As of January 1, 2024, all climbers above 9,500' in the Mt. Hood National Forest are required to carry a permit. As a Mazama member, if you are accepted onto this climb, your permit will be included with your registration—you will not need to arrange your own climbing permit.

While this route can be a chore to get to and usually requires a car shuttle, once you are on it it's the most direct line to the summit of Hood. This classic route is exposed and continuous, and confidence on steep snow is required. Be sure and check if the road to Cloud Cap is open - in a big snow year it may not melt out until late June. Early season climbs are possible, although starting at Cooper Spur ski area adds an extra 2,000 feet onto your climb.

Activity Notes

 

Mt. Hood / Cooper Spur: grade III, moderate-to-high angle snow

This climb requires...

  • training with axe/crampons, self-arrest, and team rope travel
  • moderate physical fitness, all-day energy
  • moderate amount of snow climbing experience

This route is comparable to scale/scope as Leuthold Couloir, or Sunshine routes of Mt. Hood. Applicants should feel equally prepared to participate in those climbs, before applying to this one.

This will be a single day climb the Cooper Spur route of Mt. Hood. We will start, and end at Timberline Lodge, circumnavigating over to the Cooper Spur from the south side.

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As a note, when assembling climbers for a Mazama climb, I deliberately strive for a diverse, and balanced team. I principally take into consideration an individual's physical fitness, skill level for the route, and how they can contribute to the climb team’s diversity. Diversity consideration especially applies to the selection of the assistant and lead climber(s), to help expand the diversity in prospective Climb Leaders in the Mazamas.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, or the assistant.

Other Information
Driving Distance from Portland 65 miles
Driving Time from Portland 1 hours
Expected Duration Car to car in one day
Relevant Books Oregon High by Jeff Thomas Climbers Guide to the Cascade Volcanoes by Jeff Smoot
Relevant Maps USGS 7 1/2 minute series, Mt Hood South, Green Trails Mt. Hood, GeoGraphics Mt. Hood <href="http: "="" adventure="" c463="" starts-here="" title="On the Mazama Climbing and Hiking map page " www.mazamas.org="" your="">On the Mazama Climbing and Hiking map page <href="http: maps.google.com="" maps?f="q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=mt+hood&sll=44.674285,-121.798955&sspn=0.018707,0.04549&t=p&ie=UTF8&ll=45.373825,-121.695642&spn=0.01851,0.045233&z=15&iwloc=addr"" title="Google maps">Google maps</href="http:></href="http:>
Awards Qualified 16 Major NW Peaks, Guardian Peaks, Seven Oregon Cascades Peaks
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