Ascending Yocum Ridge is the most technical route on Mount Hood. This route climbs the west side of the mountain directly up Yocum Ridge in its entirety. Prerequisite weather for the hike includes periods of snow and ice cover, as loose rock would be extremely dangerous. This is an extreme route, considered by some as a suicide route, but is still a popular objective for intense mountaineers. Equipment needed includes: rope, 2 ice axes, crampons, helmet, comprehensive rack, ice screws, crevasse rescue and bivy sack. When the upper buttress is unclimbable, a gully reaching the saddle above the third gendarme can be used to escape the ridge.