Mt Hood ? ropes

[loftypeaks]

Planning to climb/ski hood from Timberline May 18 . Noticed afew people planning to solo. So...is there are need for ropes this time of year up there ? It's a glacier afterall. We'll have a rope with us.

 

 

Any one have any current info on the route. ie what are the pearly gates like....

 

thanks

[ivan]

a rope is entirely unnecessary if doing the south side route, especially if you're going left of the 'schrund - bring a second tool if you want security

 

there's a pic in another thread of the PG - looks icy and more difficult than the old crater route, which will have most of the traffic and thus well-stomped trail

[LonelySummit]

Yeah, there is an other post (with pictures) from last week. I think one screw and a second tool would do it. If others are with you, they or you may want to be belayed up for safety. 8 to 10ft wall, I heard. Sounds great - We're taking the chute though....maybe next time.

[Frikadeller]

I just climbed WCR/old chute route a few hours ago. No rope needed. The palmer glacier/snowfield is crevasse free, and if you are concerned about the bergshrund on the hogsback, just traverse under it's normal location. It is not visible at this time.

 

I suppose some people would want a rope for the summit rim traverse, but right now, it's a well beaten path with a little bit of exposure. I would not use a rope.

 

I echo Ivan on the second tool. I think that is more secure than a rope for this application.

 

BTW, look out for Icefall, the place pretty much erupted today once in the sun.

[LonelySummit]

Just to add Frik, the Chute was a debris field at 5am too, REALLY bad at 6am on the way down. I'm sure it just got worse after that. Let's all wait till it freezes again.

[LonelySummit]

8 to 10ft wall, I heard.

 

Oops, the wall is closer to 20ft. Forgive.

[loftypeaks]

Hi All !

 

thanks for your replies.. successfully summited may 18 and had a great time. Via Hogsback and Old chute. We skiied Mt St Helen's the day before.

 

 

Rumours that only 4 made it to the summit of Hood on other sites is false. We heard that 5 climbers had summited when we got to the hogsback. 7 of us plus 3 or 4 other skiers summited between 10 am and 11 am as well.

 

In our group, me and another skiier left timberline at 0415 ( we were the slow ones in our group), the rest left between 0530 and 0550. I got to the summit at 10 am and as a group all of us summited between 0950 and 1030. The snow conditions were good for crampon and ice ax use. my biggest worry was that the snow would be too soft buy the time we got to the old chute..instead it was nice and firm...crampon kicks and ice ax plunges held

 

Rime fall was not an issue for us..mostly small stuff. Since we were not lined up like bowling pins in the traverse or chute, nor stuck behind one of the large groups I noticed on the approach ...most had turned back by then... avoiding the larger pieces was easy...there was only one the size of two hands...the rest too small to neccessitate avoidance maneuvers. ( I sincerely hope my eyes saw wrong when I noticed a large group lingering for quite some time right in the traverse while I was still huffing and puffing up the hill )

 

Once in the chute, straight up the center had very little rime drizzle. Climbers right and near the top had a nice snow staircase..sweet.

 

I tried adding pictures but haven't been able to fiqure out how.

 

 

 

Edited May 22, 2009 by loftypeaks

[scm007]

So the chute wasn't too icey? No need for a 2nd tool?

[Frikadeller]

So... Did ya need the rope?

[loftypeaks]

Just edited the TR..we did th old chute.

 

definately no ropes needed. not too soft, not too icy. Only had a lightweight mountaineering ax..the kind that just bounces back when it hits real ice. It went in just fine. I felt that it would have held me had one of my feet slipped. Crampons also had good purchase on the snow. Most of the time only the front few point made contact, but when it came time for a rest or to take a picture I could easily kick out a nice step on the slope to rest. I never felt like I was going to slip/fall or be unable to rest. Whoever followed my track would have found nice little rest spots every few meters

 

We also didn't have the horrendous icefall that everyone kept writing about.