bedellympian

For new climbers and/or climbers new to Oregon it's really hard to get a copy of Oregon High or even know it exists until someone tells you about it. I knew you could do the regular south side route of Hood and I'd seen an OPB show where people climbed from the north side but I didn't know there were more difficult routes on the mountain until I heard about Yocum Ridge. I think for a lot of climbers Mountain Project is a good place to start, not that it has that much, but it is well known and includes routes all over. I would look at Summit Post too but I quickly got annoyed by the lack of information on real climbing and how timid most users were about technical routes. So yeah, I think MP is a great starting point for finding established routes. Thanks for putting info on there to help cheap-ass guide-book-less climbers like me find something fun to do!

That looks awesome! I was on Vancouver Island this summer and then flew over it on the way back from AK. I was blown away by the mountains I saw, especially Colonel Foster from the air. It's too bad it's such a haul to get there from the US, although that remoteness is part of the appeal for this Yankee.

Thanks Ben. Reading your beta on the route on Mtn Project is what gave me the idea to get on it in the first place. It's definitely a fun little gully!

Trip: Mt. Hood - Devil's Kitchen Headwall (left var solo) Date: 1/5/2014 Trip Report: I soloed Devil's Kitchen Headwall via the L gully (route 1c in Oregon High) with the R finish around the back of the gendarme. The conditions were very thin with mandatory mixed moves but it was doable. Definitely a little sketchy in places, the worst actually being the back of the gendarme where there is steep unconsolidated snow. I wasn't on route til after 7:30 and there was some ice fall, nothing big. More pictures, details and self-aggrandizement on my blog... Mountain Mischief Hopefully we get some more snow and the alpine routes get in better shape... along with the skiing! Gear Notes: 2 tools, there is no place for pro that I could see. Approach Notes: South side from Timberline, no flotation necessary, bad skiing snow (read chunky ice plates everywhere).

"Seems like two harnesses are in order?" -JasonG I have a BD Couloir (super light webbing harness for easy routes). Of course I'm not taking whippers on Hood but any harness can take whippers. At Smith I tend to climb more in the Lower Gorge or get on the classic trad and multi-pitch lines on tuff. Working harder sport climbs happens but isn't really a priority for me. This harness would be more for Illumination Rock type of climbs where a variety of gear is needed.

Also, after reading online reviews I'm interested in the CAMP Quartz CR3 and just getting a new Petzl Adjama... any experience with either of these two out there? Out of these 5 what is the most durable?

Thanks for the input guys... So far... BD Aspect- 2 Met Comp-1 Ptzl Calidris- 1 Some questions: I have skinny legs for my 33" waist but I will take this on Hood in winter and crag at Smith in summer. Do I still need adjustable leg loops? Since the adjustable leg loop buckle is wearing my leg loops on my old harness I am feeling like they are better to avoid? Opinions?

I can get discounts on Camp, Metolius, DMM, Edelrid, Petzl, Trango and BD so I prefer stuff in those brands but I will pay full price if something is worth the price.

I have been climbing in a petzl adjama I bought used off a climbing partner for over a year. It is showing wear on one leg loop strap and I want to purchase a new harness. My budget is... the cheaper the better. I am really looking for an all-around harness (trad, sport, ice, alpine, but more focused on trad and alpine). It doesn't have to be perfect, I'm a skinny guy and I need to be able to do hanging belays, rack a bunch of gear, not have it weigh too much, and not break the bank... sounds like just about any harness they have out there these days so really just asking for some recs... Hit me!

I was up at Paulina Falls (Newberry Crater, Central Oregon) yesterday, Sunday 12/8. The R falls are totally covered but there is water underneath. We TRed both sides of the flow multiple times, one of 3 parties out there. The L falls is in on either side but still a bunch of water coming down the middle, daggers over the middle early in the day but they all came off in the sun.

Glad you like the photos. I am always trying to figure out good winter alpine/ice routes to do in Central Oregon. Got any recommendations?

