[TR] Mt. Hood - Devil's Kitchen Headwall (left var solo) 1/5/2014

[bedellympian]

Trip: Mt. Hood - Devil's Kitchen Headwall (left var solo)

 

Date: 1/5/2014

 

Trip Report:

I soloed Devil's Kitchen Headwall via the L gully (route 1c in Oregon High) with the R finish around the back of the gendarme. The conditions were very thin with mandatory mixed moves but it was doable. Definitely a little sketchy in places, the worst actually being the back of the gendarme where there is steep unconsolidated snow. I wasn't on route til after 7:30 and there was some ice fall, nothing big.

 

More pictures, details and self-aggrandizement on my blog... Mountain Mischief

 

Hopefully we get some more snow and the alpine routes get in better shape... along with the skiing!

 

Gear Notes:

2 tools, there is no place for pro that I could see.

 

Approach Notes:

South side from Timberline, no flotation necessary, bad skiing snow (read chunky ice plates everywhere).

[Ben Beckerich]

Nice. I've also done it in thin/mixed conditions.... man that rock is JUNK, even when it's frozen solid up there. I bailed off at the top, and joined with the Pearly Gates topout on that trip.... but got to experience the wonderful crux unconsolidated east-face snow on the backside of the gendarme the second time. Definitely the scariest three moves of the route.

[bedellympian]

Thanks Ben. Reading your beta on the route on Mtn Project is what gave me the idea to get on it in the first place. It's definitely a fun little gully!

[Ben Beckerich]

Wow.. righteous! Glad I was good for something. Sometimes I wonder if those ever get read at all

[bedellympian]

For new climbers and/or climbers new to Oregon it's really hard to get a copy of Oregon High or even know it exists until someone tells you about it. I knew you could do the regular south side route of Hood and I'd seen an OPB show where people climbed from the north side but I didn't know there were more difficult routes on the mountain until I heard about Yocum Ridge. I think for a lot of climbers Mountain Project is a good place to start, not that it has that much, but it is well known and includes routes all over. I would look at Summit Post too but I quickly got annoyed by the lack of information on real climbing and how timid most users were about technical routes. So yeah, I think MP is a great starting point for finding established routes. Thanks for putting info on there to help cheap-ass guide-book-less climbers like me find something fun to do!

[ScaredSilly]

If you need a copy of Jeff's book, currently there is a copy down at Powel's book.

[bedellympian]

Thanks Scared, I was mainly complaining about the past... I have access to a copy as of this fall. I would go get the copy at Powell's too but I live in Bend and am not sure when I will next be in Portland... 4 hr drive for a book seems a little over the top.

[Ptown_Climber1]

Really enjoyed this, thanks, and great work!! I want to get back up there; maybe next weekend....so do you top out near the top of Wy East, is that right?

[ScaredSilly]

One really should have a copy of Jeff's book. Enough details to get you up the climb but not so detailed you will not have an adventure. I actually have two copies - at this point on is a working copy and the other for the house.

 

FWIW Powell's will ship books for a couple of bucks.

[hippos_are_evil]

also try abebooks.com:

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=jeff&sts=t&tn=oregon+high

 

[bedellympian]

Thank's for the book info guys. I will have to grab a copy now, no excuses!

 

Ptown... yes the route tops out near the top of Wy'east, depends on the variation. The topo from Oregon high is on my blog post and there is a good one on Ben's MP page for the route: http://mountainproject.com/v/devils-kitchen-headwall-dkh---left-variation-/107565601