Ok – I have a group of folks that will likely end up being 9 to 11 people in total, all beginner mountaineers. All of us are in great shape, and have various degrees of experience in things such as rock climbing or mountaineering but nobody in the group can be qualified as an expert or even intermediate mountaineer. I am really looking to find someone interested in coming along with the group to help deal with some of the intangibles that we are likely to encounter. We are offering $400 for a qualified mountaineer to join the party. Transportation and food/brew after the trip will also be included.

We are scheduled to head up to Timberline on Thursday the 10th of June, and begin the climb at about midnight – which will be the 11th. We are not currently planning on getting a lift on a snow cat, so anticipate 6 hours to the summit.

Here are the basics. Please let me know as soon as possible, if anyone would like to either provide comments on the brief layout of the plan below or if you would like to further discuss the opportunity to join the crew.

Everyone will be renting gear if they don’t own the essentials. Mandatory items are the standard – mountaineering boots, ice axe, crampons, climbing helmet, avi beacon from Timberline. We anticipate making the traverse from hogsback to the old chute, but ANY guidance on the best route for the current conditions is welcomed. We are NOT planning on roping up at this time. From what I can tell, the snow cat would save about 2 hours up slog, but we will not be doing that. From the location where the snow cat drops off, I anticipate about 3.5 to 4 additional hours of hiking. Hopefully summit in very close proximity to sunrise and begin the descent around 6-6:30 before things heat up much.

If anyone has GPS tracks, waypoints, KML files, shapefiles, or any other means of transmitting me the route up the old chute, that would be MUCH appreciated.

Well, that is about it for now. Hopefully there is an experienced mountaineer out there who would like to make a little extra cash. We are all professional adults in our 30’s to 40’s who are giving the attempt a lot of respect. We will be ready and willing to turn around at any point the ascent seems beyond our capabilities. Right now, the weather forecast looks excellent, so we will hope for the best on that.

Thanks for reading and I hope any memorial day climbs kicked ass.

Eric

Sounds like you're offering to pay someone to be a source of knowledge and guidance to facilitate a safer passage through hazardous terrain. Wouldn't that open up your "guide" to lawsuits if something went down, seeing as though they aren't necessarily a licensed guide with insurance companies and waivers and legal whatnots?

I'm curious to see the responses you'll get.

10 people - wow.

The more people... the more problems. Don't expect them all
to climb at same speed. Some will have problems and have
to drop back.

Better split them into 2 separate groups, two separate leaders.
That will keep everyone happy.

Kristoria has a good point. Guides charge so much for a few reasons, but an important one is insurance! Expected value of an injury using very rough numbers: broken back (worst injury I can think of) = ~$1 million. Probability of someone breaking back = ~10^-4, although that would depend a lot on conditions and group experience. This is more like an upper bound; I'm guessing the actuaries among us think I'm an idiot. So the 400 is worth ~300. In the Sierra, guides need a permit (which costs money) to guide; I'm not sure if that's true for Mt. Hood. If it is, subtract that money from 300. Factor in gas to and fro the mountain, and you can see why the compensation is low. With that price, you'll attract someone only marginally more qualified than yourselves.

Here's a better idea: go out in groups of 3 or 4 and take an experienced friend with you. Offer to buy her some beer and food; other than that she'd be happy to accompany you and teach you stuff, since she's a friend. If you don't know someone like that, that's what sites like these are for. I think guides are awesome if you have the money for them, but most of us learned--slowly--from friends whenever they had the time to go out with us. My mentors have been people like SP's own "gdrayna" and "lavaka".

A 10:1 client to guide ratio. Haven't seen that before.

There was a recent thread discussing the acceptance of risk -- IMO, the plan described is full of unnecessary risks. What will/can one guide do if someone gets injured high on the mountain, the weather deteriorates, one or more climbers develops AMS, etc.? Put another way, if you were reading an accident report about a single guide who took ten inexperienced climbers up Mt. Hood, what's the first thing you would think?

It's not necessary to take these risks in order to obtain the benefit of a trip up Hood -- they are easily avoided. I agree with the earlier posts -- split the group in two (or better yet three) and either pay the going rate for the experience you seek, or find experienced friends willing to teach/mentor.

kozman18 wrote:I agree with the earlier posts -- split the group in two (or better yet three) and either pay the going rate for the experience you seek, or find experienced friends willing to teach/mentor.

Or maybe some other mountain besides a widowmaker like Hood might be a better goal for a group of inexperienced climbers.

If a permit is required, perhaps this person is fishing for folks who are breaking the rules. Not sure.

I wholly agree with everybody here saying that no guide worth his salt would take on the liability of 10 newbies on a mountain like Hood... and that you should re-evaluate your plan.

edit - useful info removed because OP is a jackass.

Never been up Mt. Hood, but a quick google picked up this from the USFS website -

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood/recreati ... tterguides

What Organizations Teach Climbing / Guide Climbs On Mt. Hood?

The following is a list of outfitter/guide organizations currently authorized to conduct climbing services on Mt Hood.

* NORTHWEST SCHOOL OF SURVIVAL
2870 NE Hogan Rd, Suite E, #461,
Gresham OR 97030
(503)668-8264

* TIMBERLINE MOUNTAIN GUIDES

PO Box 1167, Bend OR 97709
(541) 312-9242
Email: info@timberlinemtguides.com


* PORTLAND PARKS AND RECREATION - OUTDOOR RECREATION

1120 SW 5th, Suite 1302,
Portland OR 97204
503/823-5132

The USFS site also has links to each organization's website. Hope this helps.

Yeah I agree with what has been said before here. Get experience on smaller mountains first, then work your way up. I never hired a guide or took classes dealing with climbing, but had friends willing to teach me. That's the way to go.

I'm kinda wondering if the Op was/is a troll. . .

twoshuzz wrote:hahahaha ...

Sometimes, the smallest bugs catch the biggest fish !

It was skillfully executed.

twoshuzz wrote:hahahaha ...

Sometimes, the smallest bugs catch the biggest fish !

First off, while I agree with much of what has been advised, I do know the original poster and he is no troll. I have been adventuring with this guy since 1995, and we have climb a lot of multipitch rock climbs in multiple states together, rafted the Owyhee multiple times, been on a lot of significant adventures in the backcountry, and I can tell you he has a lot of skills and I have and will continue to trust him with my life. He has climbed a few mountains like Adams and St. Helens, so is not a total noob to mountaineering. Mistakes, yes in offering to pay for a unauthorized guide and with the number in the group. I didn’t know he was going to make such a post or I would have advised him differently (I am not a member of the proposed climbing party). I can however, make one observation: undoubtedly he can read a map better than most of you, as that is his job, especially some of the commenters on his post that apparently can’t even identify the proper peak which they purported to climb in a trip report to Northeast Oregon on this website (you know who you are)

Finally, although I only have 1 post I am quite certain i am not a troll and have climbed a lot more in Oregon than most on this internet sprayer board. Get off the computer and climb, it is apparent by the average # of posts per day by some of the more "helpful" commenters that several you don't actually go outside.

Shapp wrote:undoubtedly he can read a map better than most of you, as that is his job, especially some of the commenters on his post that apparently can’t even identify the proper peak which they purported to climb in a trip report to Northeast Oregon on this website (you know who you are)

You seem to have little to no basis for that first sentence there. Saying one of you would likely be more accurate, if that.

Shapp wrote:Finally, although I only have 1 post I am quite certain i am not a troll and have climbed a lot more than most on this internet sprayer board. Get off the computer and climb.

Why not apply your skills, & make a cool $400 while you're at it???