Oregon, Mt. Hood, October 1963. On 21 July Dr. Eberhard Gloecker, Robert Shoemaker and Dr. Mark Hanschka set out from Cloud Cap at 2:40 P.M. for the summit of Mt. Hood via the Sunshine Route. Dr. Gloecker soon noticed the other two seemed to tire easily and that they were inexperienced. At Horseshoe Rock the weather began to deteriorate with high gusty winds blowing in some clouds. The climb was uneventful otherwise and the summit was reached at approximately 10:30 A.M. Because of the cold wind, the three spent only a few minutes on top, preparing to descend the Cooper Spur route to 200 feet below the summit where they rested on some rocks out of the wind. Dr. Gloecker was familiar with the route, having climbed and descended it previously, and wanted to skirt the chute itself if possible because of its steepness and also to avoid another climbing party coming up through the chute.

Dr. Hanschka was leading with Dr. Gloecker on the anchor end. Dr. Gloecker had taken up most of the rope and the three were roped at about 12 to 14 feet intervals. All wore crampons in the soft snow. The first man slipped and lost his footing as the group passed the steepest part of the chute about 800 feet below the summit, and almost immediately the second man followed him. Dr. Gloecker could not hold the other two in the soft snow, and the three quickly gained speed on the 45 degree slope, tumbling wildly so that self arrests were impossible to effect. Sliding on snow all the way, for approximately 2,000 feet the group tumbled over a bergschrund on Eliot Glacier where they came to a halt tangled in their rope. Only Dr. Gloecker remained untangled and since he did not lose consciousness, be began to free the others. Dr. Gloecker noticed a sore leg (fractured fibula on his left side) and did cough some blood. Hanschka had fractured a vertebra and a wrist and Shoemaker had suffered a dislocated shoulder and fractured ribs. All received numerous abrasions, bruises and lacerations and punctures from their crampons.

Rescue was done by the Mountain Rescue and Safety Council of Oregon.

Source: Mountain Rescue Council.

Analysis: Several factors appear to have contributed to causing the accident: The snow was very soft and the climbers all were fatigued, two of them were inexperienced on steep slopes, and all were roped too close together.