[TR] Mount Hood - Reid Headwall 4/10/2016

[pugetgold]

Trip: Mount Hood - Reid Headwall

 

Date: 4/10/2016

 

Trip Report:

Party of two left Timberline at 2:00 a.m., roped up and left at Illumination Saddle at 5:00 a.m., finished the Reid Headwall at 8:30 a.m., and reached the summit at 9:45 a.m. We intended to follow the left-most route variation but through a series of navigation decisions we ended up climbing one of the center-right variations and topped out on the West Crater Rim.

 

The snow conditions were good (firm neve) but as we climbed the headwall we were pelted with waves of small pellets of snow and ice. We used pickets to protect the narrow snow-bridge crossing of the sizable bergschrund and ice screws in a narrow couloir near the top but did not need protection for the remainder of the route.

 

Temperature was near freezing, it had been a clear night, and winds were moderate (~10-15 mph), but still there were several larger (golfball to baseball-sized) chunks of ice that came whizzing down, and each of us got hit by a couple of these on helmeted heads or shoulders. The party we talked to that did Leuthold couloir didn't seem to get as much of this -- and this TR from same day confirms:

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1147904.

 

 

 

 

[diepj]

Icefall of that variety seems to be a fact of life on the headwall routes on Hood, at least in my experience. Seem to always have pellets and a few fist sized ones coming at you on any of the routes with substantial rime formations above and around. Doesn't seem to have rhyme or reason with temps, sun exposure, wind, etc. it just happens.

 

Maybe we're crazy but we just kind of got used to it. Sucks to take one on the hand or shoulder but I mainly only get concerned if a microwave flies by. This seems a lot easier to avoid using typical metrics for avoiding the hazard. Also have learned to avoid the small stuff better by climbing in the margins rather than right up the gut of the little runnels, to the extent possible. Often there is good ice right in the center though!

 

Nice climb! I love Reid and have always done the left exit. I am looking forward to giving your variation to the crater rim a go for something different.

[sugiyama_ss]

Here's a photo from our climb. It's a sunrise view looking down the Reid Headwall with the shadow of Mt Hood on the clouds below.