I know that many people will say that "he got what he deserved" by climbing alone in the winter, but how many of us like to do potentially dangerous things by ourselves?
And, there are many pointless ways that people die these days that have nothing to do with taking risks. Gang-bangers, drunk drivers, psychotic family members just to name a few.
People can say that, but those people would be ignorant blow-hards. You're more likely to die on your way to work tomorrow than he was to die on that route yesterday.
Always unfortunate when a person dies from unnatural causes. For many enthusiasts doing their chosen activity is much more rewarding solo, unfortunately during a incident severe injury or death is more prevalant as a partner is not there to summon help. Him being solo should not be mentiond within the news headline as as people are so quick to judge. Remember Always register and always have a locater unit. Prayers to his family.
I climbed the same mountain and the exact same route today- solo. I passed his body at about 4am... my headlamp just wasn't bright enough to see clear enough into the bottom of the canyon, and I never saw him, despite searching pretty hard.
Conditions were ideal. There are some icy spots between Crater Rock and Triangle Moraine where a couple of inexperienced climbers have eaten it in the last few days, but that's not what got Jared. He either lost his footing in some one-in-a-million moment or the ridge gave way underneath him. Either of these things can happen in the fall, summer, winter, or spring, and they can happen solo or with a partner, and they can happen whether you have a PLB or not- and none of those things would have saved his life. He likely died before he hit the bottom of the canyon- the whole east side of the moraine is scoured clean and jagged rocky.
Feel bad for him and his family. Also feel bad for me and every other married guy. These events make it harder to convince the wife I'll be ok every time I threaten to go out. I keep reminding her that a drunk driver almost killed me 3 years ago on my way to work. I'd much rather die on Hood doing something I love and where I have some degree of control of my fate.
I feel for the family. Climbing in winter conditions is as dangerous as driving a race car.....if solo, more dangerous. Precautions and extreme perperation are necessities. When you push the extremes of terrain and environment, you take your chances.
Intelligent winter climbing is every bit as safe as spring climbing, and safer than summer or fall climbing, on Mount Hood. Like I said- conditions up there right now are ideal. Conditions had nothing to do with it. It wasn't conditions, and it probably wasn't even bad judgement. It's just what happens every couple of years on a mountain that sees over 10,000 climbers per year. Know what your odds of getting killed in a traffic crash are? About 4 times higher.
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Climber Killed in Fall on Mount Hood
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