, sustained, plenty of bad ice, watch out for falling junk, go fast and superlight. Good luck! http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/s...true#Post443914

Oh, dude, I need my powerful electron microscope to see what's going on

Great job and the TR! Any pictures?

I guess, there is no black ice anywhere in lower 48 in July