Mount Shasta
Ready to level up your mountaineering?
Mount Shasta, a magnificent stratovolcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range and the jewel of Northern California at 14,179 ft (4322m), is the perfect stepping stone to level up from your local mountains and prep for high-altitude, international expeditions. A Shasta climb, ski trip, or mountaineering school will help you build a solid foundation for future mountaineering endeavors. With four different trip options varying in length, route, and skills training, there’s something for everyone looking for an epic adventure on this iconic California peak.
2-Day Avalanche Gulch Climb
This is a 2-day alpine climbing trip that will focus on a quick summit of Mount Shasta via the famous Avalanche Gulch route.
Itinerary: The first day’s work will involve climbing up to a high camp around 9,500 ft elevation where you will make camp for the night, go over basic snow climbing techniques, and plan for the next morning’s summit. An alpine start on day 2 will get you to the top by late morning and back to the trailhead by early evening. This is an aggressive itinerary and proper training is essential to success!
Prerequisites: This quick summit itinerary is perfect for climbers with excellent physical fitness and a tight schedule. Because this is a fast paced summit, we recommend that participants have prior mountaineering experience, but it is not required. There will be time set aside to introduce basic snow and ice climbing skills. Previous overnight backpacking experience is required.
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3-Day West Face Climb
Climb Mount Shasta via the secluded West Face while learning important mountaineering skills. Spending 3 days on the peak is the ideal amount of time to learn basic mountaineering skills and also take a crack at the summit, while basing out of the quiet, beautiful Hidden Valley. This 3-day summit climb is the perfect blend of a skills course and summit climb. We’ve found that this amount of time offers the highest success rate for teams, while still covering all the skills required to efficiently climb the peak.
Itinerary: On day one you’ll ascend to Hidden Valley, where you will set up camp, go over basic snow climbing techniques, and brief for the next day. With an alpine start on day 2, your route takes you up the West Face and on towards the summit. Summiting around midday, you’ll descend back to camp for a leisurely afternoon/evening enjoying the magnificent views from camp and a tasty dinner. Day 3, you’ll have a relaxed breakfast at camp, and then descend down to the trailhead.
Prerequisites: This trip is the ideal first introduction to big mountain climbing. No previous climbing experience is required. Previous hiking experience is required.
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3-Day West Face Ski Trip
Summit Mount Shasta and experience 4,000+ feet of incredible skiing on the massive West Face. This 3-day ski mountaineering trip is the perfect opportunity to take your backcountry skiing to the next level. Mount Shasta is one of the most iconic ski mountaineering peaks in North America, and a prime location to break into some big terrain. You’ll learn advanced backcountry skills on how to safely approach steep lines, summit using those skills, and ski some epic spring corn on the West Face.
Itinerary: On day one you’ll ascend to Hidden Valley, where you will set up camp, go over basic snow climbing and ski mountaineering techniques, and discuss the next day. With an alpine start on day 2, you will summit the peak by late morning/early afternoon and then make long ski descent down the wide-open terrain of the West Face, all the way back to camp. Day 3, you’ll have breakfast at camp, while enjoying the awe-inspiring views from Hidden Valley and ski down to the trailhead.
Prerequisites: The West Face of Mount Shasta will be an extremely fun ski descent for both experienced “big mountain” skiers and those looking to move into bigger terrain from their local mountains. Advanced level skiers and riders with 25+days of touring experience are welcome.
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5-Day Mountaineering School
On the northeast side of Shasta is the Hotlum Glacier, the perfect training ground for those wanting to learn the intricacies of mountaineering and glacier travel & crevasse rescue. This 5-day school is designed to prepare aspiring mountaineers for the high-altitude peaks they dream of climbing around the world. With two days of skills training followed by a summit bid, it is the perfect opportunity to build a solid mountaineering foundation.
Itinerary: On day one you’ll ascend to Hidden Valley and set up camp. Day 2 and 3 will consist of skills training on the Hotlum Glacier covering our Intro to Mountaineering and Glacier Travel & Crevasse Rescue curriculum. After spending the last two days developing the necessary skills, it will be time for your own summit bid. An alpine start will kick off day 4 as you climb the beautiful north side route. After a short celebration atop one of California’s most iconic peaks, you’ll descend back to base camp where you will get some much needed rest before trekking back to the trailhead the following day.
Prerequisites: This school is ideal for spiring mountaineers with excellent physical fitness who want to gain the basic skills of glacial travel and also reach a fun, challenging summit. No previous mountaineering experience is required.
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For information on any of our other California or international programs, check out our website. For any questions call our office at 877-873-5376 or send us an email at info@alpenglowexpeditions.