The West face Gully route is an alternate to the popular Avalanche Gulch south side route. It has fewer people and about the same moderate technical requirements.

Get an early start on this route to get firm snow conditions.

Activity Notes

Plan on thin air and a long glissade. I'll be looking to select climbers who have previously been to 12k ft or higher. If you have climbed Mt. Adams without experiencing any significant altitude issues like headache or nausea (shortness of breath while climbing is normal), then you should be a good candidate for Shasta.

Start time from the trailhead is currently set for 10am Friday morning. You'll need to drive down Thursday afternoon or *very* early Friday morning, assuming you're coming from Portland. I'll be driving up from San Francisco but I will facilitate carpools for the team through a spreadsheet in the weeks prior to the climb.

We will be camping at 9200ft and hopefully on snow. Water may be via running melt or by melting snow with a stove. We'll need to be prepared for these conditions with gear that includes appropriate shelter, insulation and fuel. If you've never camped in these conditions before, I suggest hiking up Hood and camping above Palmer to test everything out. That's a good conditioning exercise anyway.

Note: The route may change to Avy Gulch but since this is Memorial Day weekend, I'm trying to avoid crowds.

Feel free to email me if you're unsure of whether you should apply.

Other Information
Driving Distance from Portland 375 miles
Driving Time from Portland 7 hours
General Route Info summitpost https://www.summitpost.org/west-face-gully/158282 mountain forecast https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Mount-Shasta/forecasts/4317 trip report http://www.climber.org/TripReports/2006/1474.html trip report and nice route photo http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?PHPSESSID=bec55c26a39655fcfe2689f4ea631107&topic=884;prev_next=next redlined route photo http://www.skimountaineer.com/TR/Images/ShastaWestFace060303-1200.jpg
Expected Duration Car to car in two or more days
Relevant Books The Mt. Shasta Book, Selters and Zanger
Relevant Maps USGS 7 minute series, Mount Shasta Google map https://goo.gl/maps/TBkprVFtUhB2
Awards Qualified 16 Major NW Peaks
Useful Links