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theabortionator
April, 2025

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Climbing mt hood

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C_dub
Posts: 373 - Karma: 2,316
Tips? Dangers? Just need some info...
10 years ago
30 10
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Hoodliving
Posts: 1033 - Karma: 1,877
Never climbed before, I personally boot packed it to the pearly gates above the hogsback, I was about 230vertical feet from the summit without having to use crampons or axes. The melt out has been opening up new crevasses and fumaroles are poking out from base of crater rock up. The burgshrund (spelling?) on mid hogs back has re opened so you have to traverse around the crack maybe even hop over it. I had no trouble climbing it athletics wise, although I am acclimated to 8000ft so the altitude doesn't bother me any, but today we had a climber puking and got escorted down from altitude sickness. Take avy shovel, 50ft rope, crampons and axe IF you want to summit. Check in at the climbers station for safety then get on out there. If you wanna cheat you can pay 35 bucks and get a ride to 8,500ft top o Palmer. I didn't have a pack on me so I left my skis at base of the hogsback you can ride down from the summit, but I rode from hogsback, be sure to map out your decent as you climb and look for obstacles. Then recheck your route. On our decent I came about 15feet from riding into a fumarole (sulfur vent) that will kill you in a matter of minutes. Just take it slow and double check each step 3 points of contact at all times. Hope that helps
10 years ago
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cydwhit
Posts: 5078 - Karma: 43,070
I sent it Sunday. I feel like if you are asking for advice on NS you maybe shouldn't do it?

Anyway, what I took away from it:

-Not as much of a slog as say Adams or Hellens but it's way steeper/sketchier
-Heck of a lot of rockfall and icefall, hit it early or not at all
-Pearly gates scared the heck out of me, lots of ice fall and some not very fun moves
-Take the old Climber's chute
-Don't send her unless the weather is decent
-Heck of a lot of cracks and sulphur pits to fall into if you fall or if it's low vis and you get lost
-The ski down is a good time
-Look out for Gaper's roped together, two people fell while I was up and got lucky, could have been way worse
-Wear a shirt
-Wear sunscreen
-WEAR A SHIRT YOU MORON (I didn't and I am in a lot of pain right now)

Go talk to someone with actual mountaineering experience though, I feel like the internet makes Hood sound way more mellow than it is, sure it's short and close to a ski resort but there is plenty that can go wrong.

All that said, I'm more of a hill-walker-upper than a mountaineer so take everything I said with a grain of salt and talk to people who actually know what's up.
10 years ago
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OregonDead
Posts: 7059 - Karma: 26,472
^Ouch. I hiked up to crater rock a couple of weeks ago and got gnarly burns on both wrists. I was trying to keep completely covered up but missed a spot. The week before that I hiked to illumination rock without gloves and ended up with bloody knuckles and a sunburn on my hands. I'm not qualified to give advice on climbing but listen to people when they say to cover up. The sun is intense so even if you are not prone to burns I still advise covering up to reduce your chances of skin cancer.
10 years ago
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Slush
Posts: 1916 - Karma: 12,961
Threads. Climbing hood is on my bucket list. I have 0 experience with this shit what so ever, and I want to make sure I don't die.

I always thought you could hike on up no problem. From the tippy top of the lift it looked easy enough. Guess not!
10 years ago
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C_dub
Posts: 373 - Karma: 2,316
cydwhit-Heck of a lot of cracks and sulphur pits to fall into if you fall or if it's low vis and you get lost

Are the all over tha place or mainly concentrated in one area?
10 years ago
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ESB
Posts: 9274 - Karma: 10,659
Cracks, crevasses, sulphur pits etc. are all concentrated in the area of the crater. Watch your step as you enter, but there's nothing that can't be easily avoided using some basic common sense.

For me the sketchiest part has always been the final pitch inside the crater; whether you take Old Chute or Pearly Gates, rock- or icefall on either route can flush you out and knock you into some bad stuff that's underneath.

Rock & icefall, and the associated danger of losing your step, are the major concerns on Hood. Don't dawdle in danger zones, stay aware of what's happening around you (paying attention to temperature changes? cracking sounds? visual evidence?), and don't summit too late in the day.

In recent years I have seen multiple climbers make bad decisions on the final pitch inside the crater and nearly get swept off the mountain as a result. One tip: if you see a big runnel in the snow where it's obvious that rocks and ice come sliding off the mountain, then that's probably not a good route for you to hike directly up/down the middle of.

