[TR] Hood- Another Reid Report 5/6/2006

[sweatinoutliquor]

Climb: Hood-Another Reid Report

 

Date of Climb: 5/6/2006

 

Trip Report:

So, I gotta start by saying hell yeah to you guys who have soloed this route (sky, vw, flatnose, and others). That is quite an accomplishment, and I found the route to be harder than I expected.

 

So, my buddy Jason (sparverous?) and I climbed the Reid headwall yesterday under excellent conditions. Firm neve all the way from bottom to top. We brought a 30m rope, 4 pickets, and one screw. In retrospect, a 50m rope and 6 pickets would have been better because we ended up swapping 10(!) running belay leads cause we didn't have much gear and the rope was so short. Placed the screw twice in a couple of bomber WI spots. It was nice to have, especially to protect the short exit gully step. Amazing routefinding through canyons, under towers, etc. The topout above Leutholds is in an amazing position: exposed, steep, and with amazing views of the Upper Buttress of Y-ridge. No pic, I got sick of taking camara batteries out to unthaw.

Here are the pics:

 

Climberz approaching Leutholds

 

Cool clouds over the Reid glacier

 

Jason under some Reid towers

 

Jason at a belay early on the route

 

Jason approaching the short exit step (fun!)

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

30m rope (shoulda had 50?), 4 pickets (shoulda had 6?), one ice screw (handy and sufficient given conditions)

 

Approach Notes:

Skis to top of lifts... Only way to go.

[sweatinoutliquor]

My gallery for bigger photos

 

Here is another shot of a group of 3 heading for what I think was the 14a? variation which tops out on the west crater rim.

If you guys are reading this I have a few other pics of you traversing if you would like to pm me.

[Chad_A]

Good job man! I did think that exit gully was a lot of fun. Although, the runnels I had to traverse on rotten snow/ice with a bad runout after it gave me the willies.

 

Nice day to be on the mountain, eh?

[ivan]

best route on hood for the money/effort - better than the sandy imho

 

a very fun route to solo too as you note - going w/ a partner lets you be a bit more crazy though

[DPS]

best route on hood for the money/effort - better than the sandy imho

 

a very fun route to solo too as you note - going w/ a partner lets you be a bit more crazy though

 

 

I agree, better than the Sandy Glacier HW.

[flatnose]

Nice job fellas. Anyone of you P-towners interested in doing alpine this May send me a pm.

[Chriznitch]

atta boy

[sweatinoutliquor]

Yes, I think the exit step may have been my favorite part, but the exposure that followed really impressed me too. I was thinking it would spit us out somewhere on the queens chair, so I was pretty suprised to see that the cool part wasn't over yet! I believe that was the bit of steep traversing with all the air under you that would have made me soil myself had we been sans rope. So far it's my favorite hood route, but I hear that in good conditions the North face routes are superior? Anyway, maybe I'll test that theory next fall if the conditions get betta.

[Chad_A]

Well, it's all relative, but the North Face is definitely a rare type of climb for the Cascade volcanoes. It's one I could do again and again and again...

 

 

and plan to!