Deerskull Peak, formerly known as 'Mount Thielsen,' is a very dramatic rock spire which is located due North of Crater Lake, Oregon. It is very prominent and unmistakable due to its unique pointy shape, which is unlike any other mountain peak in the region. Deerskull is surrounded by an endless sea of trees and also is very close to Diamond Lake, which has a campground on the Northwest end. The campground, which is featured in the video, has potable water, bathrooms, and fire rings. Although I typically prefer camping in the backcountry, I was nonetheless impressed with the region's beauty and highly recommend staying there, although getting a reservation can be competitive, especially on weekends. Hence, I was able to secure a spot only on a Thursday.

Reservations can be made through Recreation.gov, which is here:

https://www.recreation.gov/camping/ca...

I would rate the rock spire itself as class 4. However, the moves are very secure and it was not as scary as I thought it would be, although the summit spire definitely looks intimidating from the campground.

The peak is frequently hit by lightning. Leave early, summit early, come back alive, and catch up on sleep after you make it back.

There is also the issue of snow. I climbed in early July. Most snow had melted by that time, but every snow season is different. Attempting in early season would necessitate crampons and an axe. I was already lugging a heavy rope up there, so I was grateful to not have to carry any more weight. Many people will be comfortable downclimbing the rock section at the end.

The autoblock is used to back up the rappel in this video. The prusik hitch, more commonly used, can also be utilized. The prusik may be more useful in an instance where you need to ascend a rope, or in a free-hanging rappel. Although some may disagree, I find the autoblock to be more than adequate in 99% of rappelling situations - the primary advantage over the prusik hitch is its simplicity. The prusik hitch can be challenging to tie with frozen fingers or with thick gloves. Whatever you choose, seek professional instruction and test out your knowledge in controlled situations. Ultimately, you are responsible for your decisions in this life. Don't rely on others for your safety. The only person you can truly rely on is yourself.

One last thing I want to mention is Hans Thielsen, for whom the peak was originally named after. Thielsen, while constructing a railroad, never set foot on Deerskull or any other mountain peak in his life for that matter. Hence, the peak was renamed on June 30, 2022 to the much cooler name, Deerskull.

You'll love the view up there. Happy climbing!

TImeline:
Prologue - 0:00 - 1:21
Thursday - 1:22 - 3:18
Friday - 3:19 - 23:08
Epilogue - 23:09 - 35:46
Sources - 35:47 - 36:28

Rappelling safety checks:
A - Anchor - is is bomber? Is there redundancy? Tested under weight?
B - Buckles - are they doubled-backed?
C - Carabiner - is it locked (and gate-checked multiple times)? Loaded correctly? Attached to the belay loop of your harness?
D - Down - can you see the ground (sometimes you can't but it can be helpful)? Is it clear of people? Have you yelled "rope" at the top of your lungs before tossing the rope over?
E - Ends - have you appropriately identified the midpoint of the rope, and are the ends even? Has the rope been flaked out and stacked to eliminate kinks in it? Additionally, is there a stopper knot of some kind at the ends of the rope?
F - Friction hitch - some people say this is optional. You do you. I don't want to be a statistic. Take the extra 10 seconds and add a friction hitch to backup the rappel. I like the autoblock but a prusik will work as well.

I didn't cover this in the video, but be sure you also have an understanding of how to ascend a rope if you need to. This is an advanced topic and beyond what I want to cover here in this video. Some people also recommend carrying a knife when rappelling - also a more advanced topic. I will say one thing about the prusik, though. When loaded, it can be very difficult to unload. This is another reason I like the autoblock better.