Southern Ascent of Mt. Shasta Summit

Name: Southern Ascent of Mt. Shasta Summit
Rating: 5.0

5.0 ( 1 )

Trail

1.8 mile 3.0 kilometer point to point
Ascent
Difficult

Elevation

Ascent: 3,650' 1,113 m
Descent: 0' 0 m
High: 14,102' 4,298 m
Low: 10,452' 3,186 m

Grade

Avg Slope: 38% (21°)
Max Slope: 57% (30°)

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Trail shared by Ian Bohannon

Weather

Current ascent conditions

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Popular ski lines nearby

East Mt. Shasta Descent

4.9 mi 7.8 km • -6,875 ft Descent • -2095.53 m Descent

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L (NE)->R(S) Mt. Shasta, Castle Lake, most of the approach to Castle Lake summit, Heart Lake cornices, N-S summit ridge.

Castle Lake SW Bowl

0.7 mi 1.2 km • -1,024 ft Descent • -312.06 m Descent

(1) Mount S…, CA

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“The summit ascent to Mt. Shasta from the south face via Helen Lake.”

— Ian Bohannon

GPX File

Type: Backcountry or Sidecountry

Wilderness permits are required and summit permits are required if you're ascending higher than 10k. Permits are not restricted and can be acquired at the Bunny Flats Trailhead. Summit permits are $25 and can be also be acquired at the trailhead.

Need to Know

This trail can get extremely crowded. Be prepared for a line of climbers on holiday weekends. Rangers are typically stationed at Helen Lake on popular weekends and can give valuable beta before taking off. Extreme winds are fairly common after Helen Lake.

Description

This is the most popular ascent to the summit of Mt Shasta. This is typically done on the second day after camping at Helen Lake. From camp, head up to the Red Banks and Misery Hill. The ascend to the Red Banks is deceptively far, and you can expect to boot pack most of the way there.