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Mt Shasta is a 4,322 m volcano in Northern California, one of the biggest in the Cascades. In May it's still covered in snow, which makes it a great first climb with crampons and an ice axe.
We drive up from the Bay Area right after Percona Live. Day two we hike to a snow camp and learn the skills. Day three we start at 2 am and climb to the top. No mountaineering experience needed, just good fitness.
In May the main route is still full of snow. Snow is easier and safer to climb than the loose rock you get later in summer. Days are long, and the town below is still quiet.
Shasta is the second-highest peak in the Cascades, after Rainier. It stands alone, so from the top you see a huge piece of Northern California.
In 1875 John Muir got caught in a blizzard near the top. He survived the night by lying in the hot sulfur springs just below the summit. They're still there.
Crampons, ice axe, self-arrest and moving as a team. We camp on the snow at about 3,050 m and practise before summit day. These skills work on any big mountain next.
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A rough plan. The guides pick the route on the day based on conditions.
Drive north after Percona Live. Gear check with the guides and an early dinner.
Hike past the old stone hut at Horse Camp to camp on the snow. Afternoon skills: crampons, ice axe, self-arrest.
Start around 2 am. Up past the Red Banks and Misery Hill to the top at 4,322 m. Down by afternoon, hot shower, celebration dinner.
Drive back to the Bay Area, or fly out of Redding, about an hour away.
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