Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Climbing Mt. Shasta

I know something about Climbing Mt. Shasta because I climbed it to the top in August of 1970 when I was 22 years old.

Also, I lived in Mt. Shasta off and on starting about 1974 to 1990 (usually about 2  to 5 years at a time).

 The safest way to go up mt. Shasta (if you want to be rescued instead of dying up there with no help) is likely the route up from Bunny Flat through Horse Camp which is owned and operated by the Sierra club and manned by someone (who might rescue you) about 6 months a year from about may to October usually depending a lot like the weather. Also, someone there might radio for a helicopter to help pick up someone injured or Air sick or hypothermic who might not otherwise make it back from the mountain alive.

However, there ARE several other routes where you are much less likely to be rescued (or potentially ever found again0 if you climb some of these routes.

HOWEVER, there is one route that might be useful to you if there is no snow at all on Mt. Shasta. Why?

Because when there is no snow a lot of people get hit with falling rocks because of the steepness of the climb up from Horse Camp.

It starts to get dangerous starting around Lake Helen where many climbers leave their tents and sleeping bags and stuff when they actually climb to the top there from Lake Helen which is about 10,000 feet in elevation.

Most people who are going to get air sick get sick around 11,000 feet because they either aren't in good enough shape to be climbing the mountain or they are too cold and get hypothermic or they don't know that you have to start breathing much faster each step as the altitude increases or you are likely going to get air sick. So, you have to be prepared for breathing much faster in and out as the altitude increases for most people.

IN some ways lung capacity is everything for climbers above 10,000 feet to over 14,000 feet at the summit.

The route I mentioned is when there is no snow and rocks are falling a lot because of a lot of climbers above you who because of scrambling up rocks themselves knock one or more loose and it comes down bouncing at around 60 or more miles per hour. You might survive these rocks (IF) you take a small one anywhere but your head usually and the rock at that speed is likely going to knock you down and hopefully you don't start rolling because of the steepness. So, looking up for falling rocks from climbers above you is often a matter of life or death ( your life or death or other members of your climbing group).

So, the 2nd route when rocks are falling because of a lack of snow is to drive up to the end of the paved road if it is open as far as you can to where the old ski bowl was until the 1970s when an avalanche destroyed it. Then you walk up the path of the ski lift to the first ridge on your left and follow the ridges up to the top of the mountain thereby avoiding rock fall usually. However, this can be dangerous also in a different way where you might fall off a precipice if you aren't very co-ordinated so taking an ice axe is often a good idea to help you balance better and to grab onto a rock or something with if you start to fall.

Some people rope together no matter what route they take but if you are not trained for this it just means that many people die if anything happens and not just one person. Knowing how to belay someone with a rope when someone falls is not something easy to learn over night. It takes guts and determination and good footing for one or more people to stop someone once they start falling on the steep inclines above 10,000 feet in elevation. 

Also, here is something to read in case you go into Hypothermic Shock (get too cold) while climbing the mountain.

begin quotes: 

Hypothermic shock, also known as rewarming shock or rewarming collapse, is a dangerous drop in core body temperature below
95∘F95 raised to the composed with power cap F
(
35∘C35 raised to the composed with power cap C
) that can lead to circulatory failure during rewarming. This condition is a life-threatening emergency that occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it, causing the heart to fail and leading to a sudden drop in blood pressure, according to the National Institutes of Health and American Physiological Society Journal. Symptoms include confusion, slurred speech, slow and shallow breathing, a weak pulse, clumsiness, and drowsiness. If you suspect someone has hypothermia, call 911 immediately, remove any wet clothing, and cover them with warm, dry blankets.

Related Links

  • Hypothermia - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic
    Apr 16, 2024 — Shivering. Slurred speech or mumbling. Slow, shallow breathing. Weak pulse. Clumsiness or lack of coordination. Drowsi...
    Mayo Clinic
  • Hypothermia - Symptoms and causes
    Apr 16, 2024 — When to see a doctor Call 911 or your local emergency number if you suspect someone has hypothermia. While waiting for...
    Mayo Clinic
  • Hypothermia - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic
    Apr 16, 2024 — Medical treatment. Depending on the severity of hypothermia, emergency medical care for hypothermia may include one of...
    Mayo Clinic

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