The climbing tragedy last month at Mt. Hood resulting to the fatality of three ice climbers seems to have not decreased the enthusiasm of ice climbers to reach the summit of the 11,237-foot mountain.
Breaks in winter storms have drawn ice climbers back into the mountain. Their "desire for the solace, challenge and sense of mortality" is still strong. Last weekend, at least five climbing groups headed for Mount Hood using the southern route.
Ice Climbers say that what happened last month was due mainly to the lack of overnight camping gear and not on the lack of electronic locator unit. Rescuers, on the other hand, said that the succession of storms has kept rescue teams off the mountain, and that having a locator unit would have done little. Meanwhile, seasoned climbers reasoned out that the climbers have compromised their gear in order to move quickly up the mountain.
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