Seattle climber dies after fall on Mount Hood

[pstokely]

Source: Q13 Fox

PORTLAND, Ore. — Authorities say a 32-year-old Seattle climber has died in a 600-foot fall on Mount Hood.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office says the man suffered severe injuries after sliding down steep terrain Sunday morning. The climber was flown to a Portland-area hospital, where he died. He has not been identified.

The climber was in the Hogsback area near the summit of the mountain when he fell.

Mount Hood is Oregon’s tallest peak. The summit at 11,240 feet (3.4 kilometers) attracts more than 10,000 climbers a year, many of whom make the ascent between April and June.

Read more: http://q13fox.com/2017/05/08/seattle-climber-dies-after-fall-on-mount-hood/

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. Didn't some climbers die on Mt. Hood about five or six years ago? Same place, or different? NT

[samnsara]

2. i think so! a group of students or something? These mtns need to be taken seriously...

.. I climbed Mt Adams in Wash state and even tho its a beginners climb there were plenty of areas where it could be deadly with one mis-step.... PS..it was 1986....7 students and 2 teachers froze to death on Mt Hood.

[samnsara]

4. in 1986 seven students and 2 teachers froze to death up there :(

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. They were from Oregon Episcopal School, out in Beaverton. I mean more recently than that.

I'll look it up later tonight, if I can get a round to it.

[maxsolomon]

5. And some one will die again at some point

With that # of climbers, even a 1/10,000 chance of a fall is going to result in deaths.

It will never be risk-free.

[OregonBlue]

3. Yes, more than one person has died on Hogsback. Hood seems somewhat benign since it is so

close to Portland. People don't realize how fast the storms come in off the ocean and how fast the weather can turn up there. It gets a lot of climbers and it's share of deaths for sure. Beautiful but deadly.

[MissB]

7. Tragic.

My kid is heading for the summit in a couple of weekends. It'll be his third time up there.

I worry, of course. He will be with a climbing group. Their leader isn't shy about calling off any part of it if the weather changes.

[defacto7]

8. The hogsback is the final assent.

It can be pretty steep and treacherous depending on conditions. If you slip to the East side of it you go down towards the crater where the surface is warm and can be snow free most of the year. It's a rocky place to fall. I used to climb it about once a month back in the 70s. The problem is that novices take it for granted as just another hike and don't take weather or snow pack conditions into account. And that is the easy South side climb.

[Thunderbeast]

9. Mt. Hood is a REAL mountain..Does not get respect

Climbers die regularly on Mt. Hood. It is among the most popular technical climbs in the world, and often is not respected for the dangers it can present. Sunday was cold and windy near the summit. Hypothermia is often a factor in these tragedies.

Many accidents are the result of folks climbing with the wrong (or no) equipment, or starting at the wrong time. It looks like a "walk-up", but ropes, axes, and crampons are essential. The climb should also start near midnight, with the ascent and descent of the high areas completed before the snow and ice warm up and release large rocks that can kill. This clip shows a rescue attempt gone bad.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=%23&ved=0ahUKEwigiqiFtOHTAhUR8WMKHdSaA8kQwqsBCB4wAA&usg=AFQjCNF1sHlk2z9QIx28jtvfnGP_UlkifA&sig2=FO36rmJubhdJO30-NPIr2w

[panader0]

10. I've been to the Timberline Lodge several times but never up the mountain.

Crampons are a must, and hike early when the snow and ice are frozen hard.
Otherwise, the crampons won't grip in the mush.
I believe Mt Hood is the second-most climbed peak after Mt. Fuji.

[EarthFirst]

11. How tragic...

As an avid NE outdoor recreation enthusiast; spending a lot of time in the ADK's Catskills and Whites; it's always a tragedy that impacts many in the very tight knit climbing community.

Rest easy, friend.

[jimlup]

12. Damn!

As a climber I hate hearing of climbing deaths. I have had 2 of my former guides (I am trained as a client with Alpine Ascents) die in accidents in the last 5 years. One on Denali and one on Rainier. The damn sport is too dangerous!

[Honeycombe8]

13. This is partly why there's a shortage of men. They keep doing things like this.

Mountain climbing is a life-risking hobby. Sigh. Hope he didn't have little kids.

[pstokely]

14. single guy with no kids

but a couple of dogs