MOUNT SHASTA MOUNTAINEERING SKILLS SEMINAR OVERVIEW

An in-depth mountaineering skills course for those wanting to learn how to climb big snow covered peaks. You will spend 4 days learning all the snow climbing skills necessary to climb large snow covered peaks around the world. We spend an entire day just on skills for those wanting to learn more than what is possible in our 3-day summit climbs. Appropriate for beginner climbers in excellent physical shape, it’s also a great first step before taking our Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue Course.

A step up from the climbing routes on Mount Shasta’s South & East sides, Shasta’s Hotlum Bolum Ridge on Shasta’s North side is a great “advanced beginner” level mountaineering objective for those looking for more of a challenge and wilderness experience than the Avalanche Gulch Route. The Hotlum Bolum Ridge climbing route skirts goes up between the Hotlum and Bolum glaciers from a more remote base camp. It involves somewhat steeper and slightly more technical climbing than the Avalanche Gulch & West Face routes.

In our 4 day Shasta mountaineering skills seminar we leave out of a North side trail head to establish a quiet base camp at the base of the route. The views and the wilderness solitude are breathtaking. On day two we will cover all the basic mountaineering skills and introduce some more intermediate skills such as:

  • Ice axe and crampon use

  • Ice axe self arrest

  • Snow climbing and alpine ice climbing technique

  • Rope travel using snow anchors and belaying

Day three is the big summit day with an early alpine start to climb the Hotlum Bolum Ridge to the summit of Mount Shasta. The views are spectacular and the exposure is a bit more than the South Side Routes. We have more time for the summit attempt than on our 3-day climbs and return to base camp for another evening.

Along the way we strive to ensure personal attention, fine food and lots of fun. A great wilderness mountaineering experience on the beautiful North side of Mt. Shasta. Come join us this season!

With our recent merger with Alpine Skills International we bring 40 years of experience guiding on Mount Shasta. We know Shasta and will strive to provide you with the most professional and fun experience possible. All of our lead guides have training from the American Mountain Guides Association.

For lodging in the town of Mount Shasta before and after your trip we recommend our partners at LOGE Shasta. They give all of our guests a 10% discount on lodging. To get the discount use the link above or the code INTALPINESG15 at checkout.

We include all technical gear and all your camping gear at no extra cost! All you need are your clothes & footwear.
A $120 value!

 
 
 

EXPERIENCE & PHYSICAL FITNESS REQUIREMENTS

  • No previous climbing or mountaineering experience required.

  • Previous backpacking experience required.

  • Previous off trail hiking experience required.

  • Excellent physical condition required.

  • Climbing Mt Shasta is strenuous…you must train accordingly! The North side Shasta climb is a step up in difficulty from our Avalanche Gulch & Clear Creek summit climbs

    Curious how to rate your physical ability? Check out our Physical Ability Page

2024 DATES:

July 5-8
July 12-15
July 26-29
August 2-5
August 9-11
August 16-19

COST: $1595

Sign up with 2 or more and receive 5% off!

INCLUDES

  • All gear you need except footwear and clothing. This includes sleeping bag and pad, crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet, water bottles, headlamp and even eating utensils if you need them. A $120 value! ($30 cleaning fee for using our sleeping bags)

  • Professional instruction and mountain guiding with a guide to client ratio of 1:3

  • Breakfast & dinner while in the backcountry.

  • Group camping equipment such as tents and cooking equipment.

  • Mt. Shasta summit passes are also included

** Boots are not included on the Shasta climbs, but rentals are available in the town of Mount Shasta

For more info on this trip please fill out the form below:

THE INTERNATIONAL ALPINE GUIDES DIFFERENCE

For over 40 years IAG/ASI team have been guiding on Mount Shasta & throughout California, as well as on many of the great peaks of the world. As one of the most experienced and oldest guide services in California, we bring to you the highest standards in the mountain guiding industry. All of our mountain guides operating in technical terrain have training with the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) in the terrain they guide. We are also one of the most experienced American mountain guiding companies operating in the Alps of Europe and Latin America. Our extensive worldwide experience, adherence to the highest standards, as well as our approachable down to earth guiding philosophy all combine to give you, our valued guests, the best mountain experience possible.

All of our programs are developed and supervised by Internationally licensed IFMGA guide Dave Miller, our founder and technical director. Dave has over 20 years of personal guiding experience on the flanks of Mount Shasta. We know Shasta! 

MT SHASTA HOTLUM/BOLUM RIDGE 3-DAY CLIMB ITINERARY

Day 1
We meet in the town of Mount Shasta, Ca at 930am. The exact location will be in your confirmation materials. After a pack check and group gear distribution, we all drive to the trail head for Mount Shasta at North Gate. Everyone is responsible for their own transportation to the trailhead. The drive to the North Gate trailhead is on rough dirt roads. 4WD is not required but you should have a high clearance vehicle. We then hike up to our camp at around 10,000 feet where we establish a base camp for the evening. The afternoon is spent relaxing and acclimating before enjoying a hearty dinner.

Day 2
After breakfast, we prepare for a day of instruction in ice axe and crampon technique as well as more advanced snow climbing skills such as snow anchors and belaying. We cover all the skills necessary to climb big snow peaks. We spend the evening back at the same camp and get to bed early to prepare for our climb of Shasta’s Hotlum/Bolum ridge.

Day 3
We wake up early for our alpine start to climb Mount Shasta, probably around 2am. Climbing by headlamp, we make our way up towards the Hotlum Bolum Ridge. Moving onto the ridge itself, we encounter some steep snow climbing while skirting a large crevasse on the Hotlum Glacier. Then it is on the the Rabbit Ears and one more steep section before finally arriving at the hot springs on the summit plateau. All that is left is the summit pinnacle after which we stand upon the summit of Mount Shasta (14,180 ft! We then make our way back down to camp and relax before dinner.

Day 4
After breakfast, we break our high camp and continue back to the North Gate trailhead and then back in the town of Mount Shasta arriving in the early afternoon.

Itinerary subject to change & the summit of Mount Shasta is subject to safe weather and snow conditions