Mount Shasta Climbing Notes
Mount Shasta climbing notes shared by Mountain-Forecast users
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(NOTE: Texts may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
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December 14, 2025
Art Pundt from United States
Climbed solo in late June 2025 by the Avy Gulch route but climbed up through a chute on Red Banks with no issues. Heard stories how steep and serious it was. My experience was it was no real problem. Had all the mountaineering equipment, but used crampons and trekking poles versus my ice axe on most of the climb including Red Banks. The snow in Red Banks was frozen with sun cups. Quite good climbing. The frozen sun cups with crampons was like climbing solid steps. Very straight forward. By the descent the snow was softer on the Mt, and glissading was easy and pleasant back to Helen Lake and on out part way below there.
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June 19, 2025
Eric Dirst from United States
We climbed Mt Shasta on 6/15 and 6/16 with camping at Helen lake. Campsites were available both on rock/dirt and already shoveled out on snow (minor shoveling needed). Snow became ice as expected overnight, but thawed out by afternoon due to lots of sun. Plenty of glissade routes down from top to make it much faster trip down, but be careful of speed if glissade up top. Quite a bit of equipment could be seen strewn across mountain from those who went too fast and lost bottles, etc. Can often still be ice in glissade tracks. We went up notch beyond heart and although steep we got great views of sunrise before clouds blew in and got significantly windy. Big puffy's necessary at top, and a few of us that get cold easily had 2 or 3 puffy's on. Bring extra gloves in case they get wet, especially when glissading down. Enjoy the false summit...it's just as depressing as everyone says ;-)
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May 21, 2019
Kyle Bishop from United States
I’ve been up twice. Do not try and go left of the red banks. It looks ok but it’s not. You should be going right of the banks but left of the thumb then you can walk left across the ridge above the the banks and up misery hill
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May 17, 2019
Zach from United States
I agree with Michael When hiking up the gulch going left at or above Redbanks will take you to misery hill. going right will take you to Thumb Rock.
Made a Video on my May 11th Climb, Check it out!
on YouTube @NW Adventures
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September 29, 2018
John from United States
Well, you must mean going "right" of the red banks. I was just up there yesterday and Misery hill is to the right side of red banks. I went left and I would not recommend it.
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May 28, 2018
Michael Samra from United States
Going left of the heart and red banks via Avalanche Gulch is a more direct route and puts you at the base of Misery Hill. It is steeper but my 22yr old daughter with no previous climbing experience did it with no problem.
(NOTE: Texts may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Art Pundt from United States
Climbed solo in late June 2025 by the Avy Gulch route but climbed up through a chute on Red Banks with no issues. Heard stories how steep and serious it was. My experience was it was no real problem. Had all the mountaineering equipment, but used crampons and trekking poles versus my ice axe on most of the climb including Red Banks. The snow in Red Banks was frozen with sun cups. Quite good climbing. The frozen sun cups with crampons was like climbing solid steps. Very straight forward. By the descent the snow was softer on the Mt, and glissading was easy and pleasant back to Helen Lake and on out part way below there.
Eric Dirst from United States
We climbed Mt Shasta on 6/15 and 6/16 with camping at Helen lake. Campsites were available both on rock/dirt and already shoveled out on snow (minor shoveling needed). Snow became ice as expected overnight, but thawed out by afternoon due to lots of sun. Plenty of glissade routes down from top to make it much faster trip down, but be careful of speed if glissade up top. Quite a bit of equipment could be seen strewn across mountain from those who went too fast and lost bottles, etc. Can often still be ice in glissade tracks. We went up notch beyond heart and although steep we got great views of sunrise before clouds blew in and got significantly windy. Big puffy's necessary at top, and a few of us that get cold easily had 2 or 3 puffy's on. Bring extra gloves in case they get wet, especially when glissading down. Enjoy the false summit...it's just as depressing as everyone says ;-)
Kyle Bishop from United States
I’ve been up twice. Do not try and go left of the red banks. It looks ok but it’s not. You should be going right of the banks but left of the thumb then you can walk left across the ridge above the the banks and up misery hill
Zach from United States
I agree with Michael When hiking up the gulch going left at or above Redbanks will take you to misery hill. going right will take you to Thumb Rock.
Made a Video on my May 11th Climb, Check it out!
on YouTube @NW Adventures
John from United States
Well, you must mean going "right" of the red banks. I was just up there yesterday and Misery hill is to the right side of red banks. I went left and I would not recommend it.
Michael Samra from United States
Going left of the heart and red banks via Avalanche Gulch is a more direct route and puts you at the base of Misery Hill. It is steeper but my 22yr old daughter with no previous climbing experience did it with no problem.
