[TR] Mt. Hood- Sandy Glacier Headwall 3/12/2004

[skyclimb]

Climb: Mt. Hood-Sandy Glacier Headwall

 

Date of Climb: 3/12/2004

 

Trip Report:

Pain, Suffering, Haggard, with one hell of a smile!

I decided to skip my last day of classes to climb with my buddy Mike on a classic in perfect conditions. Me met at t-line, and were moving by 11:30 p.m. wednesday night. We arrived at the illumination saddle in two hours, right on schedule. The traverse wasn't bad, with no crevasses showing. We then arrived at yocum, and found the traverse with minimal problems. This was lucky considering it was our first time on the route in the dark. We arrived at the base of the Headwall at 5:15, where we brewed-up, and I had some killer spegeeti. Mike continued to puke his brains out for the second time that morning.

We began soloing, and covered the first 1200 feet of the headwall in 1 hour. The snow was perfect neve. Thats when things got interesting.

Icefall started rocketing down everywhere. Pebbles to 25" t.v. sized blocks of blue ice screaming by whistling this sinister death march. We were taking a serious beating, and realized that if one fo the big ones hit us, its over.

We arrived at the hour glass, to find runneled water ice, not neve. Mike soloed it with style, and then set up a belay. Thats when the big icefall occured. A big chunk hit mike in the head, giving him a serious concussion. I took a shot to the hand, crushing it on the tool in high dagger position. We simul-climbed the route to the top as fast as possible on perfect steep neve. We topped out just as the sun hit the wall. The decent took us 5 hours making the round trip time 17 hours.

We went to Zig-Zag pizza for some food, when the funniest thing of the trip happened. We walk in looking like beat shit, and sit down. Everyone is looking our way wondering why bums are allowed in the joint. When the waitress asked Mike what he wanted to eat he ordered a 4 person pizza, a hot tea, iced tea, water and lemonade, for himself. She looked at us both not sure if he was joking, was homeless and wanted a shit ton of free food, or was trippin.

Classic Route, Cheers Mike!

Edited cause if forgot about computers and shit

Edited March 12, 2004 by skyclimb

[skykilo]

This trip report shows promise, but I swear something is missing...

[skykilo]

Then it got so hectic I couldn't type anymore and passed out at my keyboard, managing to hit submit with my forehead as it collapsed on the desk!

[jja]

on the desk? he's still out on the sandy thumbing this tr in as he climbs with a blackberry

[iain]

Did you walk in the door and immediately start typing? It's only 3:00pm.

 

PS I hope there is some mention of skiing when/if you finish your report. hmm or perhaps you stopped short of describing the descent to avoid the disgrace of being called out on a slogdown.

 

Edit: SLOGDOWN aaaahahaha

 

Just kidding.

Did your friend seriously go unconscious from icefall? Ouch.

 

Edited March 12, 2004 by iain

[Alpinfox]

 

Sounds great!

 

I'm pretty sure your friend DID NOT have a severe concussion if he was able to continue climbing, descend, eat, etc...

 

Concussions suck.

 

[Blake]

was it "Mt hood pizza" on the north side of 26 near a grocery store? or was it Pizza from the ZigZag Inn? Cause I'm pretty sure that Mt. Hood Pizza's main customer base is crazy hippies and stoner boarder's who'd make you guys look downright proper and civilized.

[Dulton]

Way to go Nick

 

Doncha just love pretending to be bowling pins

[ivan]

hmmm...sounds like even being on the wall earlier then i was wouldn't have helped...i'm still happy the tvs missed me

[skyclimb]

to life

[luvshaker]

Seems like every other trip report I read about the Sandy HW someone gets tagged!!?? The Sandy looks like it falls at that really annoying angle of not steep enough to be fun, but steep enough to work hard.