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April 23, 2013 by PMR

PMR’s tips for Mt. Hood climbing season

May and June are the most popular months for climbing Mt. Hood. These also are some of the most dangerous months when calls to Portland Mountain Rescue (PMR) increase. Climbers can limit their risk of becoming the next PMR rescue mission by following simple safety tips:

Heed the weather. Foul weather is one of the most common factors in climbing incidents in the Cascades. Always check the forecast for the mountain, not for lowland areas. Weather can change rapidly in the mountains, and it often turns nasty on the upper mountain before harsh conditions hit tree line. If a storm cycle is predicted within 24 hours of your climb, consider a different outing. Be vigilant in observing the weather as you climb and head down at the first sign of an approaching storm. Climbers should also understand that avalanche risk persists into the Spring and Summer months.
Start early. Rock and ice fall are a common cause of Mt. Hood injuries. The upper crater can turn into a maelstrom of rocks and ice once the sun warms the high cliffs. Start your climb in the wee morning hours, called an “alpine start,” so you can summit and be out of the crater before the sun warms the crater walls.
Avoid high traffic. On a clear weekend day in May or June, hundreds of climbers share the narrow chutes that lead to the summit. Traffic jams result in climbers spending too long in the areas where rock and ice fall is the most dangerous. Even careful climbers cannot always avoid knocking loose ice or rock that fall like missiles on climbers below. Novice climbers amplify these risks because they tend to move slowly and are less adept at preventing rock and ice fall. PMR encourages novice groups to climb on weekdays when traffic is lower and conditions can be much safer.
Get training. Although folks have climbed Mt. Hood in tennis shoes in ideal conditions and more than one dog has made it to the summit, Mt. Hood is a serious and technical climb requiring solid mountaineering skills. Organizations such as the Mazamas offer robust training programs, and guide services provide enough basic training to climb Mt. Hood with the assistance of a guide. Although backpacking and hiking experience is helpful, it is no substitute for technical mountaineering skills.
Climb with companions. If something goes wrong, a lone climber is just that—alone. Teammates can provide emergency assistance, call for help, go for help, or evacuate an injured companion.
Carry the proper gear. The conditions on Mt. Hood require different gear than hiking in the Columbia Gorge. Appropriate clothing, ice axe, crampons and a helmet are just a few of the “must have” items. Visit pmru.org for a list of essential gear.
Leave your itinerary with a trusted friend or family member. Although climbers are supposed to register at the Timberline Day Lodge and complete a form describing their route, schedule and equipment, these forms are no substitute for leaving this information with a friend. No one monitors these registration forms or checks to see if climbers have returned. We only review forms after a report is received that a climber is missing or in trouble.
Carry an emergency communication device. PMR recommends that climbers carry a personal locator beacon or a commercial device such as a SPOT unit, both of which can be purchased from outdoor stores. Mountain Locator Units or MLUs can be rented from REI or the Mountain Shop for use on Mt. Hood. Availability, however, is limited and you should always check in advance to ensure units are available. Cell phones can be a lifesaver, but they often do not work high on Mt. Hood, and there is no service for most of the mountain below tree line.
Know your route and how to navigate. Navigation above tree line can be easy on a sunny day, but a nightmare the moment snow or fog moves in. Backcountry travelers should carry a map and compass and know how to navigate with them. A GPS is a plus, but should not be the primary navigation tool.
Carry a blue bag. An alpine start, anxiety about the climb and changes in diet are a formula for emergency bathroom breaks on the climbing route. A busy climbing season can create serious sanitation problems. Blue bags are available at the climbers registry. Please bag your poop and carry it out for proper disposal.

March 15, 2007 by PMR

PMR’s Statement on MRU’s and PLB’s

Below is PMR’s position on MRU’s and PLB’s. We also encourage you to read:

Portland Mountain Rescue’s (PMR) mission is to save lives through rescue and mountain safety education. For the past 30 years, PMR has been readily available to search for lost backcountry travelers, assist injured climbers, and provide other ‘safety-net’ services for outdoor enthusiasts who have made a miscalculation about mountain conditions or had an accident. Recent rescue missions have attracted national headlines and inspired some members of the Oregon State Legislature to sponsor House Bill 2509 that would require climbers, on Mount Hood, to carry a two-way device (cell-phone or walkie-talkie) and a Mountain Locator Unit (MLU) / Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) if climbing over 10,000 feet.

House Bill 2509 has generated much discussion in the mountaineering and mountain rescue communities alike. Many of these organizations believe that the focus of the legislation is somewhat misguided. Safe mountaineering requires skill, planning, humility and common sense; and many feel that requiring the use of MLUs/PLBs will diminish the value for learning the skills required to travel safely in the backcountry or above timberline.

PMR agrees that MLUs/PLBs can make it easier to locate lost individuals in some situations and we would prefer that more parties carry them. However, we believe the emphasis should be on the front-end of a climber’s experience in the outdoors: education. As part of that education process an aspiring climber should become familiar with the use of a map and compass, global positioning systems (GPS), MLU/PLB, a cell-phone or other devices that could assist in finding one’s location.

PMR foresees three potential and unfortunate outcomes if House Bill 2509 were to pass:
1. Devalues safety education – By providing climbers with a false sense of security we have devalued the motivation to develop the proper safe traveling skills and planning for unexpected situations, thus leading to more rescues.
2. More danger for rescuers – It will place volunteer rescuers in more danger by fostering an unrealistic expectation that carrying government-mandated equipment entitles climbers to rescue regardless of unsafe conditions.
3. Delayed rescue calls – Search and rescue experts indicate that if penalties exist for stranded or injured climbers, who do not carry an MLU/PLB, they often delay calling. This results in further danger for the stranded or injured party and the rescuers alike.

