Mountain Project: Climbing Mt. Hood

Submitted By: Peter Franzen on Jan 24, 2006
Administrator: Peter Franzen
Elevation: 11,239 feet
Latitude: 45.3733 Longitude: -121.6957
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Description

Mt. Hood is Oregon's tallest peak and is one of the most popular alpine summits in the world. This iconic mountain lies 70 miles east of Portland and is part of the Cascade Range. Glaciers lie on all sides.

Home to multiple ski areas and a National Forest, Mt. Hood receives a huge amount of use from outdoor enthusiasts all year. It provides the closest alpine climbing to Portland, as well as the closest skiing.

Getting There

The direct route from Portland is easiest: Take I-84 to the Wood Village exit, take a right, and drive through Gresham and Sandy on Hwy. 26. Government Camp is the closest town to the mountain.

An alternate route takes I-84 East from Portland to Hood River, and then the Mount Hood Highway (Hwy. 35) South to join up with Hwy. 26.

The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Mt. Hood:

Leuthold Couloir Mod. Snow Trad, Snow, Alpine, 5300 feet, Grade IV

South Side Route Easy Snow PG13 Trad, Snow, Alpine, 5300 feet, Grade III

The North Face WI3+ Mod. Snow R Trad, Ice, Snow, Alpine, 3 pitches, 5300 feet, Grade IV

Featured Route For Mt. Hood

Crossing the Eliot Glacier. The north face route goes up either of the two couloirs above the climbers head.

The North Face WI3+ Mod. Snow R OR : Mt. Hood

This elegant route is one of the best on the mountain. The crux is catching the line in condition. When the conditions are right, this is a spectacular climb that can have fantastic ice pitches up to WI4. Begin at Tilly Jane or Cloud Cap campgrounds. Follow marked climber trails through the trees. Moving above timberline climb onto a prominent ridge (the lower part of Cooper Spur) Continue up the ridge until you see a cairn on the right sid...[more] Browse More Classics in OR

Photos of Mt. Hood

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The Eliot Glacier at sunrise with Mt. St Helens in...	Mt. Hood as seen from the northeast.	speak softly and wear a loud shirt. driving up to...
Steel Cliffs on Mountain Hood. One route has been ...	BETA PHOTO: Looking up Cooper Spur from Tie-In Rock. Jan 15, 2...	Elliot Glacier in April 09, Saturday Afternoon
The burn on the way up Tilly Jane, Mt Hood	The burn on Tilly Jane, Mt Hood	Looking back at the other climbers.
Look at all that fun to be had!!	Watching another climber make his way up.	Climbing rime ice on the Steel Cliffs, Mt. Hood, O...

Comments on Mt. Hood

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By Adam Stackhouse
Administrator
From: Escondido, Ca
Dec 18, 2006

According to recent news reports, this is the 2nd most climbed mountain in the world. Any clue as to the 1st?

By Andy Laakmann
Site Landlord
From: Jackson Hole, WY
Dec 18, 2006

From what I've heard, Mt. Hood is the 2nd most glaciated mountain climbed in the world. Mt. Fuji is #1.

By Andrew May
From: Salt Lake City, UT
Jul 11, 2007

Has anyone climbed Hood in August?
I'm considering it but it would be my first climb involving glacier travel and I'm not sure I'm up to it. Any thoughts?
Thanks.

By Nate Farr
Mar 6, 2008

Hood's not recommended in August because rockfall gets too bad. Most people would say up until June, and then again once the rock freezes up in the late fall.

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