[TR] Mount Hood - Devils Kitchen Headwall - Left Variation 2/24/2015

[highandry]

Trip: Mount Hood - Devils Kitchen Headwall - Left Variation

 

Date: 2/24/2015

 

Trip Report:

I am going to keep this short and sweet. My camera was buried and I was too lazy to fish it out for photos. This is more of a conditions update than a trip report.

 

Last Tuesday morning a buddy and I climbed the Devils Kitchen Headwall on the South Side of Mount Hood. It was in fine condition. Solid ice from bottom to top. The route should be in for a while if this weather persists. Definitely a sporty alternative to your standard South Side Hood trip.

 

Keep in mind the ice fall on this route is heinous, My arm is purple from the basketball sized piece of ice I was hit by. Look for low temps and no winds. Get up early and move fast once in the couloir.

 

The ice was thick enough for short screws, although on this route I feel speed is safety. We decided to solo the route to move fast. We brought a 40 M line just in case. The rope never left our pack

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

2 tools, crampons and a helmet.

 

60 M Rope, 4-5 Screws, Picket if you want to protect the route.

 

 

 

Approach Notes:

March to the devils kitchen, walk around the hot rocks and climb straight up the obvious gully. Once topping out the last ice step traverse left over a small snow/ice knuckle and climb 50 degree snow to the summit.

[bonathanjarrett]

I soloed the route this morning and found similar conditions as described, except no falling ice in my case. There was a bit of waist-deep wallowing at the beginning and then frustrating breakable crust up top. Otherwise the slot stayed mostly free from the latest dump of snow.

 

I, too, didn't take pictures. So I supposed it never happened. Right?

[The Cascade Kid]

When you say left variation, which line are you referring to?

[highandry]

It is the primary head wall route. The direct line to the summit.

 

Variation 1c in Jeff Thomas's Oregon High.