Mt. Shasta Summit Climb via the Standard (John Muir) Route

Technical Difficulty (Class):

Mountain Skill Rating:

Physical Condition:

Client/Guide Ratio: 4:1

Includes:
Rental gear: ice axe, crampons, harness, helmet, mountain boots and pack. All guide's auxiliary and group climbing gear, all group camping gear: tents, stove, fuel, cook kit and 1 mountain dinner.

Does not include:
$20 USFS Summit Pass. Annual passes are available for $30.

Operating under Special Use Permit, Shasta/Trinity National Forest

Mt. Shasta Summit Climb (14,162') 2 Day
Standard (John Muir) Route, aka: Avalanche Gulch

These 2-day ascents are short courses covering the most important fundamental skills and mountaineering safety techniques. We cover self-belay and self-arrest with your ice axe and French stepping with your crampons. You will learn to build a safe high camp and begin to understand avalanche and rock-fall hazards.

This is a great opportunity to learn important mountaineering techniques and test your stamina on a big mountain. Climbers need to be in very good physical condition (in order to keep to the standard time-lines necessary to climb the mountain safely) and be ready for a long strenuous summit day. Routes may vary as conditions change.

We've been climbing Shasta since 1971. With ASI, you will be climbing with the most experienced mountain guides with the highest professional certifications and the highest summit success rate on the mountain.

Cost: $455

Dates:

May 29-30, 2010   (Sat-Sun)
June 5-6, 2010   (Sat-Sun) Full
June 7-8, 2010   (Mon-Tue)
June 12-13, 2010   (Sat-Sun)
July 3-4, 2010   (Sat-Sun) Full
July 5-6, 2010   (Mon-Tue)
July 10-11, 2010   (Sat-Sun)
July 12-13, 2010   (Mon-Tue)
July 17-18, 2010   (Sat-Sun)

Shasta 3-Day Ascent 3 Day

Our 3-day climb allows more time to make the summit and descend to highcamp. We will rest and recover, spending a second night on the mountain, then descend and hike out on the third day. Very good physical condition is required.

Cost: $595

Dates:

July 24-26, 2010 (Sat-Mon)

Skills covered will include:

Equipment selection for light-weight alpine ascents
Packing technique
Mountain walking, uphill pacing technique
Basic snow climbing technique with ice axe, crampons, harness, rope and helmet
Traveling simultaneously with the rope on steeper snow
Mountain hydration and nutrition on multi-day climbs
High & Light snow camping technique
Early alpine start with a headlamp
Long snow slope descending and glissading technique
Emergency preparedness
Principles of Leave No Trace

Itinerary:
Day 1 - After meeting at the Bunnyflat Trailhead (about 6,900'), we will distribute rental and group gear and begin our hike to Horse Camp (7,900'). After a good drink of fresh spring water, we will fill our bottles and begin our ascent to our highcamp at Helen Lake (10,443'), practicing ice axe skills along the way. We'll construct our camp, practice more with our ice axe and crampons before dinner, then early to bed.

Day 2 - Breakfast in the tent, then usually a pre-dawn start at about 4:00am, conditions dependent. The ascent chooses the best variation based on snow conditions and usually takes 5hrs. (at about 1,000'/hr. pace, with 10 min. rests every hour). After a little time on the summit, we begin the descent back to camp (about 2 hrs.) with usually fun glassading at the bottom. After a little rest and rehydration, the descent from highcamp usually takes about 2 1/2-3hrs. back to Bunny Flat.

Day 3 - (July 24-26, 2010) We will rest and recover after our summit ascent back at highcamp, spending a second night on the mountain, then descend and hike out on the third day.

Preparation:
Cardiovascular conditioning: prepare with at least 3-4, 40 min+ aerobic workouts per week including hill running, biking, or hard-hill hiking with a pack and ski poles. Pre-climb acclimatization recommended to include sleeping at 7,000' and hiking higher at least 1 day before the climb.

Prerequisites:

Previous mountain hiking experience (5 miles+, some off-trail)
Familiar with modern, light-weight overnight equipment found on our Equipment List
Very Good physical condition, prepared for full days of climbing at elevations 10,000' to over 14,000'.

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