[TR] Mt Hood - Illumination Rock - East Ridge of South Chamber 09/06/2020

[OlegV]

Trip: Mt Hood - Illumination Rock - East Ridge of South Chamber

Trip Date: 09/06/2020

Trip Report:

We climbed the South Ridge of South Chamber on Sunday.  I camped several hundred feet away from the IR on the boulder field and met my partner in the morning.  The lower ZigZag glacier and the Illumination saddle looked like a war zone, but the night was pleasant.

I saw the Lyon Head fire from the distance (my apologies for a grainy image) and at first though it was a lava flow from the Jefferson.

The Mt Hood looked surreal.

The snow at the base of the IR is mostly gone. We climbed the ridge to the left of the large brown spot and then traversed the face to the summit.

Climbing I-rock (I wouldn't call it a "rock"). The slab pitch (#4?)

At the last pitch - it felt like the summit rock is made of sand. 

We still look happy at the summit.

Reid from the rappel station

The crux of the climb was getting off the IR. There are numerous loose blocks laying around frightening to kill you.  The last rap brought us on the steep unconsolidated slope. We traversed it to the right.

I do not recommend to climb this route in summer...     

Gear Notes:
medium rack, ice axe, crampons (worked really well on the dirt), beer before and after the climb

Approach Notes:
South Side

[Hoo]

Loose blocks trying to kill you include the rap station from the summit.  It nearly dislodged on us prepping the first rap...

Somehow it's almost scarier when you consider there's bolts on the route.

[jrex]

Nice job climbing that pile. It takes a special climber to go up there.