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[TR] HOOD - North Face right gully - car to bar 2/2/2013


YocumRidge

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Trip: HOOD - North Face right gully - car to bar

 

Date: 2/2/2013

 

Trip Report:

I love North Face on Hoodie. A legit winter route and my favorite at that when hit in right conditions. For the last few weeks I was crippled by a weird lung infection and as such was not able to get out climbing much. The last weekend the stars finally aligned with the high pressure conveniently settled in for at least 24 hr and although still coughing as a bad TB patient, I was feeling better.

 

My friend JR arrived from Seattle on Fri night after work and we headed to the Tilly Jane TH where we unsuccessfully tried to get some zzz. Not much luck there, we started up the trail at 3800' after midnight, looking forward to the usual 5000’ approach.

 

12.30 a.m. alpine start:

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JR at the TJ A-frame:

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After the crampons were on at 6700’ at the always windy Cooper Spur, we dropped down on to the lower Eliot at the usual spot and hiked up to the shrund by the North face on nice alpine ice with some styrofoam thrown in.

 

North side of Hood in winter usually creates its own microclimate with the temps running 10-15F lower than on the south side at the same elevation. No exception was this time: morning inversion SE winds and single digits at 8800’. Originally from AK, the JR’s most substantial layer turned out to be a Patagonia Nano Puff Fish Fur 1. “It is the one and only I have on today” – hmmm, way light and fast for my taste, but I guess it is how they are bred up there in AK :grin: . Still in the dark, we spotted an ice block, dug in and I pulled a Fission SL out of my pack to make JR’s existence less miserable and hoping that may be he would get some sleep:

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Waiting for the sun to rise:

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Cooper Spur at sunrise:

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Eliot at sunrise:

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We climbed the right gully in two blocks: I took the bottom part including the shrund, part of the North Cleaver, swinging traverse and through the first ice step; while JR got the second rock band/ice step and the summit pinnacle.

 

Approaching the shrund with the left and right ice steps above me:

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The closer we got, the more life-threatening objects was hammering us from above as expected. For as long as it would not annihilate us. To make things better, the snow bridge that I successfully used 2 weeks ago - http://nobolts.blogspot.com/2013/01/mt-hood-north-face-right-gully-attempt.html - was no longer there. A constant reminder that this mountain is ever metamorphosing living being.

 

Feeling desperate, I downclimbed inside the shrund and traversed over trying to find something better than the overhanging paper thin snow failing at my weighted tools. With not many available options, I went all way to the North Cleaver and pulled through the half a pitch of rock and ice up there before dropping back down for the swinging traverse to the first ice step.

 

Disappearing in the shrund:

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Traversing over the shrund:

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The Cleaver bypass of the shrund:

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On the swinging traverse to the base of the first ice step:

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Starting up the first ice step:

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It is exactly when the real shit show had begun: the whole mountain was falling apart and the gully turned into one giant garbage chute. According to JR, the first ice step I “led” aka free soloed was all rotten ice for more than a rope length. I have no memories on this one - I climbed it blind. My crampons blew twice and I was nearly loosing it – not recommended. Emotionally traumatized and physically tortured, I was really hoping our life will improve as we gain elevation and may be just may be we will go home in the end :) .

 

Thank gawd JR came up alive and took the next simul block. Our lives and upward progress did improve as we reached the second rock band/ice step. Finally we were moving and making up for all the time lost down below.

 

JR en route to the second ice step:

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JR on the second ice step:

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We barely could believe the hero plastic ice was awaiting above. Yep, it was that good. A thought crossed our minds to hang a TR and start running laps:

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The obligatory shot of Cathedral Spire:

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The summit pinnacle:

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The summit cornice (better than expected):

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Topping out:

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JR on the lonely summit at 3 p.m. His first time on Hood:

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March Madness and I-rock.

"The best mixed climbing on the West coast. Period." - Wayne Wallace

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Alpenglow descent to the T-lodge:

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The slog down was via the Old Chute where we bumped into a very nice rappelling party of 4 from Bozeman who gave us a ride back to our rig after we crawled out of a bar at the T-lodge next morning :) .

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

60 m rope, 5 screws, 2 pickets, 4 Cobras

 

Approach Notes:

Tilly Jane TH

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Reid was an absolute shooting gallery on the 3rd. I've never seen so much shit coming down. Absolute literal avalanches of ice flooding through the constrictions every 10-15 minutes. Just enough time to race through and get off to the side.

 

La Montagne was very sheddy this weekend. Great pics.. Glad you guys survived

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Thanks, Ben.

 

Not much snow on the gendarmes and not much rime either, hmmm..

 

It looks pretty dry, but given the volume and quality of the ice all over the rest of the mountain, I have to wonder if maybe it isn't actually in about as good a condition as it can be... what if all that frozen water that IS up there is just straight up fat bomber ice??

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