PORT TOWNSEND – There’s danger aplenty on Oregon’s Mount Hood, including avalanches and crevasses that can swallow a climber and leave no trace.
In the past 25 years, more than 35 climbers have died on the 11,239-foot mountain, Oregon’s tallest peak and one of the most frequently climbed mountains in the world.
Several Oregon lawmakers want to improve the odds of climbers’ survival by requiring them to wear electronic locators when they are higher than 10,000 feet on Mount Hood.
Rep. John Lim, the chief sponsor, contends that three climbers who perished in December might be alive had they carried the devices, which send electronic signals that can give search-and-rescue teams the precise location of stranded climbers.
No state requires climbers to carry the devices.
Many climbers say that while carrying beacons is a good idea – outfitters at Mount Hood have locator devices for rent – it should be their choice, not a requirement.
They cite a number of concerns, including worries that relying on electronic beacons could give climbers a false sense of security.
