shasta/hotlum bolam

[billclimbs]

looking for some beta on this route; would this be the next step up from avy gulch (which I expect will be mobbed this weekend), I have climbed several routes on hood but will be with some folks that are about comfortable with the south side level...how do they compare?

[Mon_Col]

I haven't climbed Hotlum-Bolam but friends say it is pretty straightforward with the main hazard being the bergshrund when it is exposed. Another option might be the West Face Gully. Technically easy without a lot of the attention the Gulch gets. Plus it stays out of the sun for most of the morning, which usually makes for nice hard snow conditions.