Guided climbs · Mount Shasta, 14,179 ft

Guided Mount Shasta climbs, compared

The cheapest 14,000-foot glaciated summit in the US to buy a guide for, and the one most people's first roped climb happens on. Five companies, $1,395–$1,495 for two days on Avalanche Gulch, and a $25 pass you pay whoever you climb with.

5companies compared, 16 programs

$1,395cheapest published price, per person

1–5 daystrip length

Apr–Julmain season; Avalanche Gulch melts out and gets rockier through summer

Programs Before you book Without a guide Companies Get an email when bookings open

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SWS Mountain Guides (Sierra Wilderness Seminars)Mt. Shasta Avalanche Gulch, 2 dayAvalanche Gulch · 2 days

$1,395

Experience neededNo prior mountaineering required on this route, but it is a 7,000 ft climb over two days.1:3 guide-to-climber ratio; SWS says it generally runs 1:2 or 1:3, going to 1:4 only on Clear Creek or non-summit glacier courses. Two days, one night. The page we read was about a year old.

See dates ↗

Shasta Mountain GuidesAvalanche Gulch, alpine style (2 day)Avalanche Gulch · 2027 price · 2 days

$1,495

Experience neededPrevious mountaineering, ice axe and crampon experience required.2027 dates mid-May to mid-June. Group gear, tents, main meals and summit passes included; 1:3 guide ratio on summit day. Same route and length as SWS's and Alpenglow's, for $100 more.

See dates ↗

Alpenglow ExpeditionsMount Shasta Avalanche Gulch, 2 dayAvalanche Gulch · 2 days

$1,395

Experience neededNot published on the page we could read.Same $1,395 as SWS for the standard two-day Avalanche Gulch climb.

See dates ↗

Shasta Mountain GuidesAvalanche Gulch, expedition style (3 day)Avalanche Gulch · 3 days

$1,595

Experience neededNo prior experience listed.Shasta Mountain Guides calls this its beginner mountaineering climb: the extra day buys a skills day and a more relaxed summit push. 2027 listing: $1,695.

See dates ↗

Alpenglow ExpeditionsMount Shasta West Face, 3 dayWest Face · 3 days

$1,595

Experience neededNot published on the page we could read.The West Face holds snow later than Avalanche Gulch and sees a fraction of the traffic.

See dates ↗

Alpenglow ExpeditionsMount Shasta Mountaineering School, 5 dayInstruction plus a summit attempt · 5 days

$2,195

Experience neededNot published on the page we could read.The longest taught program on the mountain, and the one that leaves you able to climb something else afterwards.

See dates ↗

Alpenglow ExpeditionsMount Shasta West Face ski descent, 3 dayWest Face, on skis · 3 days

Not published, ask

Experience neededNot published. Expect to need to ski steep spring snow confidently.Price not shown on the page we could read.

See dates ↗

Shasta Mountain GuidesCasaval RidgeCasaval Ridge

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Not published, ask

Experience neededExperienced parties only, per the route page. Casaval is the classic harder line on Shasta.Their own pages disagree: $1,795 on the route page and $1,895 on another listing, so we are not printing a figure. The route page also says Casaval is available by custom booking to experienced parties.

See dates ↗

SWS Mountain Guides (Sierra Wilderness Seminars)Shasta winter climbWinter ascent

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Not published, ask

Experience neededNot published on the page we could read.Price not shown on the page we could read.

See dates ↗

Shasta Mountain GuidesSingle-day summitAvalanche Gulch in a day · 1 day

Not published, ask

Experience neededNot published, but this is roughly 7,000 ft of ascent and descent in one push.Shasta Mountain Guides bills this as the fastest guided summit on the mountain. Price not shown on the page we could read.

See dates ↗

International Alpine GuidesMount Shasta 2-day summit climb, alpine styleAvalanche Gulch · 2 days

Not published, ask

Experience neededIAG bills its Shasta summit as a beginner climb.1:3 client ratio, with guiding, backcountry breakfast and dinner and group camping equipment included. No price appeared on the pages we could read. 5% off for two or more people.

