( Three ) Missing climbers scaled difficult route ( Weather getting worse )

Associated Press ^ | Dec 13 | JOSEPH B. FRAZIER

[angkor]

I doubt they will after this long at those altitudes an temps.

We all know how the media likes to exaggerate weather conditions with wind-chill temps and even by factoring humidity ("apparent temperature"), but the fact is the acutal ambient temperature on Mt. Hood has been on the 20's and 30's.

That's very survivable, and for more than a week, maybe two or even more.

We know that at one point at least one was holed up in a snow cave, and I'm really hoping the other two bailed-out on their attempted descent and dug in. That would have kept them completely out of the wind, and with 20F and 30F ambient outside, temps in a proper snow cave might easily go above 32F (freezing), giving them snow melt to drink (staying dry in the cave would have been their problem).

Since I have faith that they had the skill and wits to build a cave, I hope they made that decision and hunkered down before avalanche conditions became too threatening.

[NittanyLion]

By taking the tires off their car they sealed their fate. Only a day or so after he was found, there was no longer any snow on the road.

Their gasoline was gone by the time they removed the tires. What did you expect him to do - push the car the 17 miles back to town?

[angkor]

Depending on what they took with them, it is getting late in the game now.

There are documented accounts out on the Internet of climbers getting stuck up on Mt. Hood (and other peaks) for a week and even more. One guy for 10 days.

So no need to give up hope yet.