PMR believes the emphasis should be on education that MLUs/PLBs are available for climbers to use, along with other navigational devices, instead of misguiding the public by mandating those devices as the “silver bullet” to address an undefined problem.

March 7, 2007 by PMR

Links regarding Charging for Rescue

PMR statement against (House bill 2509) proposed legislation for mandating locating beacons

Mountain Rescue Association statement opposing charging for rescue

June 29, 2002 by PMR

Special Statement on Mountain Rescue Operations

Portland Mountain Rescue
Mountain Rescue Association

Tragic events, such as the May 30, 2002 accident where three climbers died and a rescue helicopter crashed on Oregon’s Mount Hood, continually revive national discussions regarding subjects such as the risk of mountaineering, the regulation of climbers and the transfer of cost liability for search and rescue (SAR) missions.

With this statement, Portland Mountain Rescue (PMR), with the assistance of the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA), hopes to provide a response to the various questions we have received as a result of our involvement in several high profile mountain rescue operations – such as the May 30, 2002 tragedy.

Read More –> Headline from May 30, 2002

The Facts:

PMR is an all volunteer, unpaid professional rescue organization.
PMR does not create or enforce laws, rules or regulations.
PMR does not charge for search and rescue services.
PMR receives no monetary funding from the government.
PMR members do not receive monetary compensation.
PMR rescuers are not reimbursed for food, fuel or other expenses.
PMR members normally own over $2,000 of their own equipment.
Mountaineers comprise less than 0.5% of all SAR missions in the U.S.

Like PMR, unpaid, volunteer professionals make up the vast majority of search and rescue (SAR) organizations in the United States. These groups, including most Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) units, rely solely on grants, donations and corporate support.

Often, there is a mix of volunteer (e.g. PMR), compensated (e.g. American Medical Response) and governmental (e.g. Army National Guard) groups involved in the rescue operations that day. News groups and the public generally assume that taxpayers fund all mountain rescue activities, but this is not the case for Portland Mountain Rescue. Our non-profit 501(c)(3) organization is funded entirely through individual and corporate donations. PMR rescue volunteers generously contribute their time to training, administrative and SAR operations. In short, our participation in search and rescue missions do not require direct taxpayer funds.

Who are the authorities on Mount Hood?

There are several government organizations that have jurisdiction over the South side of Mount Hood. The Clackamas County (Oregon) Sheriff’s Office is the state law enforcement agency for that part of the mountain. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS), under the control of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, creates the rules and regulations for the entire mountain, as it is part of the Mount Hood National Forest. Portland Mountain Rescue is one of several SAR organizations that work closely with the Sheriff’s Office and the USFS.

PMR does not create or enforce rules and regulations. Our role is to provide SAR services, to the extent we have available volunteer members, when the appropriate government authorities request our help.

Are persons required to register or be licensed to climb?

Climbers who are not guiding others for profit must complete a USDA Forest Service Wilderness Permit before leaving the Timberline Ski Area and entering the Mount Hood Wilderness. Climbers who are acting as professional mountain guides must obtain a USDA Forest Service Guiding Permit before leading other climbers up the mountain.

There are no licenses or fees required to enter the Mount Hood Wilderness and attempt a climb of the mountain.

Can climbers be fined for reckless or illegal actions?

The USDA Forest Service does have the authority to fine individuals for violations of Wilderness regulations. Examples of these are:

Being in the Wilderness boundaries without a USDAFS permit
Guiding climbers for profit without a permit (“illegal guiding”)
Exceeding the maximum group size (currently 12 people)

Additionally, under Oregon law ORS 401.590, the presiding Sheriff’s Office (in this case, Clackamas County) has the authority to fine individuals for reckless behavior that results in search and/or rescue operations. When to enforce the law is up to the discretion of the Sheriff.

Should persons be licensed and/or insured before climbing?

PMR does not believe that a licensing or insurance program would work on Mount Hood, as there are precious few USDA Forest Service resources to enforce such a requirement. In fact, some would argue that creating the bureaucracy necessary to accomplish this would actually cost the taxpayers more money in the long term than with standard SAR operations.

In our opinion, the most beneficial measure for preventing reckless mountaineering is education. Portland Mountain Rescue strives to create climber awareness of mountain hazards, such as avalanches, debris fall, terrain features (such as crevasses) and poor weather. On most weekends during the recognized climbing season, PMR members volunteer their time and actively speak with climbers on the mountain to help increase the awareness of mountaineering hazards. Our website, brochures and educational displays are other vehicles that disseminate key information to the climbing community. In short, PMR feels that knowledge is the best way to prevent the cost – in dollars and in human lives – of further accidents.

What about the cost of the military rescue operations?

When military aircraft are involved in SAR operations, comments often revolve around the cost of these operations and who should pay for any damages that might occur to the aircraft. PMR cannot speak for the Air Force Reserve, Army National Guard or other military organizations on this question.

Should rescue organizations charge for their future services?

PMR feels that imposing a charge for search and rescue operations may delay or complicate future missions, possibly putting more human lives at risk. There are documented cases of persons delaying the call for help because they feared being charged for the cost of the rescue mission. The value of a human life far outweighs the monetary cost of the rescue, and the rescuers put their lives at risk with full knowledge of the potential consequences.

Who can I contact to voice my opinions and suggestions?

Any suggestions for mountain related rules and regulations should be directed to the appropriate government authorities. Website links to some of these groups are as follows:

USDA Forest Service – Mount Hood National Forest
Clackamas County (Oregon) Sheriff’s Office
Oregon Emergency Management

Where can I get further information?

The Mountain Rescue Association is the accrediting body for U.S. mountain rescue units. More information is available through the following link: Mountain Rescue Association Website.