Often, the best way to climb Hood is also to ski Hood. We can work with you to find the best objective for you, but significant previous experience is required. Your day will begin early in order to catch the first chair. If, due to weather, the lifts aren’t running, it’s time to put on skins and head uphill. Either way, we’re aiming to bring our skis as close to the summit as we’re comfortable.

Our first day will start with our Introduction to Ski Mountaineering Clinic. We’ll take the lifts up and skin across to Illumination Saddle and cover our curriculum. This will include balance and footwork on steep snow, cramponing, snow anchor belays and rope systems as well as some steep skiing techniques that we can use on our climb and ski descent.

Summit Hood

On day 2, we’ll use our rope-skills to belay steep sections, wear crampons on on our ski boots, and climb steep snow and alpine ice. After the summit, we’ll reverse any technical terrain to a location that’s suitable for transitioning into downhill skiing. This is what you came for: to ski Mt Hood. On the way down, your guide will sniff out the best snow conditions, and find the best skiing depending on weather, conditions and your goals.

Ski Hood

The descent is usually around 2,500 feet of wild snow, anywhere from mellow to steep, depending on the route selection between you and your guide. After that, we drop back into the groomed resort at 8,400 feet and ride corduroy another 2,400 feet back to the Timberline Lodge.