Trip: Broken Top - 11 o'clock couloir Date: 11/30/2013 Trip Report: Chris Sepic and I camped out near Broken Top Friday night with the intention of climbing anything besides exposed volcanic choss. We ended up climbing the 11 o'clock couli as it was the most obvious line "in condition". "Oregon High" lists the route as 500ft of 50 degree snow with the chance for near vertical snow in the last 10ft as you approach the cornice. The more recent "Best Climbs Cascade Volcanoes" lists the less helpful and more ambiguous rating of grade II, class 4-5, AI2. There is minimal snow right now (Bachy lists ~18"). S face and low elev snow is 2-3" hard crust on top of sugar. NW face I saw at high elevations has windblown pow drifts and exposed rock. Lots of rock is still exposed on steep areas, esp S facing. There was rain, or some semblance of it at our camp (~7300') during the night and it appears that rain hit the snow as high as 8k'. The good side of this is there was no cornice at the top and the neve was quite good. The bad side is we need a lot more snow here before the skiing is even remotely enjoyable, and we need a good freeze/thaw after that to put any of the climbing routes in shape. We investigated the traverse to the NW ridge and the summit but unconsolidated snow drifts mixed with exposed scree/mud lead to a decision to turn around. I think this terrain was easily climbable safely but it would have taken some time. 11 o'clock is the recommended descent route on that side of the mountain so we just downclimbed the route. My blog post with more info and pictures of the route and other possible routes in the crater: Mountain Mischief Gear Notes: Tools, pons, helmets. We brought screws, nuts, slings and rope since we really had no idea what would be out there but never used any of it. Approach Notes: Me: rando skis Chris: slow shoes Both work about equally well right now. We followed the cat track from Dutchman's Flat snow park.

I guess I better start growing out my stache too

Awesome! I can't wait to get back up there this season!

Went back to Trout again this past weekend... better weather = more people. Tried some 11s and got spanked. Getting better on the 10ish terrain though. Hopefully see you out there one of these weekends Wayne! http://mountainmischief.blogspot.com/2013/11/trout-take-2.html

Trip: Trout Creek - multiple Date: 11/2/2013 Trip Report: I went to Trout Creek for the first time this past weekend. We saw 2 other people at the crag on Saturday and no one on Sunday. Maybe the bad weather forecast scared people away but it was really ideal for climbing, just a bit chilly belaying and only a few drops of rain. The highlight was definitely the food... chilli and cheese over noodles for dinner and deluxe breakfast burritos which powered our sending on Sunday. Not to mention the extra beer calories! We took things pretty easy with the weather and me being new to the crag. Saturday we tried Goldrush (10-), Landing a Monster (10), JR Token (10), and Suzuki (10+). I got nothing clean. Sunday we climbed U3 (9+), Suzuki, Fissuremen (10-), and Mr. Squiggles (10). All clean! Hopefully my hands will heal and I'll be back next weekend... stoked! Pointless blabering and some photos on my blog: Mountain Mischief Gear Notes: triples of everything, quadruples of some things, quintuples of #2 for Goldrush... tape Approach Notes: see MP or the guide book

Kirk linked you to TMG's site. I hear they typically guide Edge of Light (2-3 pitch 5.10 arete). There is also a 5.8 2 pitch called Far East Buttress with a fun wide crack at the top, and a 5.9 5 pitch called Cougar Buttress which deposits you beneath the headwall where there are some 5.11 and 5.10 options (apparently either chossy or runout). There are quite a few single pitch bolted routes, mostly on slab and hard, especially since there is no chalk to read moves. Bolted lines next to cracks have not been well-tolerated in the past, but I have no first hand experience with any of the development having only lived here about 20 months. The trails haven't been well maintained recently, I hear some key people moved away, so expect scree.

Trip: Acker Rock - Peregrine Traverse and Where Eagles Dare linkup Date: 10/5/2013 Trip Report: On Saturday Josh Lagalo and I climbed the Peregrine Traverse (10 pitch 5.7) and Where Eagles Dare (8 pitch 5.9) on Acker Rock. Acker is a mainly a SE to NW rock ridge with a big SW face. Peregrine starts at the bottom of the SE ridge and traverses the ridge line to the old fire lookout at the summit. Eagles ascends the SW face to a dramatic spire separate from the main summit ride. To access Eagles you have to rap 6 pitches down the SW face on an adjacent bolt line. We had perfect blue skies and warm temps with only a slight breeze, a great reprieve from the early fall rain we have had. We climbed Peregrine (bottom to top) in about 2.5 hrs, took a short break at the summit, and climbed Eagles (raps back to main summit) in a little over 4 hrs. The rap line to Eagles and the lower slabs were dirty (presumably from recent rain). Everything else was pretty clean and dry. Rock quality is variable but mostly solid with awesome pocket jugs and amazing friction. Both routes are well bolted with the exception of some low 5th/4th sections on Peregrine and the final (optional) chimney pitch. Check out the blog for pics and more details... Mountain Mischief Gear Notes: 70m rope (60 is fine), helmets!, 12 alpine draws (10 is plenty for Peregrine but you'll really want 15 for the 5th pitch on Eagles). We also brought .75-2 camalots and nuts but only placed two cams on the last pitch of Peregrines (those not comfortable with long run outs on easy 5th w/ big exposure would place more but I'd say our rack was adequate for anyone). Approach Notes: Gate is locked due to Gov Shutdown. Half mile hike on the road to Peregrine climber's trail: many downed trees and it goes in and out but there is still some pink and red flagging. The rap line from eagles starts beneath a small tower directly across the notch from the pinnacle summit where it ends and follows a water channel down the cliff.

