Great ascent. Perfect weather. A second tool was great for the ice cliff. Traveled light and fast. Got to the car and drove to Mt. hood, summited and back to the car for a total trip time of 64h.
noahs213 - Jul 8, 2010 10:40 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2010
Blown off
Got to high camp but got extremely bad weather the next day and had a harsh descent.
reboyles - Mar 4, 2010 11:31 pm Date Climbed: Jul 22, 2004
Kautz
Frank, Mike and I tried to do a two day trip on this route in 2003 but it proved to be too much for a bunch of old guys over 50. We came back in 2004 with a new plan where we would stay 1 night on the scree camp above the Wilson (9000) and the next at Camp Hazard (11,300) giving us a rest day before we went for the summit. We also had a chance to find the slot and the short rappel into the gully that leads to the ice cliff and onto the Kautz. We took off from Camp Hazard at 12:30 AM and climbed solo by headlamp until daybreak came as we were just below the crest. At 6:45 AM we were on the summit. We hung around for at least an hour as the sun warmed things up and then down climbed the route. We spent one more night at Camp Hazard and descended in the early morning when things were relatively quiet. We were very fortunate to have the luxury of timing our trip to be able climb in perfect weather. We started up the mountain just as a front moved out and high pressure was building. We had clear skies and freezing temperatures for all three nights making for perfect snow conditions and little activity from the cliff.
ScottyP - Dec 3, 2009 4:47 pm Date Climbed: Jun 4, 2009
Weathered off.
Rain, snow, sleet, hail and wind! All kept us from getting from the cleaver to Hazzard. Waited it out as long as we could before decending. Great route and I will be back on it.
tb00957 - Jun 29, 2009 2:14 pm Date Climbed: Jun 23, 2009
Kautz glacier
Lucky with the weather. Whiteout the day in, bad weather last day, but we got a break in the middle. Windy and cold but clear for the summit day.
This was my first real summit of a glaciated peak. I am not sure the year, but back then we still used camp Hazard, and we accessed the glacier by cutting straight across the ice fall. I have guided the route a number of times since, it is quite different now. Now we repell the rock cliff below the ice fall. The upper part of the route changed this year, instead of going directly up from the cleaver, we had to traverse climbers right quite a bit before finally cutting back toward the summit.
What an epic.
What I do recall was the weather deteriorating to a point of a white out 2/3 up the Kautz ice-chute. Tried to ride it out but ended up rapping down on bollards.
dpsiebert - Aug 30, 2008 1:29 pm Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2001
Kautz
three days up and one day down. the only issues were high winds summit day and some altitude sickness with one of our party.
brusy - Jun 29, 2008 12:38 am Date Climbed: Jul 17, 2005
this was an epic
Didn't make the summit, turned around about 1000ft below the summit, was getting too late...
Seems like an endless stretch of ice when on-route, which is both good and bad (depending on your attitude). Some icefall- didn't hit anyone in our group though. Descended via DC.
osatrik - Aug 23, 2006 9:10 pm Date Climbed: Jul 17, 1995
Two successful OSAT rendezvous climbs
I was on OSAT climbs of the Kautz twice in the mid-1990s. We rendezvoused at the summit with teams from the DC and Emmons routes on both occasions.
The first of these witnessed a "box-car-sized block" fall off the ice cliff and go down the gully -- it made everyone move a bit faster through the gully on the descent (which through the gully is an ASCENT back up to Camp Hazard!)
Both climbs were in mid-July, and both encountered only 20-50 feet of bare ice requiring one or two pieces of protection. One of the climbs was the first on the route for several weeks following some mid-summer snowfall, and we had to set a route through the crevasse field of the upper Kautz as there were no wands nor tracks.
Second ascent by OSAT on this route was the next year, July 21, 1996.
esugi - Aug 10, 2006 4:20 am Date Climbed: Aug 6, 2006
Long summit day
Made this a 3 day climb. Camped at 7600 ft near the top of the Fan. Second night at a bivy site near the top of the Turtle snowfield. Woke up at midnight and off at 1:30am with a full pack. Simul-climbed the 2nd pitch using 4 screws for running-belay. Started running out of gas after 6 hours on the route but we pushed on and finally reached the summit at 10:30 am, 10 hours on the route with a full pack. We were painfully slow this day!
Descended the DC route. Because it was late morning, almost noon, we punched through numerous snow bridges. Very scary. Finally reaching Ingraham Flats at 3:00 pm and back to the car at 6:00 pm.
cdog - Feb 24, 2006 1:45 pm Date Climbed: Aug 15, 2004
Kautz
fast route this time of year. 2nd tool was helpful on the ice pitches--which we simulclimbed with 3 screw placements.
Traverse over to DC was nice and scenic and easy.
