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| Messages 1 - 12 of total 12 in this topic |
rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 14, 2010 - 12:21am PT
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Yocum Ridge on Mt. Hood. Purportedly the hardest route of the mountain. Lots of vertical-ish Rime Ice.
Anyone here abouts ever climb it?
IS is climbed much? I've only heard of two ascents; Becky's first and Wickwire's in the '70s. Perhaps its done a lot these days. I wouldn't know.
Anyway, how is it as a route? Desperate and unprotected? Moderate? Certainly looks nice.
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Jan 14, 2010 - 12:29am PT
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Mike, I've still never done it, but its not an uncommon route anymore for these kids. The trick is to hit it when conditions are perfect, and it seems folks have more free time to hang and wait for that and spring free when they see it these days, along with better gear and internet weather reports.
You thinking of it?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Jan 14, 2010 - 12:31am PT
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Never did but Dusan and Jim told me 'bout it. Pretty stout, less than comforting belays (pickets) and sparse pro (pickets). Other than that a fun route as I recall. You better go do it and tell us about it!
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rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 14, 2010 - 01:53am PT
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Sometimes solo is a better way to go when there is no pro anyway :-).
I soloed steal cliffs way back in the day. Definitely a vertical rime ice fest that was. Not that bad unless something under your foot decides to break lose, then there's nothing to stop you. Need three points of contact at all times or the rime will crumble away under your weight. Kind of like climbing on really bad rock. fun stuff.
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rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 14, 2010 - 02:22am PT
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right hand shadow/sun ridge if I'm not mistaken
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
climber
. . . not !
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Jan 14, 2010 - 03:07am PT
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Smoke's book has some good stuff about Hood . I read it a long time ago .
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Scout 2
Trad climber
Placerville
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Apr 28, 2016 - 09:06am PT
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Looking for some old pics from early90s .
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overwatch
climber
Arizona
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Apr 28, 2016 - 09:08am PT
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Maybe Dwight will chime in about the FA.
That thing looks like an outing. Nice pics. Smoke was burly
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85
Mountain climber
Washington
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Apr 28, 2016 - 09:36am PT
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Skerry!
No. I did have the privilege of spending a lovely autumn day on Castle rock in Leavenworth with the 63 year-old Leo Scheiblehner. He didn't spray at all about any routes he had done, the way I am now, he was patient and cool with my beginner's spirit. I led Canary and he belayed. We spent all day together and it was a flat out blast.
Much later I read that he and Beckey pioneered Yocum Ridge in 59. I still haven't climbed Hood! Think I will bring skis and have as much fun as possible. Thanks for reminding me to stop sitting here, and get to it.
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couchmaster
climber
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Apr 28, 2016 - 10:18am PT
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Missed this earlier (but it's only been @ 6 years since that post):
Quote: "I soloed steal cliffs way back in the day. Definitely a vertical rime ice fest that was. Not that bad unless something under your foot decides to break lose, then there's nothing to stop you. Need three points of contact at all times or the rime will crumble away under your weight. Kind of like climbing on really bad rock. fun stuff."
Haha, I remember you doing that. The time I remember you had squeeked it in a good weather window and the next day the weather went to crap. But there were 2 of you on the Mountain that day solo, and you were the only one who got off in time. Do you remember the sheriff calling you at like 3am or so to see if you had seen the guy who was lost up there? I was in the cop car with him riding up and when I told him I thought you'd been up there he immediately rang you up and got you out of bed to ask if you'd seen the missing guy. I think you said that you'd seen where he'd ditched his skis. The afterwards on that is that I spent a week up there looking for the guy (some random Californian) with a full on Portland Mountain Rescue search happening in total sh#t weather.
My rope team of 3 must have been within 50 feet of him as it turns out. I figured he'd tumbled down white river so I was walking on the top of the ridge of the canyon yelling and whistling as we ascended. Visibility was @ 8-10 feet with strong winds and sideways snow and sooo cold. They finally called the search off. I stayed up there thinking I'd take another shot at looking because the weather was suppose to get good after a week of sh#t.
Thus it was that there were only 2 of us sitting in the first aid station at Timberline the next day. No sherrif. No news crews. No nuttin. The day dawned clear and cold and @ 8-9 am the guy walked right into the 1st aid station having spent it in a snow cave he dug at the base of the slope that starts Whiteriver canyon. He stumbled out sans skis. His newfangled plastic boots that he'd left on all week surprisingly and shocking to us had saved his toes. The other guy in the aid station with me was an older fella, maybe 40 50 years old. He started screaming at the poor guy yelling about his poor judgement and endangering everyone blah blah and I had to all but grab him to make him back off. Haha. Good times.
I went up the next year thinking I'd duplicate your feat, but chickened out and soloed WyEast instead. Probably not a bad idea as if I remember correctly you had the newest Chouinard tools (the blue X-tools?) and I had my shitty old axe.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Apr 28, 2016 - 10:30am PT
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I did an Alaskan ridge that was a lot less burly than Yokum ridge, and with shitty belays and no pro it is downright frightening
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