B Deleted_Beck Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Howdy Just trying to figure out if those who claim to have climbed the "Eliot Glacier Headwall" have actually climbed the Eliot Glacier Headwall, or if these folks are confused and have actually climbed the Sunshine or Gullies, or even Coopspur. ? I'm sure somebody has climbed straight up the vertical snow/mud/rock mix that makes up the upper part of the headwall, but I doubt it's as common as you'd gather by reading some stuff on the internet. --- Could also use some help locking in my mental map of the mountain... The Eliot Glacier Headwall is the headwall just to the west of the big arete, which we call the Clever, correct? The Cleaver being the divide between the EGH and Right Gully. And the EGH will be the entire face of the mountain from the Cleaver to the Coe Glacier Headwall, which is the face under the top of Cathedral Ridge? Thanks -Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScaredSilly Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Elliot Head Wall is the last 1000' wall of rock/snow directly below the horizontal summit ridge. It is to the right of the North Face Cleaver and left of Horseshoe Rock. If one did not climb steep rock/snow to gain the horizontal portion of the summit ridge one did not climb the headwall. Note some parties climbing Sunshine, will climb to the left of Horseshoe rock but to the right of the headwall and gain Cathedral Ridge. They are still doing Sunshine as they are climbing up the ridge. If one did the Headwall they would be traversing and not climbing up the summit ridge Look at Jeff's book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Deleted_Beck Posted March 4, 2012 Author Share Posted March 4, 2012 (edited) Look at Jeff's book. I'm working on it... I take it this route is established and referenced in OH? Edited March 4, 2012 by Ben B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScaredSilly Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Yes, and it is also in Nick Dodge's book. FA McJury & Leuthold 1935 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 There are a couple of variations on it, the left side doesnt look too bad, most of the difficulties are on the top out. I had to do a rare pendulum to get from the right to the last gully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Poulton Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 My Dad climbed it back in his day. To date I have only climbed the Cooper Spur on that side of Hood. Looking to climb it in the not so far future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kletterhund Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Claim to have... Really now... Enjoy the Black Ice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Deleted_Beck Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 Claim to have... Really now... Enjoy the Black Ice! What are you saying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kletterhund Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Don't be alarmed, Ben B. ... Most folks, including myself several times, would find it hard to imagine that one could confuse the headwall proper with the Sunshine or The Cooper Spur. As for the black ice... I have run into some big runnels of it at the top of the headwall late (June!) in the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Deleted_Beck Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 Don't be alarmed, Ben B. ... Most folks, including myself several times, would find it hard to imagine that one could confuse the headwall proper with the Sunshine or The Cooper Spur. As for the black ice... I have run into some big runnels of it at the top of the headwall late (June!) in the season. Gotcha gotcha. Si, you'd think if anybody has enough of a clue to have climbed the thing he'd know what route he took... but it seems a lot of ski climbers don't actually really give too much of a shit about the climb, and focus more of their concentration on the descent, and I think most of the references to EGH I've seen have been from ski climbers.. descending the upper glacier and erroneously calling it the headwall. The times I've studied the last pitch (from the summit ridge), I've concluded it's nothing but a wall of frozen mud and rocks semi-cemented in with dirty snow, and probably not very climbable... Is it a highly conditional route, or are appearances deceiving and the muddy rock wall is actually pretty solid? How protectable is it? I'm impatiently awaiting my copy of Oregon High in the mail... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScaredSilly Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 but it seems a lot of ski climbers don't actually really give too much of a shit about the climb, and focus more of their concentration on the descent, and I think most of the references to EGH I've seen have been from ski climbers.. descending the upper glacier and erroneously calling it the headwall. Kinda of like these guys who skied Sunshine and went to the left of Horseshoe Rock but called it EGH: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/884832/Re_Elliot_Glacier_Headwall In above thread there are some very good pictures posted by sweatinoutliquor showing the areas on the hill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kletterhund Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 (edited) Protection is available - mostly the odd screw... The rock is mostly chossy to poor... The ice can vary considerably as well from crappy to not too bad... Schrund fun certainly! Conditions dictate the exact line and the pro to some degree as well with this one. I would advise early season and a genuine alpine start - lot of crap comes down this route especially by mid-morning! Good link by ScaredSilly in his previous post. Edited March 8, 2012 by Kletterhund Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 long way to walk for a sketch, sketch route, 'specially w/ a dog route just a few hundred yards away to clamber up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kletterhund Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 This was my first alpine route in Oregon fresh off the plane from Juneau W A Y back when... The continuous pelting of my first ascent lent it a certain ambience until the size of the chunks grew, hmmm, err, disconcerting... Hardly worse than soloing the avalanche couloirs of Mt. Juneau as a wee lad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Deleted_Beck Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 Why that route, for a first go at the Cascades? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScaredSilly Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 (edited) KInda like my first route in the Tetons - we did the North Face of the Grand. Why? Cause it was there and was one the baddest routes on the hill. Either that they got off route and wandered up it - which has happened to climbers on other well known routes. Edited March 9, 2012 by ScaredSilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kletterhund Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 My partner at the time had been itching to do it and Yocum was way out of condition (May...)... Some sort of sussing of my northerner bravado! There was plenty of sketch around Juneau and the icefield to the east was generous enough to provide ample epics and adventure. In any event it was fun as hell and my partner got his journal tick. It is a bit of a stroll as Ivan mentioned but sketch builds character!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YocumRidge Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 OlegV, what a good friend he is, came up with the coolest way ever to celebrate my b-day last year: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1002652/Re_TR_Mt_Hood_North_Side_1_22_#Post1002652 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kletterhund Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YocumRidge Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Awesome! Yeah. OlegV is in the climbing retirement since. And no more "victims" for the Eliot HW are to be found... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Deleted_Beck Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 Awesome! Yeah. OlegV is in the climbing retirement since. And no more "victims" for the Eliot HW are to be found... I haven't found a single TR from the route on this board, at least not that's listed as Eliot Glacier Headwall or any variation of the phrase. Or anywhere else on the world wide google, for that matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScaredSilly Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 A small observation BITD Elliot Glacier Headwall was an often talked about climb. The same for doing Sandy Glacier Headwall. Though today Sandy Glacier Headwall gets ascended here and there I think more folks focus on the north face gullies and the Reid Glacier. Why? perhaps access for the quality of climb. Especially on the north side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 today Sandy Glacier Headwall gets ascended here and there I think more folks focus on the north face gullies and the Reid Glacier. Why? I would say exposure in one select or classics guidebook or another have a lot of influence in this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 today Sandy Glacier Headwall gets ascended here and there I think more folks focus on the north face gullies and the Reid Glacier. Why? I would say exposure in one select or classics guidebook or another have a lot of influence in this. it's in the "climbing the cascade volcanoes" book, it's just: a) contrived (there's an easy way to the summit a very short distance away) b) a long hike to get there c) dangerous d) not in a particuliarly cool setting (unlike the dramatic exposure of say yocums, you're just tucked into the side of the n face prow w/ a view of steep snow below and dirt above) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I was actually thinking of the Nelson and Potterfield or Kearney guide books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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