If you’ve ever wondered what conquering a volcanic mountain peak would be like, look no further! Shaped for centuries by numerous layers of hardened lava, Mt. Shasta has become one of the most stunning ice-topped volcanoes whose sublime beauty bedazzles even the most seasoned ski mountaineers. Standing at an elevation of 14,179 ft (4,322 m) and boasting an abundance of accessible routes with open glades and quality snowpack, the second-highest peak in the Cascades is ideal for those in quest of a challenging, yet immensely rewarding ski mountaineering experience. You’ll be accompanied by a professional guide whose main priority is your safety, so you can put your mind at ease and have a blast on this stunning mountain. Find out more about Mount Shasta, one of the best backcountry locations in California, from 57hours in collaboration with local guides.
Escape the crowds and find inner peace in this mountainous haven
Feel a sense of pride upon scaling one of twelve California’s 14ers
Soak in the picture-postcard vistas that the snow-capped volcanic peak offers
Summit Mount Shasta in one single and continuous push with an experienced guide navigating you along the way. After climbing and skiing 7,000 vertical feet (2,134 m) in order to reach the top, get back to the trailhead without camping or taking long breaks. This 12-hour trip is strenuous, but you’ll reap incredible rewards and soak up stunning views. The ascent and descent options include Avalanche Gulch, West Face, Brewer Creek, and Clear Creek.
Treat yourself to two days of ski mountaineering on one of the most spectacular volcanic mountains the U.S. has to offer. While climbing the peak with your guide, you’ll get to brush up on your ski mountaineering skills and discover some phenomenal panoramic views that no photo can do justice to. There are multiple ascent and descent options such as Avalanche Gulch, West Face, Brewer Creek, and Clear Creek.
Day 1: Get ready for the summit
At 8 am, you’ll meet your guide at the trailhead. Afer a quick gear check, the guide will review the plan for the day and discuss the route. If needed, last minute adjustments will be made. The guide will conduct a trailhead departure and beacon check. At 8:30 am you’ll start ascending and build a camp. At 12 pm, there will be a skills review. Prior experience is helpful, but your guide will provide a review of crampons, ice axe arrest and glacier rope travel. At 5 pm, you’ll review the plan for the following day with your guide, pack what you can to prepare and get to bed early to set yourselves up for an alpine start for the summit attempt.
Day 2: Summit day
Upon waking up, your journey to the summit begins with an alpine start. Your guide will set the time based on the weather forecast. After that, it’s time for the summit attempt. This will be a long day, with over 4,000 ft (1,220 m) of elevation gain over various snow surfaces and steep slopes. Once you reach your high point, you’ll descend the route and ski on various locations with the best snow!
When you get back to the camp, you’ll pack up your bags and descend to the trailhead. The goal is to be down by early afternoon.
Get ready for an unforgettable 3-day/2-night ski mountaineering adventure and scale the magnificent Mount Shasta. Sharpen your ice axe, crampons, and skills and revel in the striking vistas anywhere you look. With an experienced guide by your side, you’re guaranteed to learn something new and become a more proficient ski mountaineer! The ascent and descent options include Avalanche Gulch, West Face, Brewer Creek, and Clear Creek.
Day 1: Get ready for the summit
Meet your guide at the trailhead at 8 am. The guide will carry out a quick gear check, review the plan for the day and discuss the route up to camp. If needed, last minute adjustments will be made. The guide will also conduct a trailhead departure check and beacon check.
At 8:30 am you’ll start ascending and build a camp. At 12 pm, your guide will conduct a skills review. While prior experience is helpful, your guide will provide a review of crampons, ice axe arrest and glacier rope travel, which will be a great opportunity to develop your ski mountaineering skills even further. At 5 pm, you’ll review the plan for the following day with your guide, pack what you can, and get to bed early to set yourselves up for an alpine start for the summit attempt.
Day 2: Summit day
Your journey to the summit begins with an alpine start. Your guide will set the time based on the weather forecast and you’ll begin the summit attempt. This will be a long day, with over 4,000 ft (1,220 m) of elevation gain over various snow surfaces and steep slopes. Once you reach your high point, you’ll descend the route and ski on various locations with the best snow! Set up a camp and prepare for the last day of your adventure.
Day 3: Descend to trailhead
On the last day of your adventure, you’ll pack up your bags and start descending to the trailhead. The goal is to be down by early afternoon. Enjoy the unforgettable views in the process and have tons of fun while descending down this imposing stratovolcano.
Blackbird Mountain Guides is an amazing guide service! They tailor trips based on your individual preferences and abilities and are eager to help you develop new skill sets. The guides have extensive subject matter expertise and are extremely professional. I have done numerous climbs with Zeb specifically, including a recent trip a few weeks back – it was (as always) thoroughly enjoyable. There is a reason I keep coming back and climbing with Zeb – you always know you are in the best possible hands. Based on my past experiences, I am currently planning two more trips next year with Blackbird Mountain Guides. A top-notch company.
What you get in this adventure:
What’s not included:
In order to enjoy these ski mountaineering adventures, you need to be in great physical shape and have excellent endurance seeing as you’ll climb over 7,000 ft before descending this marvelous volcano. You need to be confident in various snow conditions and ready to implement efficient climbing techniques.The ascent to this peak poses a serious challenge, especially on a 1-day trip where you’ll summit the mountain in one single and continuous push. You need to be able to move quickly for thousands of feet and many hours. While attempting the summit is easier over 2 or 3 days, it is still quite strenuous. Don’t forget that you need to be able to carry a heavy pack while summiting this colossal volcanic mountain that lies ahead of you.
These ski mountaineering trips to Mt. Shasta are intended for intermediate and advanced ski mountaineers and the participants are expected to have prior experience and knowledge when it comes to using an ice axe and crampons, as well as possess rope skills. This is a fast-paced adventure, but your guide will make sure to provide a quick refresher on these prerequisite skills so that you can experience this volcanic peak the right way.
All of the group gear for the trip will be provided by your guiding service and it includes tents, stove, fuel for stoves, ropes, wag bags, First Aid kit, snow pickets and rock protection.
For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:
For personal items, we recommend bringing:
All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:
Ski rental locations are in Truckee and should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.
Group sizes:
Ski mountaineering in Mt. Shasta can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Mt. Shasta, most people fly into Rogue Valley International, only 1.5 hours away from the town of Mount Shasta. From there, you can rent a car or take a bus to get to the town. The closest airport, however, is Redding Municipal Airport, just an hour away. Some bigger airports include Sacramento International Airport and Reno-Tahoe International Airport, about 4 hours away.
Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, you’ll meet your guide at the trailhead. From there, you’ll head to your tour. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ski ability of the group.
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Mount Shasta, CA, please refer to the Official California State Government and Siskiyou County Public Health.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
Day Trips Cancellations
Fully refundable within the initial 48 hours from booking, unless the trip date is less than 7 days from the time of the booking.
Cancellations up to 7 days prior to the trip date are refundable 100%.
Cancellations within 7 days prior to the trip date are non-refundable.