[TR] Mt. Hood- Yocum Ridge 2/11/2004

[texplorer]

Climb: Mt. Hood-Yocum Ridge

 

Date of Climb: 2/11/2004

 

Trip Report:

Yocum Ridge has occupied my mind for some time now. Anytime Mt. Hodd is visible in Portland you can look east and see a majestic and aesthetic ridge slicing straight up the west flank of Mt. Hood. Over the years the ridge's difficulties have become notorious but, unlike other such desperate climbs, I have experienced this routes prickled back firsthand.

 

After attempting the route in bare rock conditions I was anxious to give the route a go when it was a little more in season. Admittingly, it still seemed that the mountain might not be in condition as we haven't had many days for the rime to melt and freeze into the hard ice that is desirable on such a route, but the weather finally gave us a few nice days and I couldn't resist the thought of raking my tools through rime.

 

I had planned on doing the route with Terminal Gravity but he had encountered a tree on a ski descent recently and was out of commission. So, when Crackman called me, I wiped the slobber dripping from my lips and packed my gear for the "mother" of all Mt. Hood climbs.

 

Crackman (Tim) and I arrived at about midnight and awaited Jarred and his partner Jay. We hoped to be able to share ropes so that each team would only carry one but so that we could use them together in any double rope raps. After waiting for some time we decided we had to go and left T. lodge at about 2:45. (much too late now looking back)

 

The climb up the mountain and across the Reid was uneventful. Jarred and Jay caught up with us at illumination saddle and the four of us proceeded. As we approached the ridge Tim took a higher and steeper line onto the ridge. Knowing that the route had enough to offer, I ascended a line lower on the ridge and took the gentler, less exposed route to the ridge's crest. Tim and I met up again and quickly came upon Ivan and Shredder at the base of the 1st Gendarme. There was plenty of rime but it was very flaky and wouldn't hold a tool. I usually think of myself as a fairly bold climber but watching shred and Tim thrash around on the first step seemed very dangerous. Tim actually climbed onto a small step of the gendarme but above there loomed overhanging rime or a shallow chimney like feature with some rock but mainly the same wretched rime.

 

This difficult section of 30-35 feet would have to be climbed with nothing but the anchor for pro and it was already 10 feet below. That could possibly result in an 80-100ft factor 2 fall onto a two picket and buttonhead bolt anchor. At that point everyone decided to abort the ridge except Tim and I. We knew it was getting late but thought we might be able to make it if we moved fast. We dropped down and traversed just under the gendarme (as can be seen in shred's pic of me below the first Gendy. It was hard to know where to go as the flank consisted of a maze of options. Tim and I wove our way through encountering great ice in places as well as steep snow in others.

 

At one point Tim took and upward gulley and I continued traversing horizontally. Soon I found myself very exposed out on a rock fin covered with what I can best describe as vertical snow with an icy crust. I had been making lots of moves that were right at the limit of my solo abilities and any fall would result a gentle vertical freefall punctuated by periodic bumps with rock and ice projections until you reached the Reid. Once on the Reid your lifeless body would continue to slide another 1200ft or so until your crampon caught the ice and torqued your body into one of those grotesque poses you see of soldiers dead on the battlefield. Now I had come to a steeper section with no other options.

 

I could hear Tim above but couldn't see him. Below and to my right lay easier terrain and a nice gulley upward but both ways to it seemed sketchy. After pondering for a moment I told myself to just get on with it and go. I tenuously crawled down onto the other side of the fin and easily kicked a step which sank 4-5 inches as I weighted it. I moved several more steps like this and then it got steeper and the snow thinner still. At this point you could say I was pretty f@#$ed. I yelled for Tim and saw him peek his head over. He made a quick anchor and began to throw the rope toward me. Try after try the rope didn't even come close. I began to think I was going to have to climb out afterall. Somehow, after 5 attempts, Tim managed to get the rope to me. I am usually calm in such situations and this was not an exception but I can't tell you how good it felt to go from that situation to being on toprope.

 

After I climbed up it was obvious conditions were deteriorating quickly. The second gendy was right in front of us but the ridge leading below it was sharp and jagged with many difficulties. We were both physically feeling the effects and I know I was mentally exhausted. With two double rope raps and some down climbing in between we made it back down onto the Reid by about 1:00 (bootying two BD lockers in the process). The entire time coming down we were being pelted fairly heavily by lots of rime up to the size of golfballs. All the pieces coming down made a tinkling noise like a 1000 chandeliers being jingled. In three more hours we were back at the car making our roundtrip about 23 hours. Remember it doesn't have to be fun to be fun.

 

In conclusion, this route is serious but doable even in the conditions we encountered. It is my belief that, due to routefinding, you should plan to spend alot of time on ridge. Bring a sparse rock rack, a few screws, pins, maybe a specter, and pickets. If your bypassing the 1st Gendy, then traverse in low on the ridge. Overall a really fun route if your ready for it.

 

 

Gear Notes:

3 pins

2 pickets

two 60 meter ropes

5 screws

6 total screamers/runners

 

Next time bring:

3-4 small to mid cams

4-5 nuts

very long pickets

 

Approach Notes:

Hike over illumination saddle,across the Reid glacier and drop down to what should be an obvious gulley onto the ridge. Go up the gulley until you are on the crest of the ridge.

Edited February 13, 2004 by texplorer

[texplorer]

Badass. . . Dumbass. . . pretty much the same thing.

[skykilo]

Nice one. I saw your tracks along the top of the ridge from high on the Reid HW today and that alone got me super stoked.

[Sabertooth]

Nice trip report. Thanks for posting the details.

[rbw1966]

Nice job Tex and Crackman. I got sweaty palms just reading it.

[Terminal_Gravity]

Nice attempt Karsten & Tim (Jared, Jay, Ivan & Shread). Thanks for the trip report.

 

Yes, even considering the situation, I wish I was with you. I'm healing up fast!

 

cheers.

 

PS: I never ever expected the first gendy on Yocum would sound like the Hillary step!

[ivan]

yeah, what the hell..that manky bolt's already defiled the purity of the first gendy...why not schlep a ladder up there and tie it in to complete that everest-esque feel?

[Crackman]

Here are a few shots, from our very short short but very sweet climb around the 1st gendarme.

 

Tex traversing high on G#1. (I'm sure the pillar is chock full of deep symbolic meaning)

 

A happy Tex regains the ridge-line between the 1st and 2nd gendarme.

 

The ridge-line route past the 2nd gendarme, which we decided to leave for another day. There is a steep drop-off right below to reach it. May be possible to down-climb in good conditions but a short rap would be prudent.

 

Slighly different shot, showing the 2nd and 3rd gendarmes. Ridge-line route is in lower right.

 

Rappin off. I guess that old cordelette proves we were not the first to bail from this spot.

[sk]

 

NICE TEX

[Linebacker]

You doods,

 

nice pics and tr

 

lb

[christian510]

Nice effort. You should of suffered on. It doesn't get much worse -- honest. And, if you would have kept going you could have retrieved my BD from the third gendy. I recommend doing the route at night when its coulder. I remember our picks holding a little better after sunset. At least then you can't really see the exposure. No fear then.