mt. hood

[jeremyaw]

I am new to the area and am interested in climbing the south side of mt. hood. Is it possible to do this climb with snowshoes or are crampons necessary???

[Charlie]

you can leave the snowshoes- I've done this route various times of year and never needed them. You will definitely need an ice axe and crampons, and the skills to use them. There is a 'crux' section that can be pretty steep.

[willstrickland]

If he were visiting from somewhere, I'd say "take the snowshoes and decide when you get there". But a local...if it's bad enough that you need shoes, the climbing is really gonna suck and why torture yourself on some dog route when you could just come back when conditions are better. The SS route has a long season by snow-climb standards.

 

I don't question either of you, Rob has obviously done a shitload more on that mountain than I ever will, and I agree with the "you won't need them sentiment" but let's keep a little perspective ehh?

[rbw1966]

quote:

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Originally posted by Charlie:

you can leave the snowshoes- I've done this route various times of year and never needed them. You will definitely need an ice axe and crampons, and the skills to use them. There is a 'crux' section that can be pretty steep.

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You've obviously never climbed it after a recent snowstorm. I've done this route in conditions where I was postholing to my waist.

[rayborbon]

quote:

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Originally posted by rbw1966:

quote:

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Originally posted by Charlie:

you can leave the snowshoes- I've done this route various times of year and never needed them. You will definitely need an ice axe and crampons, and the skills to use them. There is a 'crux' section that can be pretty steep.

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You've obviously never climbed it after a recent snowstorm. I've done this route in conditions where I was postholing to my waist.

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You know what. I bet if you bring your snowshoes then decide when you step out of your car you will be fine If you cant then maybe you should not be on the mountain..

 

No reason to imply that someone else is a lesser being or gumby just because their advice is different.

[imorris]

If you are even a remotely decent skier I would bring skis if you have some kind of backcountry binding. The slog back down is often worse than the slog up, and you save a lot of time by skinning up. Just my opinion.

[rbw1966]

quote:

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Originally posted by rayborbon:

No reason to imply that someone else is a lesser being or gumby just because their advice is different.

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Hope this wasn't directed to me. If you read any implication that I was dissing anyone perhaps you should write for the Weekly World News. Just offering a different perspective.

 

I do agree that bringing equipment to cover the contingency and deciding when you get there is the best advice.

[Charlie]

quote:

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Originally posted by rbw1966:

quote:

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Originally posted by Charlie:

you can leave the snowshoes- I've done this route various times of year and never needed them. You will definitely need an ice axe and crampons, and the skills to use them. There is a 'crux' section that can be pretty steep.

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You've obviously never climbed it after a recent snowstorm. I've done this route in conditions where I was postholing to my waist.

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I probably wouldn't recommend climbing a peak after a recent snowstorm, especially to someone new

[thelawgoddess]

If I was going to climb Hood I wouldn't even think to bring snowshoes. Crampons are a must, though. I did see some guy summit in his "tennis shoes" but he also wasn't roped up, and I frankly don't think he was all that bright.

[nolanr]

Was there 4/21, snowshoes completely unnecessary.

[Guest]

"tennis shoes", thats not at all uncommon, but climbing mt. hood without a rope? That's pure madness. Thanks for the warning safetygoddess.

[Trillian]

Did it on 4/20 with an early (midnight) start. Snowshoes weren't necessary, crampons were a must.

[randyjgoat]

Hey,I'm just evesdropping from the East coast.Glad to see you guys on the left coast are as into opinion slamming as we are on the right. You all seam a lot more polite than we ussually are.Oh yeah,I love your beer swilling icon[ ],we don't have that one on NEICE.com.Later.

[Michael_Kennedy]

Expounding on a previous post:

 

If the new snow is deep enough to necessitate snowshoes, you're probably a day or two of consolidation from "safe" conditions - by my subjective threshold at least. Yes, it's Hood and avalanche accidents are infrequent, but the last death by a slide wasn't that long ago.

[BURP]

quote:

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Originally posted by randyjgoat:

Hey,I'm just evesdropping from the East coast.Glad to see you guys on the left coast are as into opinion slamming as we are on the right.

You all seam a lot more polite than we ussually are.Oh yeah,I love your beer swilling icon[

],we don't have that one on NEICE.com.Later.

---

GO TO HELL!

[randyjgoat]

There,now that sounds more like home.

[Terminal_Gravity]

I was on Hood 5 days ago and snow shoes would have been silly. They are rarely needed this time of year and has been said only immediatly after a storm. SS Hood consolidates very fast this time of year. Have Fun.

 

IMO bring an axe and preferably crampons for the top but a rope is for gumbies.

[brukb]

I "climbed" the South side route on Hood on 4/21. Used Randonee skis up to the Hog's back then ditched them because it was too icy to get traction. Crampons were only needed up the final steep stretch through the Pearly gates to the summit. The bergschrund was only about 6 inches wide and easily stepped over. I went solo so had no rope, and really there was no need for one.

I left the car at 2:00 a.m. and was standing on the summit at 7:00 a.m. without much difficulty, was back at the car about 9:00. Although it was a sunny day the ski back down was pretty icy, pretty much all the way to the car. If you have an early start you probably won't need snowshoes or skis, but if you want to ski then go later when the snow softens. Of course pay attention to Avy conditions and freezing levels.

 

I have some decent route photos from that trip, if you want to see them, send me an email.

 

Bruk