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International Alpine GuidesMount Shasta Mountaineering SchoolInstruction plus a summit attempt

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Not published, ask

Experience neededNot published on the page we could read.IAG's 3-day summit climbs include summit passes and most gear; boots are not included. No price appeared on the pages we could read.

See dates ↗

International Alpine GuidesClear Creek route summit climbClear Creek

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Not published, ask

Experience neededNot published on the page we could read.Clear Creek is the non-technical east-side route and the one guides run at a looser 1:4 ratio. Price not shown on the page we could read.

See dates ↗

SWS Mountain Guides (Sierra Wilderness Seminars)Mt. Shasta Hotlum Glacier course and climb, 5 dayHotlum Glacier · 5 days

Not published, ask

Experience neededNot published on the page we could read.Real glacier travel on the north side rather than the Avalanche Gulch snow slog. Price not shown on the page we could read.

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Golden State GuidingMount Shasta Avalanche Gulch, 2 dayAvalanche Gulch · 2 days

Not published, ask

Experience neededNot published on the pages we could read.Their own pages disagree: 'from $1,100' on one and $800 per person on another, so we are not printing a figure. If the lower number is current, Golden State is the cheapest guide on the mountain by a wide margin — worth a phone call.

See dates ↗

Golden State GuidingAvalanche Gulch & West Face, 3 dayAvalanche Gulch and West Face · 3 days

Not published, ask

Experience neededNot published on the pages we could read.Their own pages disagree here too: 'from $1,290' on one and $900 per person on another.

See dates ↗

Copied from each company’s own pages on Oct 20, 2026. Every “See dates” button opens the page we used. Where a page says which season a price is for, we show it. Prices change; the operator’s page wins if it disagrees with this one.

Free · no guide

Climb Mount Shasta yourself

Everything above is for hiring a guide. If you have the skills, this is what you need to do it on your own, free. Facts come from the summit’s own page on PeakSeeker, with sources.

Normal route: Avalanche Gulch
Grade: Alpine PD, Class 2-3
How long: 2 days (1 night at Helen Lake/Lake Helen camp, summit day)
Best season: May to July
Permits: A USFS Summit Pass ($25) is required above 10,000 feet, and a free Wilderness Permit is required year-round for both day and overnight travel above treeline.
Start from: Bunny Flat Trailhead, 6,950 ft (2,118 m)
Climb from there: 7,229 ft (2,203 m) of ascent over 5.5 mi one way
Getting there: Climbers drive up the Everitt Memorial Highway from the town of Mount Shasta to the Bunny Flat trailhead at about 6,900 feet, the main access point for Avalanche Gulch and neighboring routes. Nearest airport: Redding Municipal Airport (RDD), California.
Hazards: Rockfall and icefall from the Red Banks, sun cups and glissading injuries, sudden weather changes, crevasses in warmer months
Gear: Crampons, ice axe, and helmet are standard; strong sun protection is important due to high UV exposure and snow glare; a Summit Pass and Wilderness Permit are required.

Avalanche Gulch

2,244 m6.8 km

6.8 km+2,040 m climb2,244 → 4,304 m

Line from OpenStreetMap; profile approximate. Map and GPX download →

Full route, map and live conditions →What to bring Avalanche & glacier courses

Sources: fs.usda.gov ↗

Read this before you pay a deposit

SWS and Alpenglow charge $1,395 for two days on Avalanche Gulch, and Shasta Mountain Guides $1,495. With prices this close, choose on ratio and refunds. SWS, IAG and Shasta Mountain Guides publish a 1:3 ratio; ask the others for it in writing before you pick.

Refund terms vary more than price does. Shasta Mountain Guides refunds everything above the deposit down to 30 days out. IAG refunds the deposit too, but the door shuts at 60 days, and inside 30 days on a private day trip it will not even reschedule you. SWS and Alpenglow publish no schedule at all.

If this is your first roped climb, the extra day is worth more than the money saved. The three-day expedition-style trip ($1,595) or the five-day school ($2,195) teach you self-arrest, crampon technique and rope work. The two-day climb mostly just walks you up.

