Mt hood questions renewed

So instead of my last massive amount of questions. I just wanted some oppinions. I know some people who are roping up and some who are not on the south side by hogsback. But i know some people who are soloing it? I was planning on going up this saturday and summiting on sunday. Oppinions?

Thanks

We never saw anyone rope up for the Old Chute 10 days ago.
I don't know how far west the schrund extends. The bootpack should be a giant trough by now.

If you know how to self belay with your ice axe, wippet, ski pole, I would not rope up unless you place protection THAT WILL WORK! There could be a group or so many groups above you roped up, thinking they are safe because they have a rope on (false sense of security) and unfortunately historically speaking there being an unacceptable possibility of a team or teams, team sliding down the mountain AT YOU taking you out. It can feel like a bowling alley with you being a potential pin. Try to get ahead of these groups.

Seems like there are a lot of people here in my home state of Oregon that have no idea what self belay is..

They seem to think they will self arrest...all I can say, if you get to that point give her everything you got because self arrest takes A LOT OF PRACTICE!! (I for one along with many am not practiced enough in self arrest...it is THE LAST RESORT...Mt Hood is way under estimated for the basic honed skills needed...I think statistic will back that up.)

Thats what I thought, self belaying would be the best bet. Plus, I talked to the ranger and he said there was probably gonna be up to 200 people going up then, so it's not like i would be the only one on the mountain.

I live in seattle, i was doing a bunch of research and stuff talking to my dad who has done it etc etc, i have done Mt Adams, mt snowqualmie and some other peaks so I am not unfamiliar with climbing/bc skiing. Hopefully, I won't get there and be part way up and look at it and say its too gnarly and turn around. haha! Thanks for you input guys! Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

How far off the path was the crevace telemack, was it anything to be concerned about? I understand it's hard to answer that question haha. Thanks again man!

Climbing the Old Chute on Hood is way different than anything on Snoqualmie standard route, Adams S. Climb, etc. It's steep, congested with all kinds of people and can feature a ton of ice/rockfall.

Completely agree rlsg on roping up: If you're going to place protection, fine. If not, it strikes me as silly on the old chute. Crampons and an ice axe were mandatory when I did it a couple weeks ago, and having a whippet on top of that was helpful. Wear a helmet on the ascent. Don't get influenced by dummies doing all kinds of weird stuff up there (no helmets, no crampons, skiing right over climbers and showering ice all over them, etc.). Do it right and have fun.

Hopefully, I won't get there and be part way up and look at it and say its too gnarly and turn around.

Good luck Ace -- good advice so far for you here. I just wanted to say, re: the quote above, that being able to look up, says it's too gnarly and turn around is a huge skill in itself. I'm often more pleased with the trips on which I've been able to do that than I am with any others.

Good advice from Marcus but reading the thread it got my thinking especially after reading the latest issue of Alpinist . In it there is a very thoughtful piece about failure and adventure and how in this internet/ blog age and the readily available ability to get up to date condition reports, beta on route finding, how to.. etc., the sense of adventure, facing the unknown and dealing with the difficulties as you find them has been lost.

If you attempt a route or climb without any beta it's like a first ascent whereas if you do it with all the beta available... it's more like a redpoint to use climbing parlance.

Not taking any sides... I get beta from the internet as well but the article was thought provoking and I think true.... namely..people want as much beta as possible to ensure success/safety rather than attempt something and venture into the unknown.  Although there are advantages to this... something is lost as well.

Yeah, I think I am just going to hike it this time to see whats going on before skiing it. The old chute looks like its going to be the most problematic part of the climb. I am still on the edge of weather to drive 5 hours or not haha. I have all the gear neccasary ie Ice axe,crampons, helmet, and a bible haha, but it is still pretty iffy.

Is anyone else on here going up? I understand the difference of mt hood from my previous hikes.

I heard in may there was a huge step blocking the pearly gates. I am sure its all gone by now, but it looked pretty sick when I saw pictures haha.

This good weather is so hard to pass up!!!!!

Thanks again guys.

If you attempt a route or climb without any beta it's like a first ascent whereas if you do it with all the beta available... it's more like a redpoint to use climbing parlance.
..people want as much beta as possible to ensure success/safety rather than attempt something and venture into the unknown.  Although there are advantages to this... something is lost as well.

+100!
Personally I embody a cautious approach towards climbing, and take full advantage of available equipment, beta, and wisdom that I have managed to glean from others. Nonetheless, I also take something valuable from the mindset of the Hood pioneers.

The adventures of Gary Denzel Leech, as documented in Walking Up and Down in the World, by Smoke Blanchard, offer a refreshing perspective. Here are excerpts from an account of one of Gary's Hood climbs, circa 1930, without ice axe, crampons, or parka:

“No sooner had I started that I regretted ever having made plans for climbing on this day, for the weather was none too favorable… If I had quit there, as it later developed, I would have spoiled a better record of climbing Hood 116 times without turning around for any reason… I made myself go at the task. I attacked the step cutting in a furious manner, hacking at the blue ice. I was not very cold, not with the alpenstock whirling like an idling propeller. My time to the lookout was over nine hours, with about four hours being used to negotiate the Chute, which I had previously climbed in fifteen minutes… I set off back across the rim top… Along its marrow portion, the relentless wind upset me several times, causing me to flounder helplessly until the slides were arrested with the alpenstock or feet. The act of descending my several hundred gouged steps… was an art in itself…once out of my steps, my slippery shoes would have been helpless in a slide…”

We did it last year.  Raining in the parking lot, and were going to ski around inside the crater with little to no expectations.  Purchased a single lift ticket to the top at 9ish.  Broke through the clouds at midway to "Hawaiian shirt style atmosphere".  Decided to skin up left of Crater Rock to take a look around.  Took the skis off around some sulphur vents under a sweet 50deg wall.  Saw an easy boot track up the ole chute.  With no original intention of summiting, and no traffic on the old chute. We booted the old chute in t-shirts and no gloves, and skied the same route.  

This was totally weather/condition dependent.  Any other day....and the style would had been totally different!

"If you attempt a route or climb without any beta it's like a first ascent whereas if you do it with all the beta available... it's more like a redpoint to use climbing parlance."

If you know that a route has been done, it has little in common with a "first ascent."

Some good advice above. Better to say it's gnarly and turn around than say it's easy and turn around :
The schrund was E of the Hogsback 2 weeks ago; now I don't know. It's a fine tour to leave skis at the Hogsback and summit without; the summit pitch is out of character with the rest of the skiing.
Watch out or crowds. At least one roped team has clotheslined another into the schrund!
So much for "the Brotherhood of the Rope".
Most of the climbers 2 Sundays ago started so early that they were all down off the bottlenecks at the various chutes by the time we toddled up at the gentlemanly hour of 11 AM. I don't know if you could count on that; we were favored by little rock fall but the snow was still firm in the Old Chute at nearly 1 PM..

....snip...."the summit pitch is out of character with the rest of the skiing."

Must be me, but the bottom 5000' of skiing is out of charachter with the top/summit pitch..

Must be me, but the bottom 5000' of skiing is out of charachter with the top/summit pitch..

Humph! You probably think skiing downhill is the fun part of the tour too.

Humph!  You probably think skiing downhill is the fun part of the tour too. 

....at a rate of 1000' per hour on the up :-[ :'( :-[...You've got it right