Mt Shasta Summit Climb 2 Day

An overnight mountaineering trip on the largest volcano in the Cascade Range: Mt Shasta! We hike to camp, start early on day 2 for our summit attempt and descend back to the trailhead. This accelerated two-day adventure includes a brief refresher on mountaineering skills, but you should have previous experience.
Overview
Itinerary
Prerequisites
Inclusions
Gear

We'll tackle the following objectives and skills:

  • Push Your Limits - Take your mountaineering to the next level on this giant Cascades volcano!

  • Routes - We offer trips up and down multiple routes including Avalanche Gulch, West Face, Brewer Creek, Clear Creek. Your guides will choose the best route based on weather and climbing conditions.

  • Mountaineering Skills Review - Including crampons, ice axe arrest and glacier rope travel

  • Summit Attempt - This will be a long day, gaining over 4,000’ of elevation over various snow surfaces and steep slopes.

  • Descent - Once we reach our high point, we’ll take in the views and descend the route back down to camp.

Here's the schedule for your trip:

  • Day 1 - Tour to Camp & Mountaineering Skills Review
    8:00am meetup with your guide at the trailhead. We'll do a quick gear check and review the plan for the day then tour to and set up camp. 12:00pm ski mountaineering skills review. 5:00pm Dinner and bed.

  • Day 2 -Summit Attempt
    3:00-5:00am early alpine start with a quick breakfast. Your guides will set the start time based on warming for the day and the weather forecast. Prepare for a long day, where we gaining over 4,000’ of elevation over various snow surfaces and steep slopes. Once we reach our high point, we’ll descend the route back down to camp We’ll break down camp, pack up our bags and descend to the trailhead.

Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:

  • Basic Mountaineering Skills - Including ice axe, crampon, and basic rope skills are encouraged, but not required. Build those skills during the program or attend our Intro to Mountaineering Skills course prior to attending and spend more time climbing on Day 2

  • Strong Fitness - Able to spend a long, active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of 1-1.5 hours between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 8-10 miles, climbing 2,500 - 3,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day. People with strong fitness typically have a strenuous workout 3-4 days a week.

Here's what's included with your trip:

  • Experienced AMGA Trained Guide
  • Ropes & Gear
  • Tent
  • Stove & Fuel
  • Group Safety Gear - your guide will be equipped with snow science tools and a first aid kit
  • Wag Bags - for human waste disposal in with compliance 'Leave No Trace' principles
Not Included
  • Meals
  • Ice Axe, Crampons, Climbing Harness
  • Guide Gratuities

Shasta Alpine Climbing Gear List


Know Before you go

SKILL LEVELIntermediate Advanced
ELEVATION7,000’-14,179’
LocationMt Shasta

Price $1,195.00
Private Programs
Duration: 2 Days
View Full Itinerary
Private Programs

Blackbird Mountain Guides offers both scheduled group programs and private programs.

Private programs are simply above and beyond what Blackbird Mountain Guides currently has scheduled. Scheduled courses are not always less expensive. Before booking a trip with Blackbird Mountain Guides, clients are encouraged to review the differences between these types of programs, and to decide what works best for them.

SCHEDULED PROGRAMS

Scheduled Programs have fixed dates, itineraries, objectives, curriculum, and costs. They typically appeal to solo individuals or small groups or who are looking to share the cost of their program with a larger group. Correspondingly, scheduled programs are less expensive for smaller groups (1-2), and they provide the opportunity to meet others with similar interests. If you have a large group (3+), Scheduled programs will often be more expensive. They can fill up quickly, and scheduling flexibility is obviously limited.

Scheduled programs will have advertised dates. All scheduled programs can be run as private programs with private dates/rates as well.

PRIVATE PROGRAMS

Private programs have scheduling freedom. They typically appeal to those who would like some flexibility in planning their own trip or course. In this regard, Itineraries and objectives can be tailored to suit current conditions as well as client goals. Private programs are normally less expensive for larger groups (3+). If you have a small group (1-2) private programs will be more expensive.

Contact us
Full Itinerary

Day 1

8:00 am  Meet your guide at the trailhead.  We'll do a quick gear check and review the plan for the day. The guide will discuss the route up to camp and we'll make any last minute adjustments needed.  

8:30 am  Ascend to camp and build camp.

12:00pm Skills review.  Prior experience is helpful, as we will provide a review of crampons, ice axe arrest and glacier rope travel. 

5:00pm Dinner and bed.  We’ll review the plan for the following day, pack what we can to prepare and get to bed early to set ourselves up for an alpine start for the summit attempt.

Day 2

Alpine Start.  Your guides will set the time based on warming for the day and the weather forecast.

