- Ages 16+ Ages Ages 16+
- All levels Skill Level All levels
Ever wanted to summit Mount Hood but feel like you don’t have the skills to do so? Spend a day with us on the mountain developing your mountaineering skills.
Quick Details
Up and Over Mt. Hood
This course has the same offerings as our Mt. Hood Mountain Experience Course but with an additional day of mountaineering. Develop judgment needed to be an alpine climber. Acquire technical skills that support your leadership in pursuit of high alpine snowy peaks. Travel and camp on glaciers, all while climbing steep snow and soaking in the views of the Columbia Valley.
***This course is led by the Northwest School of Survival that operates under special use permit on the Mt. Hood National Forest and operates on a non-discriminatory basis***
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This trip includes a mandatory pre-trip meeting held at the NWSOS office in Sandy, OR the evening before the course start date.
All participants will be responsible for getting themselves to the pre-trip meeting. The Northwest School of Survival does not provide transportation for the outing; however, we recognize that transportation can be challenging. Once registered, Kaf will provide information regarding meeting times, locations, and any required parking permits. If interested in carpooling, we will orchestrate a meeting place between participants.
Pre-Trip Meeting
- 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. the night before the climb at the NWSOS office in Sandy. Please bring all personal gear and equipment to this meeting. NWSOS staff will go over the route and itinerary as well as go over personal and group gear to ensure everyone has what they need.
Day 1
- We will head out early in the morning to our base camp. Glacier travel and camping skills will be introduced. We will spend the rest of the day doing skills instruction and practice. We will spend the evening discussing planning, decision making, and other considerations for preparing for climbs.
Day 2
- The mountain will be your classroom for the day! We will spend time learning and practicing steep climbing, crevasse rescue, roped-travel, and anchor skills, all while exploring the lower reaches of the mountain on the Leutholdt, Sandy, or Eliot Glacier. We will prepare a good dinner and go to bed early to be well rested for our early morning and summit attempt.
Day 3
- The third day marks summit day by an alpine start around 2 a.m. We will break down and pack up camp before starting the route, bringing our equipment with us up and over the summit. Conditions, weather, and team dynamics will dictate outcomes, but the goal is to be off the route by the early afternoon. Then we will descend and drive back to Portland, arriving in time for dinner.
Out-of-Town Participants
We recommend that anyone flying into Portland arrive as early as possible on the day before the trip. We also recommend you do not book a return flight until late (red-eye) on the last day of the trip, or the following morning is ideal.
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- 16+ with consent from a guardian and Kaf approval
- 12-18 for youth courses
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This is an intermediate 3-day course. Taking the Mountain Experience course, or being able to prove similar experience of education from a reputable source in the past 5 years, is required.
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- Develop a route plan.
- Practice navigation in a variety of environments.
- Carry less and stay comfortable.
- Travel in rope teams.
- Learn and practice crevasse rescue.
- Anchoring for steep snow and ice.
- Climb in snowy, icy terrain above 40 degrees with an ice tool.
- Experience climbing and traveling with a multi-day pack carrying all of your equipment over the mountain.
- Meet new people motivated to climb.
- Push your physical and emotional boundaries.
- Develop a route plan.
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- Professional instruction from full-time mountaineering instructors
- Passes and permits
- All group climbing equipment
- All group camping and kitchen equipment
- Dinners and breakfasts while in the field
- 3:1 client/instructor ratio
- Professional instruction from full-time mountaineering instructors
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- Personal clothing, climbing, and camping gear
- Lunches and snacks on the mountain
- Transportation. However, Kaf will assist in organizing a carpool. See further details below.
- Guide gratuity
- Personal clothing, climbing, and camping gear
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You will receive a full packing list following registration, but please feel free to contact us with any gear or equipment specific questions you have. A brief list of what you will need to provide for yourself:
- Personal climbing gear: Multi-day pack, helmet, harness, carabiners, mountaineering boots, ice tools, and crampons
- Personal camping gear: Sleeping bag and sleeping pad
- Weather appropriate clothing
- Personal climbing gear: Multi-day pack, helmet, harness, carabiners, mountaineering boots, ice tools, and crampons
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Transportation and times will be coordinated by email when the pre-trip announcement is sent to all registrants.
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Consider joining us for any of our other Mountaineering: Guided Climbs, Alpine Climbing Course, and Ice Climbing: Beginner or Ice Climbing: Intermediate courses.
