[TR] Mt. Hood- Leutholds Couloir 12/20/2004

[kurthicks]

Climb: Mt. Hood-Leutholds Couloir

 

Date of Climb: 12/20/2004

 

Trip Report:

climbed Leutholds on Monday with Bala (pup_on_the_mountain) during a brief break in the high winds that buffeted the mountain during the early part of the week. The route is in awesome condition, with the 'hourglass' being about 300' of WI2. we climbed about 20 ropelengths w/our 50m rope, just pausing to belay Bala up the crux 55-ish degree ice step. The route took bomber pickets and screws wherever we needed them. Great route with the conditions and not another soul in sight.

 

looking down above the hourglass

 

Upper Yocum

 

Sunset from Crater Rock

 

Gear Notes:

1 axe & tool each

3 pickets

3 screws

50m rope

 

Approach Notes:

awesome snow

[Chad_A]

Right on, Kurt. Nice pics...fun moderate route

[Juan]

Hey Kurt:

 

Good job. Julian Simon and I climbed the route on Thurs. 12/23. We left Seattle at 4:30 a.m., left the parking lot at 9:00, and topped out at 3:00. Back to the car at 5:00, and back in Seattle at 11:00 p.m. after eating at the Lodge.

 

The route was in great shape as you say, but our late departure from the parking lot meant that we got absolutely bombed with snow and ice balls from the second we dropped down onto the Reid. The Hourglass was great moderate climbing but also ridiculous in that we had to keep our heads down almost the entire time and just climb blindly upward. It was scary to lift your head to look where to go because you knew you'd get hit in the face. The spindrift and junk just bounced off our helmets and shoulders and hands and legs the whole way. I've never experienced anything like it in 20 years of climbing. Obviously, the sun was warming the ridges above us, and the high winds were blowing all that stuff around and down. Gravity did the rest.

 

It was an exhilerating day for a couple old house husbands despite bonking, cramping, and getting bruised and a little bloodied.

 

We wore our harnesses but never used the rope or any pro. Just two ice axes and crampons seemed fine. My 60 cm Air Tech Race and the 43 cm Grivel Third Tool were fine. Julian had better tools.

 

We all may have gotten the best of this route for a while if it snows now for real.

 

Cheers,

 

John Sharp

Edited December 25, 2004 by Juan

[kurthicks]

we got absolutely bombed with snow and ice balls... we had to keep our heads down almost the entire time and just climb blindly upward

 

We had the same. my helmet saved me more than once. I'd love some pics of the lower part of the route if you took any. PM me if you do.

 

Kurt

[OlegV]

We had the same experience climbing Reid Headwall with MtHigh this Friday. I've got hit twice by big chunks of ice, once in my neck (below my helmet) and once in my knee. Still hurts. Other than non-stopping meteor shower, it was a fun route.

[tread_tramp]

When I did the Fuher Finger route on Rainier there was a non-stop rain of pellets peppering us. On Chiwawa's Lyman glacier I watched a television sized boulder lift a guy off his feet when it hit. That shit's for real.