2 day trip with great bivy below the ice cliff (not directly below!! we watched a large chunk calve off around 1900--don't be climbing below this in the afternoon!!)
montyq2 - Jul 10, 2010 5:02 pm
Kautz glacierGreat ascent. Perfect weather. A second tool was great for the ice cliff. Traveled light and fast. Got to the car and drove to Mt. hood, summited and back to the car for a total trip time of 64h.
noahs213 - Jul 8, 2010 10:40 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2010
Blown offGot to high camp but got extremely bad weather the next day and had a harsh descent.
reboyles - Mar 4, 2010 11:31 pm Date Climbed: Jul 22, 2004
KautzFrank, Mike and I tried to do a two day trip on this route in 2003 but it proved to be too much for a bunch of old guys over 50. We came back in 2004 with a new plan where we would stay 1 night on the scree camp above the Wilson (9000) and the next at Camp Hazard (11,300) giving us a rest day before we went for the summit. We also had a chance to find the slot and the short rappel into the gully that leads to the ice cliff and onto the Kautz. We took off from Camp Hazard at 12:30 AM and climbed solo by headlamp until daybreak came as we were just below the crest. At 6:45 AM we were on the summit. We hung around for at least an hour as the sun warmed things up and then down climbed the route. We spent one more night at Camp Hazard and descended in the early morning when things were relatively quiet. We were very fortunate to have the luxury of timing our trip to be able climb in perfect weather. We started up the mountain just as a front moved out and high pressure was building. We had clear skies and freezing temperatures for all three nights making for perfect snow conditions and little activity from the cliff.
ScottyP - Dec 3, 2009 4:47 pm Date Climbed: Jun 4, 2009
Weathered off.Rain, snow, sleet, hail and wind! All kept us from getting from the cleaver to Hazzard. Waited it out as long as we could before decending. Great route and I will be back on it.
tb00957 - Jun 29, 2009 2:14 pm Date Climbed: Jun 23, 2009
Kautz glacierLucky with the weather. Whiteout the day in, bad weather last day, but we got a break in the middle. Windy and cold but clear for the summit day.
TRP - Dec 4, 2008 11:08 am
Kautz GlacierThis was my first real summit of a glaciated peak. I am not sure the year, but back then we still used camp Hazard, and we accessed the glacier by cutting straight across the ice fall. I have guided the route a number of times since, it is quite different now. Now we repell the rock cliff below the ice fall. The upper part of the route changed this year, instead of going directly up from the cleaver, we had to traverse climbers right quite a bit before finally cutting back toward the summit.
kpthomson - Sep 2, 2008 2:31 pm
5 years ago to the day (almost)What an epic.
What I do recall was the weather deteriorating to a point of a white out 2/3 up the Kautz ice-chute. Tried to ride it out but ended up rapping down on bollards.
dpsiebert - Aug 30, 2008 1:29 pm Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2001
Kautzthree days up and one day down. the only issues were high winds summit day and some altitude sickness with one of our party.
brusy - Jun 29, 2008 12:38 am Date Climbed: Jul 17, 2005
this was an epicDidn't make the summit, turned around about 1000ft below the summit, was getting too late...
DBaker - Sep 17, 2007 6:23 pm Date Climbed: Jul 29, 2007
KautzSeems like an endless stretch of ice when on-route, which is both good and bad (depending on your attitude). Some icefall- didn't hit anyone in our group though. Descended via DC.
osatrik - Aug 23, 2006 9:10 pm Date Climbed: Jul 17, 1995
Two successful OSAT rendezvous climbsI was on OSAT climbs of the Kautz twice in the mid-1990s. We rendezvoused at the summit with teams from the DC and Emmons routes on both occasions.
The first of these witnessed a "box-car-sized block" fall off the ice cliff and go down the gully -- it made everyone move a bit faster through the gully on the descent (which through the gully is an ASCENT back up to Camp Hazard!)
Both climbs were in mid-July, and both encountered only 20-50 feet of bare ice requiring one or two pieces of protection. One of the climbs was the first on the route for several weeks following some mid-summer snowfall, and we had to set a route through the crevasse field of the upper Kautz as there were no wands nor tracks.
Second ascent by OSAT on this route was the next year, July 21, 1996.
esugi - Aug 10, 2006 4:20 am Date Climbed: Aug 6, 2006
Long summit dayMade this a 3 day climb. Camped at 7600 ft near the top of the Fan. Second night at a bivy site near the top of the Turtle snowfield. Woke up at midnight and off at 1:30am with a full pack. Simul-climbed the 2nd pitch using 4 screws for running-belay. Started running out of gas after 6 hours on the route but we pushed on and finally reached the summit at 10:30 am, 10 hours on the route with a full pack. We were painfully slow this day!
Descended the DC route. Because it was late morning, almost noon, we punched through numerous snow bridges. Very scary. Finally reaching Ingraham Flats at 3:00 pm and back to the car at 6:00 pm.
cdog - Feb 24, 2006 1:45 pm Date Climbed: Aug 15, 2004
Kautzfast route this time of year. 2nd tool was helpful on the ice pitches--which we simulclimbed with 3 screw placements.
Traverse over to DC was nice and scenic and easy.
2 day trip with great bivy below the ice cliff (not directly below!! we watched a large chunk calve off around 1900--don't be climbing below this in the afternoon!!)