Hood South Side route?

[mtn.climber]

I've climbed Hood twice before, but not in a couple of years. Both times I used the old chute route, as it seemed the common route both times I went. Thinking of trying it again this coming weekend. A friend just returned, and he said that it appeared most people were ascending via the Pearly Gates, then using the old chute for the descent. Are the PG the main ascent route now?

 

[Nipsy]

Just got down from there. People are using both depending on how busy it is. PG-needs an ice ice tool in addition to your ax. The snow turned to crap this afternoon with the sun and the heat. With the nice temps and sun it was very difficult to leave the windless summit.

[pdxtaco]

Has anyone been up the Pearly Gates in the last few days? Hoping to climb Fri/Sat and am wondering what they are looking like this year (either left side or right side).

 

Many thanks.

[Hoot]

Has anyone been up the Pearly Gates in the last few days? Hoping to climb Fri/Sat and am wondering what they are looking like this year (either left side or right side).

 

Reposted from the Mt Hood thread (I'm not sure if I went left or right but it was the way everyone else was going):

 

I climbed the South Side route in exquisite conditions Sunday (6 May 12) from the Timberline Lodge. We went up through the Pearly Gates and down the Old Chute route. Like other teams in front of us, my two partners and I roped up for PG, but not everyone did. The crux was about 20 feet of moderately low angle ice. With a second tool and good front point crampons, I had no problems leading it and didn't feel the need to set any protection. The round trip took our group 10 hours and 49 minutes from the lodge. - Hoot

[Pwelco]

Went up through the gates (left) last Saturday the 12th of May.

The shrund had a bridge in the middle so went straight up the Hogs Back then traversed over to the Pearly Gates. A couple other groups ahead were going the Old Chute route so wanted to avoid the fall line.

The traverse was hard pack/ice with very little steps for about 20 yards so I placed 3 pickets until we were under the Gates where the steps got bigger. I haven't seen the left/West Gate open (looking up) for several years due to ice but this year is nice with only about a 15ft section of blue ice, an axe and a tool is what the three of us used and were thankful to have something in both hands. I also placed two ice screws (had 3) but there were others that had a guide that climbed up first and belayed from above. The three of us simi climbed up through using a running belay.

Went back down the same way belaying my two climbers from above the ice patch down to a nice shelf that has an overhang you can protect under if desired.

There was no falling ice or rock at least up until we left the area around 9AM.

Pics can be had at two locations

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/100708915293213926786/MtHoodClimb

 

 

Cheers and headin back on June 2nd

[donniedarko]

The snow turned to crap this afternoon with the sun and the heat.

 

How slushy is the snow? Did you see people ski/snowboard? I'm planning to skin up and ride south route this weekend.

[Pwelco]

Last Saturday the snow was still pretty firm when we left the Hogs Back at 9AM but people were both skiing and boarding from there (There were ski/board tracks from summit as well) and it looked like they were having no troubles. I would certainly take a good wax though for soft snow for down lower as it is painfully slow/sticky lower down below Palmer after the suns been on it a while.

Edited May 16, 2012 by Pwelco