Leuthold Couloir Trip Report

[Fairweather]

Climbed Leuthold today with Terry Mclane and friend. Route was in bad shape. Strong winds were blowing rime ice feathers into the entire couloir. Without helmets (and goggles) the climb would have drawn blood. A steady rain of ice pellets the entire legnth of the couloir averaging the size of a quarter, but some as big as golf balls. No rockfall. Some ice on route. We set two pickets for running pro. Left Timberline at 3:30am, reached summit at 10:50. 7 hrs,20min. One other party of two on this route, and one successful party on Reid Headwall too.

[ 03-02-2002: Message edited by: Fairweather ]

[Zenolith]

was it just the wind that made it bad or was there something else?

[Fairweather]

quote:

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Originally posted by Zenolith:

was it just the wind that made it bad or was there something else?

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At first we thought it was just the party above us scraping sastrugi lose, but it became apparent soon that it was very strong wind ripping thin ice feathers off of heavier rime. Very cold. Almost got blown over on the Queens Chair, but kinda weird, the wind died down by half as soon as we hit the summit ridge.

[imorris]

quote:

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Originally posted by Fairweather:

and one successful party on Reid Headwall too.

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That was us! I think we saw you top out of the couloir. We were the two dots up near the summit ridge. I was going to solo the RHW but unbelievably ran into a friend of my at I. Saddle, asleep in the snow. We simul-soloed the route, which I have to say, is well worthwhile if you have not climbed it before. Much more interesting that Leuthold in my opinion. We too, were bruised and bloody coming out the gullies. I wonder if you found the descent down to the Reid from the saddle as unusually difficult as we did.

-Iain

[imorris]

quote:

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Originally posted by Fairweather:

and one successful party on Reid Headwall too.

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That was us! I think we saw you top out of the couloir. We were the two dots up near the summit ridge. I was going to solo the RHW but unbelievably ran into a friend of my at I. Saddle, asleep in the snow. We simul-soloed the route, which I have to say, is well worthwhile if you have not climbed it before. Much more interesting that Leuthold in my opinion. We too, were bruised and bloody coming out the gullies. I wonder if you found the descent down to the Reid from the saddle as unusually difficult as we did.

-Iain

[Fairweather]

quote:

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Originally posted by imorris:

That was us! I think we saw you top out of the couloir. We were the two dots up near the summit ridge. I was going to solo the RHW but unbelievably ran into a friend of my at I. Saddle, asleep in the snow. We simul-soloed the route, which I have to say, is well worthwhile if you have not climbed it before. Much more interesting that Leuthold in my opinion. We too, were bruised and bloody coming out the gullies. I wonder if you found the descent down to the Reid from the saddle as unusually difficult as we did.

-Iain

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We false started by going high from Illumination Saddle, but after 5 min & hard ice above that little 30 ft drop I turned around and dropped 100 ft to The Reid. Easy going.

Are you the guy I talked to on top about the La Sportiva Extremes you were wearing like mine?

[imorris]

I do wear Nepal Extremes, but I don't remember talking to anybody about them on top. I think we were the first west side climbers on top and left before anyone else showed up from the chair.

[gapertimmy]

thanks for the tr fweather. i might be going up in mid month to do this one

[jimrudy1970]

Did Leuthold on Sunday and conditions were much better than what you described on Saturday. We experienced little to no wind while on the entire route. Some ice spray came down the chute once the sun hit the upper areas but nothing of real consequence. Overall a beautiful climb, wish we either had started a little earlier or better yey moved a little quicker.

[troy_moss]

I climbed the leuthold Sunday with airmoss. We left Tacoma at midnight and got to the parking lot at 4:30 am. We got to illumniation saddle at about 7 or so. We could see nine climbers ahead of us, two going up yocum ridge and two going up the reid head wall. We had a great trip up the couloir, but we of course experienced the obligatory falling ice. I recieved one baseball square on the knee!! One on the Helmet!! Ran into

Heiny, just before the traverse (thanks for the beta on the gear). Overall perfect conditions, perfect weather. Great Trip!!

[troy_moss]

quote:

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Originally posted by Fairweather:

Climbed Leuthold today with Terry Mclane and friend. Route was in bad shape. Strong winds were blowing rime ice feathers into the entire couloir. Without helmets (and goggles) the climb would have drawn blood. A steady rain of ice pellets the entire legnth of the couloir averaging the size of a quarter, but some as big as golf balls. No rockfall. Some ice on route. We set two pickets for running pro. Left Timberline at 3:30am, reached summit at 10:50. 7 hrs,20min. One other party of two on this route, and one successful party on Reid Headwall too.

[ 03-02-2002: Message edited by: Fairweather ]

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[Terry_McClain]

Hey Troy, Good to hear you are still out there doing the climbing thing. I thought about you this weekend. I even looked for that shit ass little trench we dug and huddled in while waiting for the nasty weather to clear when we headed for Sandy Headwall a few years back. 

[snowleopard_x]

As a contrast - I was on Leuthold on Monday with two friends. We were the only ones on the mountain. There was very little debris coming down the route, though the winds were breezy on the summit ridge. Mount Hood is a great place to climb mid-week and off season. Being up there all by ourselves, It doesn't even seem like Mt. Hood.

[troy_moss]

So that is you! When I read Fairweathers report about climbing with Terry Mcclain I was wondering if that was you! Great weekend on Hood huh? WE should get together and climb that Sandy headwall soon.