2019.01.14 Windy climbing day on Mt. Hood, the highest peak in Oregon, USA (cont'd)
Night descent in galeThe last section of alpine ice we climbed on only crampons' frontpoints, it was a very narrow and steep chute. And now we had to downclimb it. It was exactly sunset time. We saw the sun touching the horizon behind Crater Rock. Making sure Vera was clipped to the belay station - the hard lesson from Spindle trip one year ago. Then I heard"whoosh" and saw her jerk-slide down the chute, but only for a short moment. The belay stopped her. Still, imagination painted the consequences.
Once we reached the base of the chute, on full belay, it was dark. To descend the south slope we again agreed on running belay. We stopped using our FRS radios - once I feel tension on the rope, I knew Vera reached the picket, I would stop and place a new one, knowing Vera was just removing it. Then I would move another 30m and hammer down my regular ice axe as a snow picket. About 120m for each belay reset was not so bad. In such efficient manner we descended to Devil's Kitchen.
It was now pitch-dark, so we turned the headlights on. The wind was non-stop gale, it kept knocking us down from our feet and it could easily blow a person away across the south slope. Then it won't be possible to hear anything - a whistle, radio or voice. So although the slope was not steep anymore, we kept roped-up. Even though we had only 30 m distance between us, my footsteps would be blown away immediately, so Vera had to break snow anew.
Vera's sunglasses got covered by ice from inside, so she could not use them anymore to protect eyes from the wind and removed them. In 100 km/h gale.
Then we saw the lights, it was Timberline parking lot. We put our rope away, but kept ice axes handy to self-arrest in case the wind starts dragging you.
Arriving to the parking, in the car, Vera casually remarked "It seems I got a frostbite"..
Now, looking back, I think it was good we didn't spend more time (which we easily could), getting that last 60m to the top, so the 2nd degree frostbite would become 3rd degree which probably means amputation. Talk about intuition... "技能是告诉你该做什么，经验是告诉你什么不该做"。
PHOTO: Downclimbing the chute, the sunset time.
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11.5 hours trip commencing.
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"Only" 2nd degree frostbite..
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The ice-fall impact
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