In April and early May, there is still tons of snow on the mountain and travel can be pretty straightforward, especially in the technical upper sections, but the weather that time of year is less predictable. John: I think the earlier, the better, but there’s a large trade off. It is then that cracks in the glacier are all covered up and the mountain has some of the best snow and ice covering its many fun routes. On the other hand, winter brings some of the best climbing when a weather window comes. June is a great time to climb the mountain because there is still ample snow from the winter still lingering on the higher slopes but the heavy storms that the Pacific Northwest is known for in spring have mostly ended. Max: If you are committing to a climb well in advance, you will probably want a reliable weather window of clear skies and high pressure. With about 5500’ of elevation gain, just pushing hard enough and digging deep to make it to the top can be the biggest challenge. Hood really depends on your experience with movement on snow, wearing crampons, using an ice axe, and spending long, hard days in the mountains. John: I think the challenge of climbing Mt. Hood should require a certain level of comfort and experience climbing on steep snow with exposure at a minimum. The surface on those sections can vary from soft snow to hard alpine ice, depending on the conditions. This last portion has some steep sections above fumaroles (volcanic steam vents), where the consequence of a fall can be fatal. Climbing Mt Hood via the standard South Side Route (easiest route) is mostly just a long walk with a lot of elevation gain, with the exception of the final 1,000 feet or so. Max: This is a product of one’s experience, current fitness level, the conditions, and the route choice. By the end of your read you can determine whether you will go solo or hire John for a successful summit. Hood and give you the confidence you need to make the climb. I interviewed Max and John to get their tips for the perfect guide to climbing Mt. Since then, he has made 20 total climbs and is the first person I’d turn to as a guide for a technical climb of Mt. John, who is an instructor and guide for Kaf Adventures, first successfully summited Mt.
Max is Fit For Trips’ very own outdoor consultant and has climbed Mt. Max Krieger and John Barkhausen are two experienced climbers and are the perfect outdoor experts to provide information about successfully climbing Mt Hood. By Max Krieger and John Barkhausen MaMountain Climbing Leave a comment
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