Devil's Kitchen Headwall (V1) // Mount Hood

[@markgersman1589]

You guys are freakin crazy. Cant believe your mom lets you do this!!!!

[@CommieHunter7]

😂

[@fouglasdir]

Thank you for the details on anchors and protection.

[@RadishUprooted]

It’s always the biggest variable with conditions, but the opportunities for pro felt pretty solid (March 2024)!

[@stephenheath4766]

Killer climb! 🎉 It’s looking good up there!

[@RadishUprooted]

Thanks!

[@anticlub1982]

sick climb

[@haroldshields4724]

Radish this is a great video. Good photography and well narrated. Question: How many pieces of protection did you use for each pitch?

[@RadishUprooted]

Great question! Let’s see… so for the first belay anchor we used one screw and one picket. For the first pitch (including the 3 main ice steps), we used 4 screws and one picket. The second belay station was built right above the 3rd ice step/crux with 2 screws and one picket. From there we simul-climbed and I think as a team we placed two pickets during that stretch before unroping and finishing the climb solo.

[@hankmishima4798]

Awesome adventure! Thanks for making the effort to shoot and edit. Ski boots all the way up? One person had skis but it appeared conditions may have not permitted a ski descent. Did you ever have to rely on your protection and did it hold as expected? It looked like a fair amount of water in one section and a couple of loose sections. This is the first video I have seen with a detailed running bely. These details are beneficial for people like me who are learning the sport. One of the best Hood videos I have seen!

[@RadishUprooted]

Hey thanks! These are the details I was looking for before I climbed it too! We did indeed climb in ski boots, I personally find my ski boots more comfortable for ice climbing than my mountaineering/ice climbing boots--and they have the same degree of performance and protection, if not more. My climbing partner skied the Old Chute from the summit ridge--I can't imagine DKH is a viable ski line ever, to say nothing of the potential for climbing parties on their way up. The ice quality was definitely variable throughout, but there was enough places that had either quality enough ice for screws, or quality enough snow for pickets. I trusted almost every piece of pro we placed, but no one took a whipper on anything. People did take rests that fully weighted the belay stations, and we were half-hanging at all belay stations so they were constantly weighted. The only time a pice looked suspect was a picket at our second belay station after cooking in the direct sun for a while. But we just backed it up with an extra picket and felt fine about it.

[@TheSringel]

that does look fun!

[@soleilpacetti2312]

I am really interested in getting into mountaineering. Wondering where you recommend beginning? This looks so fun

[@RadishUprooted]

Depends where you live and the experiences you already have! I personally love learning in the field from and with friends who have similar goals. But you can also join local orgs (Portland has the Mazamas, Seattle has the Mountaineers). And there may be great local Facebook groups that organize meetups so you can make future adventure partners! In the meantime, research, learn online, practice in low consequence terrain.

[@thepcmaniaccc]

3:00 As far as I can see you are climbing with semi-auto crampons and horizontal frontpoints, are not they contraindicted in such cases? I mean some vertical sections of pure ice wall. I am just into winter climbing and trying to make sense of the used inventory, would appreciate some input 😊.

[@RadishUprooted]

You’re correct! I was climbing in semi-autos with horizontal front points which isn’t ideal but it’s all I had at the time. They weren’t as secure fitting onto my boots, nor as precise for foot placements on the ice as fully automatic vertical front points would be. But new crampons are expensive so sometimes you gotta make it work🤠

[@Meyer0656]

You have balls.

[@10pound]

So beautiful 🏳‍🌈