Guided climbs · Mount Hood, 11,249 ft

Guided Mount Hood climbs, compared

The Forest Service lets two companies guide Hood, and it isn't taking applications for more. Here's what each one sells, what you need to know first, and which one keeps your money if you cancel.

2companies compared, 5 programs

$729cheapest published price, per person

1–2 daystrip length

Apr–Junguided South Side season (Timberline's 2027 dates run Apr 19–Jun 25)

Programs Before you book Without a guide Companies Get an email when bookings open

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Timberline Mountain GuidesMt. Hood Summit Program, Two DaySouth Side (Old Chute / Pearly Gates variations) · 2 days

$1,175

Experience neededNo prior experience. Must be able to hike/climb 8–10 hours with a 20–40 lb pack and gain 4,000 ft in a day. Full-shank mountaineering boots and automatic or semi-automatic steel crampons required.Open group, 3:1 ratio. Day 1 is a steep-snow skills course and day 2 the summit, with a snowcat to ~8,000 ft. Food not included. Private: $1,375 pp (2+), $1,675 solo.

See dates ↗

Timberline Mountain GuidesMt. Hood Silcox Hut based Summit ProgramSouth Side · 2 days

$1,575

Experience neededEntry-level; no prior experience. Excellent fitness required. Technical gear available to rent.Open group, 3:1 ratio. Catered dinner and breakfast at Silcox Hut, with snowcat transport. Private: $1,575 pp (3), $1,775 pp (2), $2,375 (1). The private-rates page lists $1,545 pp for 3.

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Kaf AdventuresMt. Hood Summit ClimbSouth Side · 1 day

$729

Experience neededKaf Mt. Hood Skills Course, or crampon and ice-axe climbing within the last 5 years. Expect 10–12 hours and 5,000 ft of gain with a 30 lb pack.2:1 client:guide ratio, minimum 2 participants. Group climbs Thursdays and Sundays in season. Strenuous ~12-hour day. Rentals extra: crampons $25/day, axe $15, helmet $15, harness $25. An older page lists $650 group.

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Kaf AdventuresMt. Hood Skills CourseSouth Side (skills day, no summit) · 1 day

$299

Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.6:1 ratio. Required before Kaf's Summit Climb if you lack recent crampon and ice-axe experience. Doing it plus the Summit Climb costs $1,028 over two separate days.

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Kaf AdventuresDevil's Kitchen Headwall - Mt. HoodDevil's Kitchen Headwall

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from $829

Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Kaf's intermediate/advanced summit route.

See dates ↗

Copied from each company’s own pages on Oct 19, 2026. Every “See dates” button opens the page we used. Prices change; the operator’s page wins if it disagrees with this one.

Free · no guide

Climb Mount Hood yourself

Everything above is for hiring a guide. If you have the skills, this is what you need to do it on your own, free. Facts come from the summit’s own page on PeakSeeker, with sources.

Normal route: South Side Route (Hogsback and Pearly Gates)
Grade: Alpine PD, Class 3
How long: 6-10 hours round trip
Best season: April to mid-June, with pre-dawn starts to beat afternoon rockfall and softening snow
Permits: A free self-issued Wilderness Climbing Register is required above timberline within the Mount Hood Wilderness.
Start from: Timberline Lodge, 6,001 ft (1,829 m)
Climb from there: 5,248 ft (1,600 m) of ascent over 2.75 mi one way
Getting there: Timberline Lodge, reached by a paved road from the town of Government Camp on Highway 26, sits at 6,000 feet and is the standard starting point for the South Side Route. Nearest airport: Portland International Airport (PDX), Oregon.
Hazards: Rockfall and icefall from Crater Rock and the Pearly Gates, crevasses, sudden whiteout weather, long fall potential on the summit pitch
Gear: Crampons, ice axe, and helmet (rockfall) are standard; a rope is often carried for glacier sections; an early pre-dawn start is essential to summit and descend before afternoon rockfall and softening snow.

Full route, map and live conditions →What to bring Avalanche & glacier courses

Sources: fs.usda.gov ↗timberlinemtguides.com ↗

Read this before you pay a deposit

Only Kaf and Timberline may guide Hood, and the Forest isn't taking new proposals for the summit area, so no other company can legally sell you a guided Hood climb.

With no crampon or axe experience, Timberline's 2-day ($1,175) is the packaged option. Kaf's $299 skills day plus $729 summit day costs $1,028 at a tighter 2:1 ratio, but on two separately booked days.

Timberline keeps every dollar once you book: the 20% deposit and the balance are both non-refundable. Kaf refunds all but 3% if you cancel 90+ days out, so buy insurance before booking Timberline.

The Forest Service names only two outfitters currently authorized to guide climbs on Mt. Hood: Kaf Adventures and Timberline Mountain Guides. fs.usda.gov ↗
Mt. Hood National Forest is not accepting new outfitter/guide proposals for the Mount Hood Wilderness, including the summit. fs.usda.gov ↗
Everyone above 9,500 ft needs a Mt. Hood Climbing Permit from Recreation.gov: $20 for 3 days or $50 annual. fs.usda.gov ↗
Some trails from Timberline enter the Mount Hood Wilderness, which needs a free, self-issued permit at the trailhead. fs.usda.gov ↗
Timberline lists its two-day South Side program from April 19 to June 25 (2027 dates); summit day starts pre-dawn with a snowcat ride to about 8,000 ft. timberlinemtguides.com ↗

The companies

Timberline Mountain Guides

Since: 1983 · Bend, OR
Programs: 2
Deposit: 20% deposit to reserve, non-refundable under all circumstances. Full payment due 60 days before the start date (120 days for third-party groups and international programs).
Refunds: Full payment is also non-refundable. No cancellations, group-size changes or date changes after the 60-day deadline. Payments stay non-refundable even if Timberline cancels or modifies a trip for reasons outside its control.
Age: Climbers under 16 join only in a private setting.
Private: Two-day Summit Program private: $1,375 per person (2+ climbers), $1,675 solo. Silcox Hut private: $1,575 pp (3), $1,775 pp (2), $2,375 (1).

Visit Timberline ↗

Policy from: fs.usda.gov, timberlinemtguides.com, timberlinemtguides.com, timberlinemtguides.com

Kaf Adventures

Programs: 3
Deposit: 50% deposit at registration, with the balance due 90 days before the start. Trips starting within 90 days must be paid in full.
Refunds: 90+ days: refund minus a 3% processing fee. 60–89 days: rebook within a year, full credit, or 50% refund minus 3%. 30–59 days: 50% credit, no refund. 10–29 days: no refund, 50% credit. The page also says no refund or credit under 30 days, so it contradicts itself. If Kaf cancels: reschedule, or a full refund if rebooking isn't possible.
Age: 16+. Ages 16–17 need parent/guardian sign-off and guide-service approval.
Private: An older Kaf page lists $1,000 for a 1:1 private and $700 per person at 2:1; the current page does not confirm these figures.

Visit Kaf ↗

Policy from: fs.usda.gov, kafadventures.com, kafadventures.com, kafadventures.com

Get an email when bookings open

Hood's guided season is short (April to June). Get an email when we see new spring dates or price changes.

Before and after the trip

Most programs start in Timberline Lodge, Oregon. Lodging is extra on nearly all of them.

Places to stay in Timberline Lodge ↗

Mount Hood on PeakSeeker → routes, live summit weather and permits.

More comparisons

How this page makes money: links to Booking.com, Viator and 57hours may earn PeakSeeker a commission if you book. Links to the guide companies themselves don’t, and nobody pays to be listed or to change what we say. Spot something out of date? Tell us.