Mount Hood climbing accidents

Aerial view of Mount Hood's rugged north side.

Mount Hood climbing accidents are incidents related to mountain climbing or hiking on Oregon's Mount Hood. As of 2007, about 10,000 people attempt to climb the mountain each year.[1] As of May 2002, more than 130 people are known to have died climbing Mount Hood since records have been kept.[2] One of the worst climbing accidents occurred in 1986, when seven high school students and two teachers froze to death while attempting to retreat from a storm.[2]

Despite a quadrupling of forest visitors since 1990, the number of people requiring rescue remains steady at around 25 to 50 per year, largely because of the increased use of cell phones and GPS devices.[3] In 2006, 3.4 percent of search and rescue missions were for mountain climbers. In comparison, 20% were for vehicles (including ATVs and snowmobiles), 3% were for mushroom collectors, the remaining 73.6 percent were for skiers, boaters, and participants in other mountain activities.[4]

Regardless of route, Mount Hood is a technical climb. It requires ropes, crampons, and ice axes. Approximately 95% of Mount Hood's climbs occur during the period of April through July.[5]

  1. ^ Aimee Green, Mark Larabee and Katy Muldoon (February 19, 2007). "Everything goes right in Mount Hood search". The Oregonian/OregonLive.com. Retrieved 2007-09-21.
  2. ^ a b "Last Body Recovered From Mount Hood". CBS. May 31, 2002. Archived from the original on October 21, 2002. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  3. ^ Nigel Jaquiss (October 13, 1999). "Without A Trace". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved 2006-12-19.
  4. ^ Kristi Keck (February 20, 2007). "Weighing the risks of climbing on Mount Hood". CNN. Archived from the original on 2007-02-22. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
  5. ^ US Forest Service (February 7, 2011). "Climbing Mount Hood" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-10-24.