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 climbing mount hood - leuthold couloir route march 1, 2002 sorry, but this page will load very slowly on dial-up!
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click photo to enlarge Lee, Dave, Matt, Mike and Steve before the climb click photo to enlarge  Mount Hood's specter shadow during sunrise click photo to enlarge  Slogging up the South Side to Illumination Saddle click photo to enlarge  Mike on the Saddle with Mount St. Helens in back click photo to enlarge  Mount Hood's Castle Crags tower above the route click photo to enlarge  Early in the climb, the first steep pitch is an obstacle click photo to enlarge  Looking back toward Illumination Rock click photo to enlarge  Looking down the chute to the Sandy River Valley click photo to enlarge  Mounts Rainier & Adams from the Queens Chair click photo to enlarge  Matt on the 11,239-foot summit of Mount Hood |
The Mountain: Mount Hood is one of the most climbed mountains in the world. Though the South Side "standard" route is relatively non-technical, the real reason for the frequency of climbs is the mountain's proximity to Portland, Oregon and the accessibility of Mount Hood's Timberline Lodge. During 6 to 8 months of the year, people can drive to the 6,000-foot mark on the mountain and make a round trip of the summit in one day. All it takes is the proper equipment and mountaineering skills, along with good physical conditioning. These qualities make the mountain a great recreation destination, but they also create a kind of traffic jam on the standard route - especially on weekends. To avoid these frustrating situations, and to provide more challenges, experienced mountaineers often take to the more difficult routes. On March 1, 2002, four of my friends and I took advantage of a beautiful Friday and set out to tackle a moderately difficult climb known as Leuthold Couloir. The Route: The Leuthold Couloir route sits on the West Face of Mount Hood, just above the Reid Glacier. Climbers head from the South Side over the Illumination Saddle, just to the East of Illumination Rock. After traversing the upper portion of the Reid Glacier, climbers reach the route. The passage to the summit starts in a small chute known as the Hour Glass, nestled in between the massive Yocum Ridge to the North and the Castle Crags to the South. View the climbing route! The chute slowly widens as the elevation increases, but the entire route constantly presents the danger of rock and ice fall. Once out of the Couloir, climbers reach an open area known as the Queens Chair, with panoramic views of the Washington Cascades and the Columbia and Willamette River Valleys. A few hundred vertical feet later, the route reaches the Summit Ridge, a treacherous and narrow ridge that leads across the volcano's crater rim to the true summit. One faulty step on the Summit Ridge could spell disaster - either a deadly fall off the North Face or a rocket ride down into the volcanic fumaroles of the Hot Rocks. If done correctly, traversing the Summit Ridge is exhilarating, but safe. Eventually, climbers will reach the 11,239-foot summit of Mount Hood, just above the Pearly Gates of the South Side route. Most people descend through the standard route and avoid the steep descent back through the Hour Glass. The easier descent also saves time, as the Leuthold Couloir route takes a great deal of time to complete. The Climb: Portland Mountain Rescue members Steve Rollins, Mike Ochsner and Dave Clarke, my friend Lee Trent and I gathered in the overflow parking lot at Timberline Lodge on the night of February 28. We spent a very cold, 17 degree night in our cars, awaiting our alarms set for 4:45 am. In the pre-dawn darkness of March 1, we gathered our gear and headed for the Wy'East Day Lodge and our waiting Sno-Cat. We decided to cut out the 2-hour slog to the top of Palmer Snowfield and rent a Sno-Cat for $100. The five of us piled into the cold and noisy Cat for the 30 minute ride to 8,540-feet (from 6,000 feet at the Lodge). We reached the top of Palmer just before sunrise. We ditched our skis and snowshoes there, for use on the descent, and set out for Illumination Saddle. After a short Northwesterly slog to 9,300 feet, we reached Illumination Rock and the Saddle, that provides a pass from the South Side to the West Face of the mountain. We took a break and roped up for the remainder of the journey. The five of us lined up along the rope, clipped it into our carabineers and harnesses, and began to move onto the Reid Glacier. The upper portion of the snow covered Glacier allowed us a fairly easy traverse toward the Leuthold Couloir route. It also gave Lee and I a chance to get accustomed with the rope team, since we had not really done much technical mountaineering before. As we passed below the Castle Crags toward the massive Yocum Ridge, we came to the beginning of Leuthold Couloir - a narrow chute at 9,800 feet known as the Hour Glass. This Couloir then snakes its way up to the summit, cutting a path in between the rocky and ice laden cliffs of the Ridge and the Crags. We carefully entered the chute, knowing full well that we would need to move quickly in order to avoid the dangers of rock and ice fall. Methodically, the rope team ascended the steep, 40-45 degree pitch through the Couloir - stopping only to recycle our pickets from back to front. Eventually, we came out of the chute and reached an open area near the 11,000-foot mark known as the Queens Chair. There, we were treated to our first views of the Washington Cascades - Mounts Rainier and Adams. Mount St. Helens was visible as well, but we had viewed the famous peak hours before while crossing Illumination Saddle. The rime ice formations of the Queens Chair were breathtaking - even more breathtaking than it normally is at 11,000 feet!! :) A few hundred vertical feet later, we reached the Summit Ridge, a narrow and treacherous path across the North rim of the volcano's crater. This would be our only way to get to the true summit and the easier descent route of the South Side. With some trepidation, the team slowly and carefully moved across the Ridge, blazing a narrow path with danger on each side. A few feet to the right was the unsupported cornice snow of the North Face, and a potentially nasty fall. To the right was a steep pitch leading down to the crater and the volcanic fumaroles of the Hot Rocks. The toboggan ride down to the crater was not a great option either. As the bright sun baked on our backs, we made sure to plant our ice axes deeply into the ice and snow and take each step one at at time. The rope and several well placed pickets also provided confidence as we traveled East to the summit. The slow march ended and we reached a safer area where we could un-rope. Lee and I hiked the last few hundred feet to the true summit, took some great photos of us with the Washington Cascades as a backdrop, and then returned to the rest of the team for a well deserved break. Due to differing commitments, the team disbanded there on the summit and descended through the Pearly Gates one by one on our way back to Timberline. Lee and I were the last to come down the Hogsback and by the time we reached the top of Palmer Snowfield, we were already spent. However, we trudged on and made it back to our vehicles about 12 hours after the journey began. We were treated to a beautiful sunset on the South Side of the mountain and congratulated ourselves on another accomplishment. As Steve said to me later -- "now you've really climbed a mountain!" He was so right. I hope you enjoy the photos. -- Matt |
click photo to enlarge A gorgeous sunrise over Mount Hood's South Side click photo to enlarge  Oregon Cascades: Mount Jefferson & Three Sisters click photo to enlarge  Illumination Rock cuts into the early morning sky click photo to enlarge  Carefully traversing the snow covered Reid Glacier click photo to enlarge  Massive Yocum Ridge provides a big waypoint click photo to enlarge  The rope team slowly climbs to the Hour Glass chute click photo to enlarge  The team enters the steep and icy Hour Glass - Wow! click photo to enlarge  The climb nears the 11,000-foot mark click photo to enlarge  Carefully crossing the treacherous Summit Ridge click photo to enlarge  The setting sun brings the 12-hour climb to a close |