Avalanche Gulch in May is a queue. The West Face, Clear Creek and the Hotlum Glacier cost the same or less and see a fraction of the people — Clear Creek is the easiest of the three and the one guides run at a looser ratio.

Golden State Guiding's own pages carry two sets of numbers roughly $300–$400 apart. We won't print a figure on that basis, but if the lower set is live it undercuts everyone else on the mountain. Call them.

Everyone above 10,000 ft on Shasta needs a Summit Pass: $25 per person for up to three days, or $30 for a calendar-year annual pass. Some guides include it in the price and some don't. fs.usda.gov ↗
Forest Order 14-24-08, in force from 9 Nov 2024 to 8 Nov 2026, requires a wilderness permit for every visitor and caps group size at 10 people. fs.usda.gov ↗
The Forest Service states that three outfitter/guide businesses are under permit to guide climbing trips on Mt. Shasta — but its own permitted-business listing shows five companies under mountaineering and rock climbing. We list all five and flag the discrepancy. fs.usda.gov ↗
Outfitter and guide permits here are annual, applications are accepted only in January or September, and the Mt. Shasta Wilderness has a limited pool of service days handed out first-come, first-served. That is why the list of companies is short and does not change much. fs.usda.gov ↗

The companies

Shasta Mountain Guides

Based: Mount Shasta, CA
Programs: 4
Deposit: Deposit is non-refundable.
Refunds: Cancel 30 or more days before departure and you get a refund or credit of everything above the deposit. Cancel 0–29 days out, or no-show, and nothing is refunded or credited.

Visit Shasta Mountain Guides ↗

Policy from: shastaguides.com, shastaguides.com, shastaguides.com, shastaguides.com

SWS Mountain Guides (Sierra Wilderness Seminars)

Based: Mount Shasta, CA
Programs: 3
Refunds: SWS says it has a cancellation policy but doesn't want to run it like an airline, and recommends trip insurance because options narrow inside 30 days of the trip. No schedule is published, so get yours in writing.
Private: Private and custom climbs available.

Visit SWS ↗

Policy from: swsmtns.com, swsmtns.com, swsmtns.com, swsmtns.com

Alpenglow Expeditions

Based: Olympic Valley, CA
Programs: 4
Refunds: Alpenglow points at a separate domestic cancellation policy that we could not retrieve, and strongly recommends trip insurance. Ask for the schedule before you pay.

Visit Alpenglow ↗

Policy from: alpenglowexpeditions.com, alpenglowexpeditions.com, alpenglowexpeditions.com, alpenglowexpeditions.com

International Alpine Guides

Based: Mammoth Lakes, CA
Programs: 3
Deposit: 25% deposit on domestic multi-day trips, balance due 60 days out. On custom private single-day trips the balance is due 30 days out.
Refunds: Domestic multi-day: more than 60 days out, refunded less a 10% fee on the 25% deposit; 60–30 days out, a credit toward a future trip less a 50% cancellation fee; inside 30 days, nothing. Custom private single-day: more than 30 days out, refunded less a 10% administration fee; inside 30 days there is no refund, no credit and no rescheduling for any reason.
Private: 5% off for two or more people.

Visit IAG ↗

Policy from: internationalalpineguides.com, internationalalpineguides.com, internationalalpineguides.com, internationalalpineguides.com

Golden State Guiding

Based: California
Programs: 2
Refunds: Not published on the pages we could read.

Visit Golden State ↗

Policy from: goldenstateguiding.com, goldenstateguiding.com

Get an email when bookings open

Shasta's spring dates sell out and 2027 prices are already going up at some companies. Get an email when we see new dates or price changes.

Before and after the trip

Most programs start in Mount Shasta, California. Lodging is extra on nearly all of them.

Places to stay in Mount Shasta ↗

Mount Shasta on PeakSeeker → routes, live summit weather and permits.

More comparisons

How this page makes money: links to Booking.com, Viator and 57hours may earn PeakSeeker a commission if you book. Links to the guide companies themselves don’t, and nobody pays to be listed or to change what we say. Spot something out of date? Tell us.