telewoman wrote:Whiteouts are very common and I've been on the mountain especially the beginning of May. It's very easy to get disoriented on the mountain on any route. There's no trail and route finding and navigation skills are a must. The mountain creates in own weather especially above the Red Banks.

GPS -> Track -> Traceback

telewoman wrote:

Vitaliy M. wrote:Hiring a guide for Avalanche Gulch/West Face of Mt. Shasta is not needed at all. If you want someone to show you the way though, I know a few people who can help for no more than 200$/person.

This is called pirate guiding and is illegal!

How many guides that do business on Mt. Shasta are AMGA certified? What makes them qualified to guide on the mountain over other people with same b/s certifications (like Avy 1/2, WFR, leave no trace etc) other than the fact they are employed by a service?

telewoman wrote:

Vitaliy M. wrote:Hiring a guide for Avalanche Gulch/West Face of Mt. Shasta is not needed at all. If you want someone to show you the way though, I know a few people who can help for no more than 200$/person.

This is called pirate guiding and is illegal!

I've never hired a guide, but have dealt with Chris at Shasta Mountain Guides and he seemed like a great guy.

Chris
Shasta Mountain Guides
P.O. Box 1543
Mount Shasta, CA 96067
http://www.shastaguides.com
530.926.3117

As far as the pirate guiding, it's only that if you wear an eye patch. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

telewoman wrote:There are only three guide services allowed to guide commercially to the summit of Mt. Shasta. They are Shasta Mountain Guides, Sierra Wilderness Seminars and Alpine Skills International. Some of these guides are AMGA certified and have the other qualifications you mention.That's just how it is. If you would like more information, call the Mt. Shasta Ranger Station and talk to them.

What's your read on the forecast for ascents this weekend? Saturday?

telewoman wrote:

mrchad9 wrote:Sierra Mountaineering Group does illegal guiding and the USFS seems to be ok with it.

Actually I am surprised they haven't been shut down. But no one seems to stop it.

I agree! Unfortunately it's going to take someone getting hurt on Forest Service land before they do anything.

I don't get it. You are saying it is illegal, but Forest Service does not do anything about it, unless someone gets hurt...?

Do I hear $200?

telewoman wrote:There are only three guide services allowed to guide commercially to the summit of Mt. Shasta. They are Shasta Mountain Guides, Sierra Wilderness Seminars and Alpine Skills International. Some of these guides are AMGA certified and have the other qualifications you mention.That's just how it is. If you would like more information, call the Mt. Shasta Ranger Station and talk to them.

so there are others who may actually be more qualified to guide on shasta, they just don't have the right piece of paper?

more importantly, let's assume i hook up with someone who knows the mountain really well. say, perhaps, they even have written up numerous pages on shasta here on sp and have dozens of ascents under their belt. and let's say i have them go along with me on a trip up shasta, and just cuz they're being so nice, i kick in gas money, food money, and even rent a car. i effectively have paid to be guided up the mountain. is it your position that is illegal as well?

how is the forest service going to be able to give me your personal opinion?

mrchad9 wrote:Avalanche Gulch will have many other people on the route that weekend. Unless there is a whiteout, you will NOT get lost. Sure!
. . .

This is not entirely true.

My body and I were the last ones on the summit in one of that beautiful day. Well, I like to sleep longer and my body had some altitude issues. Anyway, while climbing down, about half way between Red Banks and Helen Lake the helicopter flit above us searching for a reported missing person (as we learned later). As we were close to Helen Lake a crazily screaming guy, having issues with a color of my jacket, quickly approached us. He behaved furiously but I still was able to retrieve some information from him. He climbed Avalanche Gulch with his sister/girlfriend but got weak/sick and decided to stay and wait for her on Misery Hill. But he did not! The girl summited but on the way down took the wrong turn and descended the different side of the mountain. She was found the next morning with minor injuries (very lucky being unprepared).

Yes! People get confused and get lost in unimaginable situations and places. The weather was completely clear and the climbers were still on that route (including myself) mapping the way down. To me getting lost is a mystery but I witnessed similar situations more than once.


As mrchad9 mentioned, there are usually other people on the popular routes and it is easy to follow them. If for whatever the reason they go back (or not go at all), you do the same. On the way up look down frequently enough to memorize notable navigation points; especially starting from Red Banks, The way up never looks the same as the way down!

If money is not the problem, I would definitely recommend taking a guide; otherwise, there are many other alternatives. Make sure, however, that there is at least one in the team who is enough experienced, knowledgeable and capable of making proper decisions if something goes wrong.