4 day Women’s Ski Mountaineering Seminar

Mt Shasta, California - 14,179 ft

Seminar Overview

As one of the top ski mountaineering peaks in the world, Mt. Shasta is the perfect place to hone in your ski mountaineering skills. And to do so with the support of an all female team will make this a fun and informative adventure!

This 4-day ski and board expedition will explore what Mt. Shasta is famous for; classic spring skiing and big mountain ski lines. We will make our base camp in Hidden Valley, a high alpine cirque surrounded by ski terrain to suit any appetite. With 2 classic Cascade volcanoes and ample time, this course is loaded with big views, big skis, and big goals. Designed by women, this course is a unique opportunity for women to develop and hone a ski mountaineering skill set with a crew of exceptionally supportive and professional ladies.

Ski Mountaineering instruction includes:

  • Ice axe and crampon use

  • Ice axe self-arrest

  • Snow climbing and skinning technique

  • Basic rope travel

  • Avalanche Awareness

  • Transceiver Practice

In this seminar, we aim to create personal connections with Mt. Shasta and the surrounding land and building lasting connections to your new snow sliding community.

We have logged over 40 years of experience guiding on Mount Shasta and are the original company for this special mountain. We know Shasta better than anyone and aim to provide a professional and positive experience for all climbers.

    • Guests should have advanced downhill ability in all conditions.

    • Previous experience with backcountry ski touring and skiing uphill.

    • Must be in excellent physical condition to consider multiple objectives

    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.

    • May 7-10, 2024

  • $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

    ** Boots are 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
8:00am | Meet guides and group at SMG shop 305 Chestnut St Mt. Shasta. We will conduct a thorough gear check and distribute group equipment. Plan to add 8-10 pounds of group gear to your personal kit; this includes food and tents.

10:00am | Drive to the Bunny Flat trailhead (6,950’) for a group briefing and start the approach to base camp in Hidden Valley (9,200’)

2:00pm | At base camp your group will set up camp, snack on trail food and prepare for a light ski tour or afternoon skills session

5:00pm | Return to camp for an early dinner and evening briefing.

Day 2
7:00am | Wake-up, hot breakfast, and pack for day tour and skills clinics.

9:00am-2:00pm | We will tour on the lower flanks of the mountain looking for the best ski terrain and conditions while refining our ski mountaineering techniques

2:00-5:00pm | We will continue with an additional skills session and advanced training and review at camp while we rehydrate and prepare for the big days ahead.

5:00-7:00pm | Dinner and climb briefing

Day 3
Shastina Ski | Alpine Start | Shastina South Face. We’ll plan to head to the immense ski options on the south face of Shastina via Cascade Gulch. Depending on our weather and route conditions we will select terrain where we can have the best snow conditions while clinicing on ski mountaineering techniques.

Turn around time | For safety purposes, our turn around time on the mountain may be as early as 1:00-2:00 pm. We use these time frames to avoid hazards such as well as optimize ski conditions. Sometimes we may delay our descent to wait for softening of the snow surface, every day is different and we’ll use our experience to judge best conditions.

Back at base camp the team will rest, hydrate, and prepare for the next big ski line.

Day 4

Shasta Ski | Alpine Start | Shasta West Face. We will make our goals to explore the West Face of Mt. Shasta. With over 4,000’ of gain from camp, there are big options for us on our final day. 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 avoid hazards such as well as optimize ski conditions. Sometimes we may delay our descent to wait for softening of the snow surface, every day is different and we’ll use our experience to judge best conditions.

Back at camp we will pack up our gear and return to the trailhead. We can expect to return between 4:00-6:00pm

* Itinerary subject to change & the summit of Mount Shasta and Shastina is subject to safe weather and snow conditions. We may chose to alter the itinerary to best serve the safety and goals of the group

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.