Mt Shasta Summit Ski Descent via West Face

For over 15 years, we have been going to the summit of Mount Shasta. With over 50+ summits and 20+ ski descents, your guide Shane knows Shasta! Join us and let Shane show you firsthand the difference a personally guided trip makes!

This 3-day trip is our most popular guided trip for a Mt Shasta summit ski descent. Learn ski mountaineering skills and then ski from the summit of Mt Shasta via the West Face route.  We’ll establish a base camp in the beautiful Hidden Valley.  The 3-day itinerary gives us plenty of time on a more relaxed schedule to acclimatize, learn the basic snow climbing skills, and also get some great ski touring in around Cascade Gulch and Hidden Valley. 

*If you’re interested in a more strenuous version of this trip on a 2-day itinerary, check out our Accelerated Mt Shasta Summit Ski Descent Via West Face. If you’d like a private guided ski trip also on a faster itinerary, you may be interested in our Private – Accelerated Mt Shasta Summit Ski Descent Via West Face or Extreme One Day Climb And Ski Of Mt Shasta. 

All Trips Include: 

• All mountaineering and overnight gear is included, except ski boots, skis, and clothing. All of the required ski touring and avalanche rescue equipment can be rented from the 5th Season gear shop in Mt Shasta City.
• Ski gear is not included. You’ll also need to supply your avalanche rescue equipment.
• The personal equipment that we provide free of charge, includes: crampons, climbing helmet, ice axe, climbing harness, carabiners, adjustable hiking poles, mountaineering backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, headlamp, insulated mug, water bottles, lightweight bowl, and even eating utensils.   
• All group camping equipment is included; such as tents and cooking stoves. 
• All breakfasts and dinners are included while on the mountain and prepared for you by your guide. You will need to provide your own snacks.
• USFS – Mt Shasta Summit Passes and Wilderness Permits are included. 
• Human waste pack out bags are also included. They are mandatory to use in the Mt Shasta Wilderness Area.

Itinerary 

DAY 1
We’ll meet at 8am in Mount Shasta City at Shastice Park for a gear check. Then we’ll drive to the Bunny Flat trailhead. From the trailhead, we’ll make our approach on climbing skins to Hidden Valley via Horse Camp. Once we arrive at approximately 9,300 feet in Hidden Valley, we’ll establish a base camp and your guide will prepare dinner. 

DAY 2
We’ll have a relaxed morning while your guide cooks a hot breakfast and coffee/tea. Hidden Valley has many options for ski touring and we’ll set out for the day on our climbing skins looking for good corn snow and the good skiing. We’ll also spend the afternoon covering all the snow climbing skills such as the proper use of ski crampons, ice axe and boot crampons. We’ll get to bed early so we can rise early the following morning for our Mt Shasta summit ski descent. 

DAY 3
We’ll wake up early at approximately 2am for an alpine start and make our summit attempt via the West Face! We’ll skin as far as we can with ski crampons up the West Face before transitioning to boot crampons. The goal is be on the summit by 11am to begin our Mt Shasta summit ski descent. After we summit, we will ski the 4,000 foot run down the West Face back to our camp at Hidden Valley. Then, we’ll pack up camp and continue skiing out to the Bunny Flat trailhead by 5pm. 

Documents for download: Detailed Trip Itinerary, Gear List