Climb A Glacier on Mt. Shasta
When the heat of the summer is in full swing, one of the best places to seek relief is the shadowed north side of Mt. Shasta, home to 8 glaciers including the Hotlum, California’s largest. When snow has retreated from the traditional southside routes, the north side is often in prime condition. Late June until September can hold prime conditions on these seldom visited routes.
We find the northeast side Hotlum-Bolam and Hotlum-Wintun routes to offer excellent mid and late season climbing and we lead trips for all levels of mountaineers on these climbs. Mt. Shasta’s glacier climbs are a perfect introduction to climbing more technical routes as well as preparation for future climbs like Mt. Rainier and other Cascade peaks. We’ll climb steep snow and ice passing by a large bergschrund at the base of the ramp before the final steep pitches to the north summit. We climb both the Hotlum-Bolam and Hotlum-Wintun in 3 day summit climbs and 4 and 5 day Glacier Seminars.
The north side of Mt. Shasta is a very different experience than climbing the far more popular south side routes. Sometimes just reaching the Northgate trailhead is an adventure! We hike through whitebark pine forests and through volcanic landscapes to reach our basecamp perched on moraines at 9,500′. Glacier fed creeks flow close by and we enjoy views of the route straight up in front of our tent doors.