Doesn't look like there are paniers on his bike in the picture. I've done 40+ one-way with a backpacking pack and it wasn't ideal but it works better than you would think. Paniers are awkward in their own way. My preferred method is throwing the pack in a baby-haulin' trailer. Makes drivers way more respectful of you, although up hills are a pain in the butt.

Hey Water, I definitely agree with you. Thru hikers seem to get a lot of good luck... and blur the limits between climbing and hiking when they get adventurous. I can definitely sympathize with their adventures having come from a hiking background. I have done plenty of fourth class in running shoes and walked that line of ability and stupidity. When I found out about this guy and his mis-adventure I was torn between thinking how awesome it was that he had just gone for it without beta or gear (a can-do attitude that a lot of crag-centric climbers could benefit from in the mountains) and thinking that he was foolish/stupid.

Trip: South Sister - Prouty Glacier Date: 9/2/2013 Trip Report: My friend Kolby (trail name Condor) is heavily involved in the PCT thru-hiking community and regularly lets thru hikers stay at his house in Bend. At 11:20 on Monday morning I got the following text from him: "A thru hiker staying with us attempted to go down the north side of South Sister yesterday w/o any climbing gear. He found himself in a position where, if he lost his grip, he would fall. He saved himself by removing his backpack, which fell down the mountain. He was able to get off the mountain safely but lost all his gear and hitched back to bend with only what he was wearing (which didn't include a shirt). I'm asking if anyone has an ice ax he can borrow today to go look for his backpack on the northeastern side of South Sister." It turns out he had seen the moderate looking north ridge of South Sister on his topo map and attempted to descend it toward Middle Sister. He got off route in steep terrain and dropped his pack thinking it would land on a ledge 20 feet down and he could retrieve it. Instead the pack bounced down over a 1,000 vertical feet of choss cliffs towards the Prouty Glacier and he was unable to see where it had come to rest. After trying unsuccessfully to down climb further he climbed back over South Sister, hiked out in the dark and got a ride with other late hikers back to Bend. If I'm being honest I have to admit that I could see myself getting in a similar situation. I decided to help the poor guy out; drove him out there, hiked in. We took one look at the face and thought that it was more likely we would discover a woolly mammoth entombed in ice than the pack. None the less we worked our way up to the glacier. He had minimal running shoes and no gear so I left him on some scree and headed up the ice. It was already 5:30 at this point and I figured I would turn around at 6 so we had a chance of finding the trail in daylight. Just as I reached the top of the glacier where it meets the cliff I looked up and saw a blue and yellow blob a mere hundred feet to my left, it was 6:01. I brought the pack down to him and it was miraculously intact minus a couple broken plastic buckles. The plastic food bag inside had been pulverized and shredded but the ripstop just looked like it had been rubbed in some dust and the tent poles strapped to the outside were fine too. We hiked/jogged out by headlamp and made it back to Bend in time for a late night happy hour ...definitely the most random mountain adventure I've had but a lot of fun. Blog post with a couple pics and more details: Mountain Mischief Gear Notes: cranial choss deflector (aka helmet), ice axe and pons Approach Notes: Green Lakes Trail, traverse north of Carver Lake to west side of Prouty

Keenan: The rap tat in my photo was next to our bivy ledge. In the dark we climbed up behind the GG a full pitch to find our bivy. I believe that if we had continued traversing from the top of the GG's OW we could have reached our same location that we did after the rap (Nelson/Potterfield don't mention a rap). From the bottom of the bivy rap it was another pitch to the notch and base of the 5.8/5.9 crack/headwall. Not sure if that is what you wanted to know? Maybe you topped out the GG? We didn't do that. Kevin: Thanks man. I was stoked to get it done and felt it was a good experience for me at this point. Maybe next time I'll do it in winter!

Although after rereading the description in the Nelson/Potterfield Guide I think that we were in the Cascadian. His description matches perfectly with the snow field and also the sandy trail in the couloir. Since the Cascadian is not actually labeled on maps its possible that it's become a matter of climber opinion which is the "real" Cascadian? Who really decides these things anyway? Fred Beckey? My main point: follow the cairns to the sandy trail and the descent is pretty easy.