4 minute read
CLIMBING MT. HOOD IN WINTER
by Ryan Reed
Have a few Mt. Hood summits and think you’re ready for a winter attempt? Here are a few tips—and warnings.
Winter climbing is not always harder than springtime, but you need to be prepared for tougher conditions. You have to be solid with crampons, two tools, and climbing steep snow and ice; if you need more training, consider the Mazama Steep Snow and Ice skill-builder in the summer. Make sure your other “systems” (clothing, food, equipment) are dialed in. Refresh your avalanche knowledge, or take another class. Find an experienced partner. Be prepared to wait a while for a solid weather window with good conditions. It will be too cold and stormy, then too warm and melty, then elevated avalanche danger, then perfect except for high wind, and so forth.
Consider climbing first just to Devil’s Kitchen, the flat shelf below the Hogsback, to become more familiar with the upper mountain. There are no crevasses or fumaroles on the route, and the slope maxes out at just over 30 degrees. Make a mental map of the features—Crater Rock, the Steel Cliffs, the Hogsback, the Pearly Gates—and take note of the “Hood Triangle” effect that sends the unwary toward Zigzag Canyon. Imagine navigating with limited visibility.
Be prepared to turn around at any stage. Keep in mind that downclimbing, whether on ice, hard snow, or powder, is likely to be harder and less secure than downclimbing the pliable snow of springtime.
Be prepared for whiteouts, whether from blowing snow or just fog, which can occur abruptly on pleasant days. It’s not just about navigation; a full-on whiteout is so disorienting it can be difficult to walk or even stand upright.
Flotation
Jargon for whatever keeps you from postholing into deep, soft snow: usually skis, splitboard, or snowshoes. Often unnecessary even after a storm, since the southside is frequently wind-scoured of new snow. Usually stashed en route, at Palmer or Devil’s Kitchen—only experts should ski above the Hogsback.
Clothing
As with spring climbing, the trick is to stay warm enough without sweating. So: layers and venting. Extra layers for cold, and multiple head, face, neck, and hand coverings to swap out as needed. Eye protection for both sun and falling ice. Helmet.
Equipment
If you’re planning to climb above the Hogsback, bring two tools (i.e., ice axe and ice tool), since you may encounter rime or alpine ice even on the easier routes. Crampons. Flotation if called for. Trekking or ski poles. Emergency bivy and/or insulating sleeping pad.
Avy gear
Carry, and know how to use, avalanche beacons, shovels, and probes if you’re venturing into avy-prone terrain (Leuthold Couloir, West Crater Rim) in anything but very solid conditions. The Old Chute slope is also avy terrain, but usually firms up several days after a storm.
Miscellaneous
Tire chains, Sno-Park permit, and Mt. Hood climbing permit.
Weather and conditions
Read the avalanche and weather report from the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC), and know what the forecasts mean. Check NOAA and other trustworthy forecast sites.
Watch weather over a week or more, tracking temperatures, precipitation, wind, and cloud cover to form a theory about the snow surface. Then compare with the actual conditions, and repeat.
Find trip reports on Facebook climbing groups, Instagram, etc. The most reliable are from Portland Mountain Rescue and the Mt. Hood Climbing Rangers, but many climbers post detailed reports.
Cold and cloud cover help keep rime ice and rock in place. Near- or above-freezing temperatures after a stormy period probably mean a lot of rime falling off the summit ridgeline, especially after sunrise or with wind. It hurts, and bigger pieces can knock you down. Before ascending a face or gully below rime towers, look and listen for falling rime; chips might be OK, larger pieces not so much.
It’s always windier than you want. A forecast of 10 mph counts as your lucky day; 25 or 30 mph should give you pause.
It comes down to this: There’s a lot to know, and knowledge is safety. For a good discussion of risk assessment, even if you’re not venturing beyond the Old Chute, watch Mount Hood Beyond the South Side from Portland Mountain Rescue (Matt Zavorink and Scott Branscum), available on YouTube. And talk to other climbers with experience.
Editors note: Climbing Mt. Hood during winter is an extremely challenging and potentially lifethreatening endeavor that requires extensive technical skills, specialized equipment, and comprehensive mountain safety knowledge. This is not a recreational activity for novice climbers or untrained individuals.
