[TR] Mt. Hood, Illumintaion Rock - South Chamber 11/13/2013

[christophbenells]

Trip: Mt. Hood, Illumintaion Rock - South Chamber

 

Date: 11/13/2013

 

Trip Report:

Dear Cascade Climbers,

 

Ryan Irvin and I climbed Illumination Rock to the "West Gable" on Mt. Hood yesterday. We found some pretty good climbing conditions, tricky route finding, ice-ball dodging, freezing cold, and boiling hot temperatures.

 

All Photos are courtesy of Ryan Irvin, check out his photography page, https://www.facebook.com/ryanirvinphotography

 

We left the parking lot around 7am, and made quick time up to the zig zag glacier. It was freezing cold, wind cut through to the bone, I wore all my clothes, a big puffy and my expedition mitts.

 

 

 

 

We started up the South Chamber route, I'm not sure if we followed it exactly. The rock blocked the wind from blowing on us, and it now felt really hot. We trended a bit left of the route I believe, up two pitches to the sling belay. Ice balls were raining down with fury. I quickly learned to not look up after a large ball struck me in the sunglasses. Just keep your head down and hide beneath a rock. There was a chimney with nice cracks that was the crux of the route, it felt like 5.7-5.8 to me, although the guidebooks rate south chamber at 5.4. Either way, 5.4 with crampons on and rime on the holds still can get you a little gripped.

 

 

 

 

We made it up through the crux with no issues, and to the final belay at the top of the west gable. We decided to stop there, mostly for concerns with safety and time, satisfied with the vertical rock we had climbed. The next pitches were horizontal rime with minimal protection, just to say we tagged the summit. We made it down with three rappels and sketchy downclimbing through the south chamber.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skiing back down to the parking lot was absolutely terrible. The whole mountain was a big ice cube, I'm still feeling the bone jarring effects of the snow in my legs.

 

The climbing on Illumination rock was surprisingly good and safe. I'm looking forward to a nice season of alpine climbs, with several new goals focused on I-rock.

 

Thanks for reading folks!

Chris Benelli

Edited November 14, 2013 by christophbenells

[ivan]

mustaches are aid

[wayne]

Nice shots! Brought back some great memories. I always wondered why more people don't play there. You never know what you will get up there, but it is so fun to catch it in really good conditions. The best days seemed to be right after a Pineapple Express rain event.(:dreamy music:) every thing was blue ice/rime. Looking forward to your future attempts.

[bedellympian]

Awesome! I can't wait to get back up there this season!

[bedellympian]

I guess I better start growing out my stache too

[Ben Beckerich]

iRock is one of my favorite places. For all the southern and western lines, the traverse over to the summit block is tedious and needlessly dangerous... but you must do it at least once. It's the most exclusive summit in Oregon, it's said, and entering your name in the summit register is a proud moment.

 

After that, fap it. Steep choss traversing isn't climbing- once the line is done, the climb is done. I've only gone all the way to the block once, and until I do one of the N/E lines that top out right there, I have no intention of dealing with that traverse again.

Edited November 23, 2013 by Ben Beckerich