Eliot Headwall on Mt Hood

Eliot Glacier Headwall on Mt. Hood
The fascinating north face aspect of Mt Hood is a rare gem for Oregon. Though usually ascended in winter conditions, this steep aspect has been utilized in October and even May, where experienced alpine climbers can be rewarded with great mixed terrain conditions of alpine mixed ice runnels, steep 50° to 65° 1500’ long bullet hard black ice. Feasible to approach from Cooper Spur trailhead, but also viable for energetic climbers via Timberline Lodge on the South Side.

Rapidly changing Mt. Hood weather and other conditional elements can often make the north face impractical risky business climbing (i.e if the temperatures are not sufficiently cold enough). Type of gear you might need is based on type of ice/snow element you are seeking. Conditions vary from mere hard pack corn snow to black ice or ice runnels. Gear options may range from ice screws, pickets, a few pitons, camming pro, a couple of nuts, to a 60m rope.

The North Face photograph is donated by John Scurlock, who has been working in cooperation with Portland Mountain Rescue toward increasing the safety of Mt. Hood climber's by providing quality visual imagery.
See the alphabetical north face route descriptions below the main image [updated 7-2021].

Brief Analysis of the Headwall Routes
The following is a brief analysis of most known mixed alpine mountaineering lines on the North Face aspect. The wide swath of the entire cirque face offers plenty of room to explore new lines. Have all variations been climbed in this arena? Probably not. When you look close at the north face image you can see all kinds of potential for mixed climbs. If you take a new run up this section of mountain let us know so we can add it here so others can gain a better understanding of this wild north face. Perhaps you have heard of some crazy bold long-forgotten ascent on this steep arena. See CascadeClimbers.com, and MountainProject.com for various trip reports or web posts on this headwall.
From left to right:

A. North Face Cleaver is the obvious dark jag that sets the stage for the left edge of the Eliot Upper Headwall arena. It is topped by Cathedral Spire, an exfoliating steep rock pillar. This and the north face ravines to its left (not visible in photo) are commonly sought adventures in winter (Oct-Apr) when the mountain is well frozen in place.
B. The Pencil is a thin very steep ice ravine that forms in the early fall when the initial temperatures fall below freezing, allowing a gradual buildup of ice in this tight corner. A team of three did the first ascent of this cool line on 1-30-2017. Rating WI 3/3+, multi-pitch, mixed rock/ice (mostly ice) in a narrow corner system. See link for trip report: The Pencil.
C. Cathedral Ramp is the obvious ramp that bust off left from Eliot out onto the cleaver below Cathedral Spire. See link for trip report: Cathedral Ramp.
D. Eliot Headwall Route The Bohn-Maki-Combs ravine route conditions vary widely per season. The general rating may range from WI3+ M4 in the month of May to slightly more relative difficulties when immersed with heavy winter snows that bury most of the ice in the steep portion of the ravine next to Cathedral Spire. From the saddle at the spire finish up the cleaver rib to the summit. Also referred to as The Raven.
E. Cirque-Raven Variation WI3+/4 M4+ tackles a thin ravine system and up higher passes around a crux chockstone section before it merges into the snow line above Cathedral Spire near the summit. This line is located just right of the popular snow chute which is immediately right of Cathedral Spire.
F. Left Cirque Direct tackles a long steep portion of the face and finishes via a wide gully just before topping up. Oleg and his climbing partner succeeded in an ascent of this line on 2-13-22. See web post for their article and photos Eliot Headwall - webpost on CascadeClimbers.com.
G. Center Cirque Direct The Wallace-Olson (October 1989) route tackles the steep face generally straight on via a long frozen seep that begs for ice tools. Surmounting the initial bergschrund can be tricky. A long blast of hard black ice, followed by a long steep slope of fun hard black ice runnels and frozen seeps lead all the way to the final vertical rock scarp at the base on a minor rock thumb. Continue rightward up a short snow filled 5.7 chimney corner slot system, then a quick dash to the summit plateau (This climb was repeated by a team on 5-2012; see CascadeClimbers.com for the trip report).
H. McJury-Leuthold (Right Cirque) This 1938 route ascends the right section of the upper headwall, surmounting the initial bergschrund, then proceeds up a long steep hard ice/snow slope. Aim for a prominent slot ravine where it is necessary to navigate past the final vertical cliff band.
I. Sunshine Route is the obvious snow covered ridge with a touch of sunshine on the west edge of the cirque. From the Snow Dome proceed across the initial large crevasse field up past a rock rib called Horseshoe Rock (pass this on either the right or left side depending on conditions). It joins with Cathedral Ridge on the gentler terrain to finish to the summit ridge. Walk east along the summit ridge to the true summit.
Cathedral Spire is a moderately difficult exposed exfoliating minor rock horn, perhaps more viable if using rock shoes and sufficient rock gear for the steep cracks on it.