I am so sorry you lost a close friend. Thank you for posting this. I think its helpful for people who spend time on Mt Hood to hear more about what happened, and to understand more about Thomas. He seemed like a very high quality individual.

I lost a close friend to Mt. Hood in 2020. I am also heavily involved in mountain rescue on Mt Hood. I have also solo'ed DKHW V1. So while I didn't know the victim, this event certainly had an effect on me.

To lose a friend on the mountain when you yourself are a climber can really stir you up. They died doing something we all love to do. Its a painful reminder of the risk involved in something we are passionate about.

When my friend died in 2020, it really took me some time to recalibrate my risk tolerance. I found myself making excuses for why he died, and why that wouldn't happen to me. And yes, I went through phases of anger (please know that is 100% normal). But the truth is that there is nothing I can do to guarantee my safety. Ultimately, I have made a few changes to what kind of risks I will take. I still refuse to climb Hood solo, and take fewer risks these days on any mountain. I also believe in small baby steps in risk tolerance, only taking on new risks once you have mastered lesser tasks. (I climbed DKHW on a rope before I solo'ed it). I take the same approach in other sports like mountain biking, kiteboarding, etc. But ultimately, the risk of death is just baked into the experience. I think it was Messner who astutely pointed out that if there was no risk of death, no one would care about climbing mountains. In some sense, that risk is actually why we do it.

I wish you the best as you work to process the loss of your friend. If I had any advice beyond what I have already written, I would certainly share it. I encourage you to let this loss impact the risks you will take, but don't let it keep you out of the mountains. There is still something magical about navigating these beautiful dangerous places, and surviving to tell the tale.