Hood Leuthold's Couloir Thurs or Fri

[climbinpilot]

Just had plans fall through for Thursday...anyone up for Leuthold's Couloir on Hood the morning of Thursday or Friday? I live in Portland and am happy to drive.

[esugi]

Did you ever get out on Leuthold?

If not, I'm looking to do that as one day ascent (leave around midnight?) this Sunday, if the weather conditions don't turn too radical from now until then. Looks like chances of snow for next few days but tapering off Friday and possibly partly sunny on Saturday and Sunday???

 

Any interest?

 

I have good ice/snow experience.

 

Eiji

[ivan]

for what it's worth, luetholds is probably a more reasonable solo than team climb - the angle is very low and it would be annoying to place picketts the whole way up - if you can find someone to simul-solo w/ its cool, but perhaps more fun to be there alone - as of monday, there are no crevasses to be wary of.

[Redoubt]

- as of monday, there are no crevasses to be wary of.

For any newbies reading this, I'm sure what he meant was that there were "no visible crevasses." When snow covers glaciers, it becomes a guessing game as far as where crevasses are and how strongly they may be covered. Take another look at this recent climb on Mt. Stuart. There were probably "no crevasses to be wary of" on that route either.

[ivan]

saw that stuart tr - wierd. luetholds is routinely done solo and/or unroped - i'm just encouraging folks to enjoy easy routes in the hills even if they can't find a partner. at any rate, being roped together is almost pointless if you don't also know how to extricate your partner from inside the crack.

 

hope you get find a partner or get out anyhow...

[JoshK]

Eric, you are an evil man looking only to get newbies killed. Shame on you.

[climbinpilot]

esuji,

 

I didn't make it to Leuthold's because I couldn't find a partner on short notice and wanted to do the route with someone else. I ended up soloing Shasta the following Monday, though, to make up for skipping out on perfect weather for Leuthold's. As far as going this Sunday, I'd love to but will be hiking the Grand Canyon with another buddy then. I'd also like to do the climb in one day like you do (roping up on the Reid Glacier and doing the remainder of the route without protection) and a midnight start sounds great if you're up for it another time. I occasionally will have weekends off but more reliably am free mid-week. Are you around March 6th,7th, or 8th? I'm also interested in Casaval Ridge on Shasta this winter. Let me know

[Cobra_Commander]

Nothing wrong with roping up on leuthold. You parallel and cross several crevasses and a bergschrund on the reid. People have poked into them and will in the future. People have also died or have been severely injured falling out of the couloir.

[ivan]

nope - nothing wrong w/ roping for the reid at all - just do it right if you do and don't take false comfort from a rope if you have no pickets pulleys prussiks or practce for self-rescue

 

i've never heard of anyone fallng and getting hurt on luet's - when has that occured? not doubtng you - just haven't heard of any instances since i moved out here

[Cobra_Commander]

It has not happened in awhile. I know of at least one person choppered off in life-threatening condition after a fall in the hourglass area, and 2 died after being avalanched off of it awhile back.

 

You are certainly right about the false sense of security provided by the rope. Almost every recent serious accident on Hood has involved roped up climbing teams being swept off by the fact they were all roped together, yet were not secured to the mountain in some way.

[kurthicks]

i've never heard of anyone fallng and getting hurt on luet's - when has that occured?

 

I know a guy that took a 300 footer (basically a factor 2 scenario) down the couloir. he came to a stop as his partner slammed into the only picket between them. They both walked away unscathed.

[pup_on_the_mountain]

I know a guy who slipped on some ice at the entrance to the

couloir and slid down for ~40 ft. He arrested well before

pulling his partner out. He didn't really get hurt, except

for a small strain in his ankle. They went on to finish the

route after the fall as well .

[kurthicks]

there's no need to bring that one up Bala.