One of the best tips I've gotten is how to deal with rock and icefall. If you hear something coming down above you, don't try to get out of the way. Trying to move quickly & spontaneously on a steep, icy pitch may result in you falling that much faster. You want to lay flat on the slope, cover your head with your arms, and pray that a gravity-propelled ice-rime grapefruit doesn't put an end to your day.
10 years ago
1 0
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C_dub
Posts: 373 - Karma: 2,316
ESBCracks, crevasses, sulphur pits etc. are all concentrated in the area of the crater. Watch your step as you enter, but there's nothing that can't be easily avoided using some basic common sense.

For me the sketchiest part has always been the final pitch inside the crater; whether you take Old Chute or Pearly Gates, rock- or icefall on either route can flush you out and knock you into some bad stuff that's underneath.

Rock & icefall, and the associated danger of losing your step, are the major concerns on Hood. Don't dawdle in danger zones, stay aware of what's happening around you (paying attention to temperature changes? cracking sounds? visual evidence?), and don't summit too late in the day.

In recent years I have seen multiple climbers make bad decisions on the final pitch inside the crater and nearly get swept off the mountain as a result. One tip: if you see a big runnel in the snow where it's obvious that rocks and ice come sliding off the mountain, then that's probably not a good route for you to hike directly up/down the middle of.

One of the best tips I've gotten is how to deal with rock and icefall. If you hear something coming down above you, don't try to get out of the way. Trying to move quickly & spontaneously on a steep, icy pitch may result in you falling that much faster. You want to lay flat on the slope, cover your head with your arms, and pray that a gravity-propelled ice-rime grapefruit doesn't put an end to your day.


Thanks man
10 years ago
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Ian.D
Posts: 1254 - Karma: 1,093
Some good tips on here, No one has said anything about gear though. Although people may feel differently, I would say an ice axe and crampons are mandatory. No reason risking climbing around the summit in some worn out park boots. The climb is a walk up until the top section. The summit ridge is a total no fall zone and it can be icy and really narrow in some spots. People climb it all the time but remember that people die almost every year by underestimating it or getting unlucky, maybe a combination of both.
10 years ago
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Hoodliving
Posts: 1033 - Karma: 1,877
All really good advice in here, and another thing when I went up if the wind isn't blowing and its a hot day you can hear everything creaking and melting around you, honestly kinda cool and scary. I would agree on taking the old chute but beware that left side of the hogsback if you fall its covered in cracks and fumaroles down by base of the crater, pearly gate side has a bit less chance to slide down into something. Dont ever think just because you can go to your knees in the soft snow that you will stop if you slide away, 60' slope is no joke. The pearly gates were pretty nerve racking just backing away from it. Took me twice as long to go down the hogsback than up.
10 years ago
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C_dub
Posts: 373 - Karma: 2,316
mantoastpearly gate side has a bit less chance to slide down into something.


What about the berg'?
10 years ago
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theabortionator
Posts: 52541 - Karma: 173,675
Ian.DThe summit ridge is a total no fall zone



Never climbed there but I'm doubting this pretty hard
10 years ago
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cydwhit
Posts: 5078 - Karma: 43,070
theabortionatorNever climbed there but I'm doubting this pretty hard


Depends on how you define that I guess, there are plenty of places on the summit ridge where I sure wouldn't want to fall, it's pretty dang steep and cracked up down the other side and there are plenty of places with decent exposure on the T'line side too. Would be a super hairy self arrest if you slipped. Most def do not want to fall on a large portion of it. Then again, I really try not to ever fall...
10 years ago
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theabortionator
Posts: 52541 - Karma: 173,675
cydwhitDepends on how you define that I guess, there are plenty of places on the summit ridge where I sure wouldn't want to fall, it's pretty dang steep and cracked up down the other side and there are plenty of places with decent exposure on the T'line side too. Would be a super hairy self arrest if you slipped. Most def do not want to fall on a large portion of it. Then again, I really try not to ever fall...



Yeah I've climbed stuff in boots before even where really shouldn't have, it was glare, and if you fell you were going for a very quick ride down a couple k vertical. Would I have wanted to fall there? hell no, it would have been fucking scary, but would it have killed me? highly unlikely.

It def is all in how you define it but to me, no fall zone is pretty much, you're pretty seriously fucked if you fall.

Other wise everything would be a no fall zone because who wants to fall? And any fall can hurt you.

Def sounds like it has some sections where you gotta be a bit cautious though.


hopefully you people can understand what I was trying to say in my gibberish.
10 years ago
0 0
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cydwhit
Posts: 5078 - Karma: 43,070
theabortionatorYeah I've climbed stuff in boots before even where really shouldn't have, it was glare, and if you fell you were going for a very quick ride down a couple k vertical. Would I have wanted to fall there? hell no, it would have been fucking scary, but would it have killed me? highly unlikely.