Summit Attempt. This will be a long day, gaining over 4,000’ of elevation over various snow surfaces and steep slopes.

Ski Descent. Once we reach our high point, we’ll descend the route.

Packing Up Camp and Return to Trailhead. When we get back to camp, we’ll break it down, pack up our bags and descend to the trailhead.  We’ll aim to be down by early afternoon.

We'll tackle the following objectives and skills:

  • Push Your Limits - Take your mountaineering to the next level on this giant Cascades volcano!

  • Routes - We offer trips up and down multiple routes including Avalanche Gulch, West Face, Brewer Creek, Clear Creek. Your guides will choose the best route based on weather and climbing conditions.

  • Mountaineering Skills Review - Including crampons, ice axe arrest and glacier rope travel

  • Summit Attempt - This will be a long day, gaining over 4,000’ of elevation over various snow surfaces and steep slopes.

  • Descent - Once we reach our high point, we’ll take in the views and descend the route back down to camp.

Here's the schedule for your trip:

  • Day 1 - Tour to Camp & Mountaineering Skills Review
    8:00am meetup with your guide at the trailhead. We'll do a quick gear check and review the plan for the day then tour to and set up camp. 12:00pm ski mountaineering skills review. 5:00pm Dinner and bed.

  • Day 2 -Summit Attempt
    3:00-5:00am early alpine start with a quick breakfast. Your guides will set the start time based on warming for the day and the weather forecast. Prepare for a long day, where we gaining over 4,000’ of elevation over various snow surfaces and steep slopes. Once we reach our high point, we’ll descend the route back down to camp We’ll break down camp, pack up our bags and descend to the trailhead.

Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:

  • Basic Mountaineering Skills - Including ice axe, crampon, and basic rope skills are encouraged, but not required. Build those skills during the program or attend our Intro to Mountaineering Skills course prior to attending and spend more time climbing on Day 2

  • Strong Fitness - Able to spend a long, active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of 1-1.5 hours between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 8-10 miles, climbing 2,500 - 3,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day. People with strong fitness typically have a strenuous workout 3-4 days a week.

Here's what's included with your trip:

  • Experienced AMGA Trained Guide
  • Ropes & Gear
  • Tent
  • Stove & Fuel
  • Group Safety Gear - your guide will be equipped with snow science tools and a first aid kit
  • Wag Bags - for human waste disposal in with compliance 'Leave No Trace' principles
Not Included
  • Meals
  • Ice Axe, Crampons, Climbing Harness
  • Guide Gratuities

Shasta Alpine Climbing Gear List

Epic Reviews From Adventurers

4 reviews
  • Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Set me up with a perfect custom skills program - highly recommend!

    I'd been trying to setup a way to learn some snow skills basics for awhile, and most companies were just not very responsive for what I wanted, and I actually couldn't make it happen. Then I emailed Blackbird - and not only was it great to finally get some conversation going by email/phone, they were able to set me up with the type of program I was looking for. I was setup with Jon as my guide and felt like I was in very capable hands the entire time - covering all the topics relevant for my goals. While I'm comfortable enough camping and hiking in the wilderness, I had zero experience with crampons, ice axes, safety aspects etc, along with navigating more challenging and steep terrain. We started off covering some initial information that went well enough to tackle a couple objectives - which were far more challenging than I'd originally thought possible for myself. But he really nailed it, and picked a plan which let me push what I could do while still feeling comfortable. Plus I appreciated his patience, encouragement and positivity as I sorted out my practice of these new skills. Overall highly recommended!

    Tobin S.
    Flag of United States
    Private Alpine Skills Course
  • Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Incredibly knowledgeable guides!

    Incredibly knowledgeable guides. It was my first time on a serious mountaineering trip, and our guide Jason was a great resource for our attempt at the Shasta summit. Despite insanely cold and snowy weather for May we had a great time!

    Thomas M.
    Flag of United States
    Verified Buyer
    Mt Shasta Summit Climb 3 Day - 2023 Archive
  • Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Amazing guide service, you are in the best possible hands!

    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 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.

    Corey R.
    Flag of United States
    Mt Shasta Summit Climb 3 Day - 2023 Archive
  • Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Fully recommend Blackbird for Mt Shasta!

    We did a 3 day Shasta trip with Blackbird guides with Jason as our guide. Since we had already done Shasta we asked for a route a bit more adventurous and Jason obliged. The trip was fantastic with time for acclimatization and a lower summit Shastina then a super interesting route to the summit which was challenging but not too much. Jason was wonderful every step of the way, he was able to navigate the major obstacle which was the wind and went above and beyond to get us to the summit. Fully recommend Blackbird and Jason in particular.

    Richard B.
    Flag of United States
    Mt Shasta Summit Climb 3 Day - 2023 Archive
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