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I climbed Shasta via the Avalanche Gulch route some ten years ago or so and now my climbing buddy and I are contemplating to go back kind of for an anniversary climb. I am looking for alternative route with a similar difficulty and the same gear as AG simply because we have done it; also I would not mind seeing less people. The drive up to the trailhead should not be too epic as in no 4WD absolutely needed. Could somebody suggest such an alternative route to AG?

Thanks,
Matt

Mattski wrote:Check the Mt Shasta mountain page for a route you would like to climb.

I actually did so and it seems that the Hotlum-Wintun Ridge might be a good alternative. I still wanted to hear people's opinions.

Matt refers to West Face. Same trailhead as Avalanche Gulch.

Other options are Hotlum-Bolum ridge from North Gate or Hotlum-Wintun from Brewer Creek. Wintun Ridge from Clear Creek is also a good route (better than Clear Creek).

That's the four choices that fit your description. None require 4wd but all of them (except West Face) have dirt roads and are most easily done with high clearance (cars still head to all of them regularly).

Hotlum-Bolum is probably the most interesting of the four. Wintun Ridge the least populated. West Face is a fairly popular route as far as non-AG routes go (will have 0-2 other parties on it).

Thanks Mattski and mrchad9! Those are plenty of routes to consider.

Not sure what you are looking for (how easy or exciting) but would definitely recommend West Face Gully: easy car access, a very nice camp area, much less people than on AG, good workout (c.a. 5K elevation gain from Base Camp), and very exciting if windy.

Check out the trip video to get a better idea:
Climbing Mount Shasta via West Face Gully - June 9-10, 2007

access to N/E/S routes will be season dependent based on when the roads melt out. the shasta climbing page will provide updates in the spring.

if bunny flat is your only option for TH access, then doing west face or a shastina/shasta combo is a great route.

if you're going early summer, then do hot/win from brewer creek. no false summits but a little steeper than AG in the mid-section.

Heck yeah! Camp Hidden Valley or Giddy Giddy (if not too windy) and do West Face Gully on skis, then Shastina on skis. Can't beat that!