[TR] Mt. Hood - Reid Glacier Headwall 1/14/2007

[mofomojo15]

Trip: Mt. Hood - Reid Glacier Headwall

 

Date: 1/14/2007

 

Trip Report:

Brrrrrr, starting off from timberline around 3:30 am on Sunday morning, the four of us started off from Timberline Lodge with sub-zero temperaures(or so reported). We made fast pace up to illumination saddle and got over the ridge, protecting us from the strong winds right before dawn. Took a pack break here to analyze conditions and eat and hydrate before starting the focus of our climb. We unanimously decided that if winds didn't cease upon dropping down onto the base of the headwall, we would turn around.

 

After dropping off IR, we downclimbed 45 degree ice and traversed over to the base of the headwall. I started leading the first 800 feet or so, which consisted of postholing upto my thighs and quickly became tiring. The other three followed. I stopped just shy of the first hourglass and after crossing the bergschrund, which was mostly covered and only about 20 feet deep.

 

Mike took over the lead through the hourglass which consisted of WI3(?) and had difficult placement and a little mixed climbing(spicy). Snowpack was phenomenal and made crampon and tool placement awesome. After getting to a good belay on a steep section above the hourglass, Mike belayed me up and we simulclimbed the rest of the route, placing snow pickets every 400 feet or so, mostly free-soloing. Greg and Rob followed in our tracks and cleaned our gear.

 

The west face remained cold until the summit ridge where temperatures dramatically rose once exposed to the sun. The upper reach of the headwall was 65 degrees or so and took all the mental and physical strength of all of us to complete. I have never been so physically wasted due to cold, low caloric intake, and dehydrations, on top of 2,500 feet of >45 degree climbing. Once on the summit ridge, Mike and I were about 1.5 hours ahead of the other duo and I traversed over to the hogsback while Mike ran up to the summit alone. Greg and Rob joined me on the hogsback just as Mike returned from the summit and we decended in almost tropical weather on the south face.

 

We were fortunate to have the solitude on the west face and escape the normal crowds of the south face. It was worth sticking through the chill factor just to have our own serenity. Although only one summited, all of us felt as though we had accomplished something great by completing the headwall.

 

Tyler McPherson

Corvallis, OR

student

 

Gear Notes:

4 ice screws

2 pickets,

2 tools each

one axe

 

Approach Notes:

Illumination Ridge via palmer

[iain]

I think we ran into your buddy wading up wcr near the summit. We were the two with skis.

[GregD]

Thanks for leading the way! Sorry our slow butts were a bit behind but Robot and I had a GREAT climb.

Get any decent photos? My camera was frozen the ENTIRE time. Even the fresh batteries down my pants didn't stand a chance.

Greg

[benb]

I had a great view of you guys topping out on the head wall and finishing up west crater rim. I was sitting on top of crater rock. Who took the high traverse? that looked wild. Nice work.

B

[mofomojo15]

That was my partner Mike, he had a little pent up energy left in him but soon regretted it after getting off the rim.

[cycling_mike]

Great TR Tyler! Yeah, After we got up Reid I felt so stoked that I just had to keep climbing. So I traversed around looking for an interesting but not to hard route to the top. The sun warmed snow was a little soft and I felt like I was swimming in a couple places, but eventually made it up just left of the old chute.

 

Overall the route was awesome. Tyler/mofomojo15 and I had a fantastic time (thanks for climbing with me bro) until faced with the looong and oft-repeated walk down palmer at which point I realized I was so tired I couldn't even bitch about it.

 

 

Edited January 18, 2007 by cycling_mike

[RogerJ]

Overall the route was awesome. Tyler/mofomojo15 and I had a fantastic time (thanks for climbing with me bro) until faced with the looong and oft-repeated walk down palmer at which point I realized I was so tired I couldn't even bitch about it.

 

There is always the ski option Good job guys. That is a fun route.

 

-r