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ST. HELENS BUTTE CAMP ROUTE
 | Two day trip from Portland area |
| Climb 13 Miles round trip with 5,200' elevation gain |
| Rates: 1 person: $550
each, 2 persons: $500 each, 3-4 persons: $450 each, 5-10 persons: $400 each.
Includes guide, door-to-door transportation, climbing equipment, tents, climb
permits, and food. |
| Some climbs have optional orientation sessions
offered through Portland Community College (PCC) and Tualatin Hills Park &
Recreation District (THPRD). At the
session, you will have the opportunity to meet your guide and party members,
see the equipment, and discuss the climb and the schedule, and get any
questions answered. |
We can do it anytime snow is on the route and guides and
permits are available. After April 1, Monday through Thursday departures only under the terms of our Special Use
Permit. Sign-up using our secure form at
sign-up, give us a call at (877)
965-5100, or send an e-mail.
| 2008 Scheduled Climb:
 | Please call |
We can conduct a session any time an instructor is available
and snow conditions are suitable.
Sign-up using our secure form, give us a call at (877) 965-5100, or send an e-mail.
Give us a call at 877 965-5100 to discuss scheduling a climb
on a non-scheduled date.
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Go to Sign-up Form, call
(877) 965-5100, or e-mail to make your reservation. A 50% deposit is required.
For cancellations two weeks or less prior to the scheduled climb, we will
retain $25.00 of the deposit to cover the non-refundable permit charge if
the spot is not filled. |
We typically do Butte Camp route as an overnight trip. It's a leisurely
trip with a higher degree of solitude than the more heavily used Monitor Ridge Route.
It also provides you the opportunity to learn about snow camping techniques during
usually milder Spring conditions. It is my favorite way to climb St.
Helens.
We will typically leave Portland about 6 AM and drive to
Cougar, WA, where we pick up
our permits.
Winter/Early Spring Climbs:
We then drive to Cougar Sno-Park at 2,250' and snowshoe or ski to just below
Timberline at 4,800'.
Late Spring Climbs
We drive to Redrock Pass at 3,116'. We cross over a lava
field, meadows and mixed forest, hiking 4 miles to our camp site just below the Loowit
Trail at 4,800'.
We'll set-up camp and practice our ice axe and glissading
techniques. Your guide(s) will prepare dinner while you relax and enjoy the mountain
experience. Following dinner we'll have a pre-climb briefing and get our summit
packs ready. We get up at 6 AM, have breakfast and head directly for the summit.
In about four hours we should reach the summit rim at 8,365'.
The view from the rim is fantastic as we look down 2,000' feet into the crater with the
lava dome steaming below. Mt. Rainier is framed in the gap to the North.
Prior to approaching the edge of the rim, we
will determine if we need to set-up anchors for a secure belay.
We have lunch at the rim as we take in the wonderful views in all directions.
After about an hour (depending on conditions) we begin our descent. It's a
straight shot down and if snow conditions are good we can glissade almost into camp.
After a snack break, we'll pack-up camp and hike out
to Redrock Pass/Cougar Sno-Park. We can change clothes and have a refreshing cool drink. We
then take a last look at the mountain and return to Portland, knowing we've had an
experience we will remember for the rest of our lives.
REQUIRED EQUIPMENT
Clothing
| Leather or plastic climbing boots |
| Wool or polypropylene socks with liner socks (help prevent blisters) |
| Polypropylene or equivalent thermal underwear tops and bottoms |
| Warm sweater, fleece jacket, or wool shirt |
| Warm pants |
| Gore-Tex (or other water-resistant material) Parka |
| Gore-Tex Wind pants/climbing bibs |
| Sun hat |
| Gloves/Mittens with windproof shells |
| Warm hat |
| Headband |
| Gaiters to keep snow out of your boots |
In Your Summit Pack - Needs Ice Ax Loops
| Ten Essentials
| Whistle |
| Map of area |
| Compass |
| Headlamp/Flashlight (with extra batteries and bulb
or another flashlight) |
| Extra food and Clothing (wool socks, more warm
things) |
| Sunscreen and lip protection |
| Pocket knife |
| Lighter or matches in waterproof container |
| Firestarter |
| First aid kit (Absolutely no drugs or medicines
that will make you drowsy or dizzy.) |
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| Two and 1/2 Quarts of Fluids |
| Toilet Paper |
| Small insulation pad for sitting on |
| Handkerchief |
| Dark Sunglasses with sideshields/Goggles (It can be bright on the mountain) |
| Camera and film |
Climbing Gear
| Ice Ax* |
| Crampons* |
| Trekking Poles* |
Backpack
- needs Ice Ax Loops and needs to be large enough (5,500+ cu. in.), to carry your gear and your
share of group gear.
Porter Support is available!
Camping Gear
(*We will provide ice ax, crampons, trekking poles, snowshoes, tents, cooking equipment, and food)
| Warm Sleeping Bag |
| Sleeping Pads (one ensolite and one Thermarest recommended) |
| Cup, Bowl, & Spoon |
We can arrange for you to rent
plastic climbing boots, backpacks, sleeping pads, and sleeping bags. For
Equipment Recommendations click here.
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