5 day Shasta Lassen Cascade Challenge

Mt Shasta, California - 14,179 ft
Mt Lassen, California - 10,457 ft

Challenge Overview

California is home to the two southernmost and most skiable Cascade Volcanoes. With this in mind, we have created a new program to take advantage of the awesome spring skiing in the southern Cascades.

Mt. Shasta is an obvious objective that dominates the Northern California skyline. A summit ski descent is on every skier's bucket list. Our volcanic neighbor to the south; Mt. Lassen, boasts an impressive number of ski lines with a little less commitment required to enjoy its near perfect pitches. Add them together and you get 10,000′ of climbing and 2 peaks in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

We are excited to offer this new adventure to make the most of the spring skiing this year. We’ll take care of all the logistics, you just need to get fired up for California Spring skiing at its finest!

We will make the town of Mt.Shasta our starting point for this 2 peak objective. We’ll cover all of the logistics including the hotel stay between climbs and van shuttle to Lassen from Shasta.

    • Guests should have advanced downhill ability in all conditions.

    • Must have some previous experience with backcountry skiing and skinning.

    • Must be in excellent physical condition and committed to a ski training fitness program.

    Climbing Mt Shasta is strenuous. For the best chances of summiting please train ahead of time. Feel free to contact us for any training recommendations. Check out our training page to get started.

  • All dates are subject to route change in the event of adverse conditions.

    • Dates coming soon

  • $1795 per person

    INCLUDES

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

    • Breakfast & dinner while in the backcountry.

    • All Group camping equipment such as tents and cooking equipment.

    • Mt. Shasta summit passes

    ** ski equipment is not included but rentals are available in the town of Mt. Shasta.

The difference is in our guides

The Shasta Mountain Guides® staff is a diverse, skilled, and fun group of individuals. Their common bond is a pure passion for being in the mountains and sharing that desire with friends, both old and new. We strongly believe in providing the highest level of service and quality of experience while climbing Mt. Shasta.

We are local professionals and are committed to your safety and enjoyment. SMG is the original guide service on Mt. Shasta and we are on the mountain daily. We specialize in Mount Shasta and the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. When you climb with us, your trip is supported by our collective experience and knowledge of the mountain.

Our combined experience includes thousands of Shasta summits and many years spent on the mountain. Together we’ve explored all its’ routes during all conditions and seasons. Join us for a trip of your lifetime!

Planned itinerary

Day 1
8:00 am | Meet guides and group at the SMG Shop located at 305 Chestnut St. Please be punctual to allow time for gear rentals, packing, and a group briefing. Please note; your guides will do a thorough gear check and pass out group gear before packing your backpack.

10:00am | Drive to the Bunny Flat trailhead (6,950’) for a group briefing and start the approach to base camp. Depending on weather and trail conditions, the moderate/ low angle approach to base camp may take anywhere from 1.5 to 2.0 hours. Distance: 2 miles, Vertical gain: 1,000’

1:00pm | Snow school ski tour. Assess snow conditions and review of technical skills. The purpose of snow school is to prepare you and the climbing team for a safe, efficient, and enjoyable climb. Topics covered include fundamental climbing techniques, ice axe and crampon use, team rope travel, and team arrest.

4:00pm-6:00pm | After snow school you will return to camp for an early dinner and evening briefing.

Day 2
7:00am | Hot breakfast

8:00am | Ski tour for acclimation and snow assessment

Day 3
Alpine Start | Depending on our team abilities, weather, and route conditions we will begin our climb between 2:00- 3:00am.

Turn around time | For safety purposes, our turn around time on the mountain may be as early as 11:00 am-12:00 pm. We use these time frames to optimize best skiing conditions and to avoid hazards. Depending on route conditions, the descent back to camp may take 2-3 hours.

Back at base camp | Back at base camp the team will pack up and descend to the trail head. We expect to be back to the Bunny Flat Trailhead between 4:00 and 5:00pm

We will provide accommodations at Summit Lofts Boutique Hotel in Mt. Shasta

Day 4

8:00am | Meet and shuttle to Lassen National Park

11:00am | Ski Tour and snow assessment. We’ll enter the park from the Manzanita Lake entrance station and tour for afternoon turns and to get a look at our objective

4:00pm | Back to car camping location at trailhead for dinner and briefing

Day 5

Alpine Start for Lassen Peak summit and ski | We’ll wake between 4-6:00am to start our summit ascent.

2:00pm | Return to trailhead and shuttle back to Mt. Shasta

5:00pm | Arrive Mt. Shasta and conclusion of trip

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

For lodging in the town of Mount Shasta before and after your trip we recommend our partners at Summit Lofts and LOGE Mt. Shasta. They offer a discount to our climbers and guests.