Mt. Hood is 11,240 ft. in elevation, a dormant volcano, and has 11 glaciers. The peak is part of the Mt. Hood Wilderness. Mt. Hood attracts more than 10,000 climbers a year.
- Climb mid-week for reduced crowds.
- Mt. Hood is a technical climb and requires planning. If you are new to climbing, please consider a guided climb.
- Find more Mt. Hood climbing questions from the Mazamas.
- Watch the video below for some tips.
Climbing Report, 5/21/21:
Conditions on the mountain look generally cold and stormy through the weekend. If planning to go on the mountain, please bring an avalanche mindset with your beacon, shovel and probe. Be prepared for potential poor visibility, cold temperatures, and wind.
WEATHER NOTES: Early this week has shown a consistent stretch of warm and sunny weather. Wednesday began a storm pattern; snow totals could be in the 7-12” range from Thursday to Sunday. Winds will likely be moderate through the weekend.
SNOW CONDITIONS: With decent predicted snow totals and moderate wind, expect wind transported snow throughout mid-upper elevations of the mountain. Areas of scouring and exposed frozen bed surface may be present. Many parties have begun choosing route options other than the pearly gates to avoid a thinning snow bridge and increased bergschrund hazard.
MOUNTAIN HAZARDS. Many hazards can exist on Mt. Hood. Some of these include:
Avalanches: Snowpack conditions and stability can change rapidly in spring and early summer. Your ability to identify avalanche terrain and assess snowpack stability, along with your beacon, probe, and shovel, are often crucial for reasonably safe travel on Mt. Hood. The NWAC avalanche forecast season has ended.
Glacial features: Crevasses and other glacial features are starting to be visible, including openings in the bergschrund adjacent to the upper Hogsback. Many are likely still masked by recent or winter snow. Mount Hood is heavily glaciated, and these glacial hazards can be found on many climbing routes.
Rockfall: Loose rock is increasingly exposed on the upper mountain. Warming, sun exposure, and climbers above tend to cause rockfall.
Icefall: Significant ice accumulations exist on the upper mountain. Large and small chunks of ice are similarly capable of falling and either can cause serious to fatal injury. Remember that warming can cause ice and rockfall.
Long, sliding falls: Cold temperatures may result in very firm surfaces in wind scoured areas this weekend. Refrozen snow conditions allow long, sliding falls that are difficult or impossible to arrest and have resulted in many fatalities. Consider the consequence of such a fall in any terrain you consider climbing or descending.
Glissading: Glissading has its time and place but also results in many accidents on Cascade volcanoes. Be sure the snow is sufficiently soft to allow speed control and assess the consequence of a sliding fall in your terrain if considering a glissade. Remove crampons to avoid potential serious lower leg injury.
The southside climbing route leaves from the Timberline Ski Area. Climbers registration is in the Wy'East Day Lodge. When you leave the parking area, please use the Climber’s Trail just east of the ski area to avoid resort operations.
4/16/21: The Salmon River Lot at the Timberline Ski Area is currently the primary point of access to the upper mountain. Expect parking shortages on weekends. The Cloud Cap Road is snow covered.
Remember:
You are responsible for your safety. Those planning to climb should take all necessary equipment for self-rescue and extended stays on the mountain due to weather or incident. There are no emergency medical services available on the mountain. It is a remote location. Any help may be hours or days out, especially in situations where your location or weather would create an unsafe situation for rescuers. It is always advisable to leave your itinerary and estimated time of return with a third party. The South Side climbing route leaves from the historic Timberline Lodge. Climbers Registration is in the Timberline Day Lodge. Use the Climbers Trail out of the Salmon River Lot to avoid Resort Operations while climbing.
View our detailed climbing page for more information.
Photos
(select individual photos to view a larger version)
South side of Mt Hood from Timberline.
Landmarks on the south side of Mount Hood
From Hogsback looking at Bergchrund and Pearly Gates (06/20/2005)