It def is all in how you define it but to me, no fall zone is pretty much, you're pretty seriously fucked if you fall.

Other wise everything would be a no fall zone because who wants to fall? And any fall can hurt you.

Def sounds like it has some sections where you gotta be a bit cautious though.


hopefully you people can understand what I was trying to say in my gibberish.


Yeah dag I hear ya! I have been in the situations you described before, yeah, you'll go a long way and maybe get bruised up but really it won't mess you up. This was a little different, more cliffs, rocks and cracks not just a slide out.
10 years ago
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Willard
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 429
Find Abe or Kevin! Give them a case of mediocre beer and they might let you follow them up the Volcano.
10 years ago
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Ian.D
Posts: 1254 - Karma: 1,093
theabortionatorNever climbed there but I'm doubting this pretty hard


Lol, Climb old chute/ mazama chute and cross the ridge to the summit and tell me it's not a no fall zone. Again, people who have the same attitude as you die here every year because they underestimate the mountain. There's a reason why it is the deadliest mountain in the US. I don't care how confident you feel, climbing without crampons and ice axe is a gamble
10 years ago
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Ian.D
Posts: 1254 - Karma: 1,093
theabortionatorNever climbed there but I'm doubting this pretty hard


Lol, Climb old chute/ mazama chute and cross the ridge to the summit and tell me it's not a no fall zone. Again, people who have the same attitude as you die here every year because they underestimate the mountain. There's a reason why it is the deadliest mountain in the US. I don't care how confident you feel, climbing without crampons and ice axe is a gamble
10 years ago
1 3
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Ian.D
Posts: 1254 - Karma: 1,093
theabortionatorNever climbed there but I'm doubting this pretty hard


Lol, Climb old chute/ mazama chute and cross the ridge to the summit and tell me it's not a no fall zone. Again, people who have the same attitude as you die here every year because they underestimate the mountain. There's a reason why it is the deadliest mountain in the US. I don't care how confident you feel, climbing without crampons and ice axe is a gamble
10 years ago
0 4
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Ian.D
Posts: 1254 - Karma: 1,093
theabortionatorNever climbed there but I'm doubting this pretty hard


Lol, Climb old chute/ mazama chute and cross the ridge to the summit and tell me it's not a no fall zone. Again, people who have the same attitude as you die here every year because they underestimate the mountain. There's a reason why it is the deadliest mountain in the US. I don't care how confident you feel, climbing without crampons and ice axe is a gamble
10 years ago
2 3
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
Because no one has said it yet and its the single biggest and best piece of advice for someone of your nubiness:

Get an early start. 8am isnt early. 7 am isnt early. 6am isnt early. The biggest issue is the icefalls and rocks falls. Cant do a whole lot about rock falls, but you can seriously mitagate the risk of ice falls if you get into those zones in the morning before it has a chance to warm up much. Not only will you mitigate icefall risk, there will also be less people clusterfucking the zone, you have a chance to summit without 30 other people up there, sunburn is less of a risk, and you get to watch an unbelievable sunrise as you get the slog part overwith.
10 years ago
4 0
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OregonDead
Posts: 7059 - Karma: 26,472
theabortionatorIt def is all in how you define it but to me, no fall zone is pretty much, you're pretty seriously fucked if you fall.


Yeah that is how I define it too and there are spots like that on hood for sure. Someone just died this morning falling off the most popular route.
http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2015/06/climber_fell_400_feet_on_mount.html#incart_m-rpt-1
Have fun but respect the fact that Mt. Hood can and does kill people every year.
10 years ago
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ThaHater
Posts: 677 - Karma: 379
you should do it! its super fun and mostly easy, but not to be underestimated.

I would say crampons and an ice ax are mandatory.

the biggest hazard is rock and ice fall once around Crater Rock until you reach the summit ridge. So get on it early to minimize the hazard (the common thought for climbing hood is to start around midnight to 3 am: I think this is a tad early especially if you want to ski down). even if you have to wait on the summit for things to corn up, the nice thing about skiing down is that its so fast that you are only exposed to rock/ice fall hazards for a few minutes.

A buddy and i did it last week, took about 4 hours from the timberline lodge and about 15 minutes down with a stop at illumination rock to hit a jump.

Just do it! you'll be stoked and probably won't die ;)
10 years ago
0 0
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freewillie
Posts: 431 - Karma: 3,326
WillardFind Abe or Kevin! Give them a case of mediocre beer and they might let you follow them up the Volcano.


barnett?
10 years ago
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C_dub
Posts: 373 - Karma: 2,316
ThaHaterJust do it! you'll be stoked and probably won't die ;)

That's always a plus.
10 years ago
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