OlegV

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

ovarlamov@yahoo.com must see first!

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

Sweet!

Hmm, just called the Jenny Lake Ranger Station and EXUM. Both are sceptical about any ice presence in the Black Ice Couloir in July. They had hot June. Maybe on the Enclosure couloir and the Northwest couloir of Middle Teton. I am thinking the North Face of Grand Teton should be in better shape. Any experiences up there in summer?

Thanks, Couloir. We chose not to do the 'standard' cleaver because of the substantial rock fall. My partner was nearly hit by a big rock. He dogged it, and the rock actually scratched his boot. The temperatures stayed way above freezing even during the night.

Great job Sky! - as usual . Sick too

Curiously, they still have Black Ice Couloir in their guiding program: http://www.exumguides.com/elite/alpineice.shtml

Thanks! I'll probably need to get a book first and read up on the routes you recomended before asking stupid questions. Biving in snow caves in Idaho! What a cool idea Does it mean the ice got thinner all other the Tetons Range, or just the south-facing slopes? Global warming sucks.

Planning my first climbing trip to Teton range in early July. Interested in moderately hard mixed routes, like Black Ice and Enclosure Couloir. Anybody climbed these or similar routes in July? I heard it gets much icier later in season. Is July too early for this? Thanks!

Thanks for the compliment, Nordicpunk! The book describes it as dangeous, so people avoid it. You probably saw the trail of debries at the base of the climb, the proof of its violent nature. But I think by staying to the left, one can avoid icecliffs. There is rockfall though.