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Reid Glacier Headwall, Mt Hood - May 12, 2001
Simul-soloed the Reid Glacier Headwall with my buddy Paul Koubek. We set out to climb Leuthold's Couloir and after seeing the rockfall coming off the Yocum Ridge changed our plan. Neither of us had been on the west side before, and this was actually my first route on Hood. We basicaly turned up one couloir before Leuthold's, putting us on the RGH (as we were to find out later). After realizing we didn't want to be in the rockfall funnel that was Leutholds, we essentially just picked a line that looked like it would go and gave it a shot. Only when we got down and consulted a guidebook did we find out what we had actually climbed.
Snow conditions were generally excellent, with a couple of sections of rotten verglassed rock and a long stretch of mellow low-angle ice near the
top (near the Queens Chair, super fun with great views). We were treated to a surreal moonrise about two hours into the climb and although clouds building in the southwest had us a little concerned, the weather turned out to be excellent. The traverse to the couloir after Illumination Saddle sucked, knee to thigh deep postholing and
tiring. We got bombed with rock and icefall, taking on some nasty bruises, but luckily we were on the summit by 7:00am so we avoided the worst of it. We never roped up, and didn't even don crampons until about 10,200. I would recommend two tools on this route, I had one 65cm axe, Paul carried two 55cm tools, it paid dividends for him on some of the thin ice and verglassed sections. The route averages about 40-45 degrees (which will seem much steeper when icy, or when unroped looking several hundred feet down the couloir and chute system), with the steepest sections going at about 50 degrees (although we did encounter a couple of 8-10 foot vertical ice sections in constrictions within the chutes). Due to the rock and icefall on this route and the low chance of successfully self-arresting, I'd recommend using a running belay on the upper third. Descending the south side was the usual circus, probably two dozen climbers on the hhogsback and upper slopes and another two dozen lower on the route.
This was my first experiment with using the energy gel GU on a long climb. The stuff just plain ROCKS! You have to pay attention and consume it on a schedule and it tastes not so great, but it works. It was also my first experience soloing something that long in the alpine environment. I've soloed rock and even long rock routes, but this was another game altogether.
All in all a highly recommended route, great climbing, cool exposure and position, and no crowds (we didn't see another party after
heading toward the saddle until the summit). Expect 6-8 hours for an average ascent from Timberline lodge.
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Southwest Face of Mt Hood
The RGH route begins after Illumination Saddle, at the bottom-center. Traverse left to the rock ribs and ascend the fall-line through the left-hand chute and straight through the rock/rime bands higher. |
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Photos are from H-Hood, a great resource for info on Mt Hood
Give credit where it's due. I lifted these pics from the HHood Site. Follow the link below to go to the site.
HHood
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Another view of the Reid Glacier Headwall
Illumination Saddle is at the far right. The Yokum Ridge is the prominent ridge cutting through the center of the pic. The route ascends the face on the right of the Yokum. |
