Mt Shasta via Casaval Ridge

[Mtn2Metro]

I'm considering the Casaval Ridge in early spring but am unclear on how technical the route is. Class 3-4 with ropes? If anyone who has been up could shed some light I would be grateful. I've been up Rainier via DC. I don't want to get in over my head with this one but the Hotlum-Bolam route doesn't sound like the challenge I'm looking for. I want to keep building on glacial travel for skills on other distant peaks. Thx.

[esagas]

Check out these links to a climb that Sierra Mountaineering Club did in April:
http://www.meetup.com/sierramountaineer ... 154786842/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.sierramountaineeringgroup.or ... ge-success" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm attending a conference in Portland in mid-April and I wouldn't mind driving down to Northern California to climb Shasta via Casaval Ridge. If interested in teaming up, please send me a PM.

[LadyClimber]

I did Casaval Ridge a number of years ago. I didn't think it was very technical, and that was long before I was into ice climbing. There was very little rock exposed on the route when we did it. It's definitely a step up from the DC route and far less traveled, steeper and some route finding. Because it's a ridge it is has a much different feel than a glacier route. It's a beautiful route and I thought it was fun. We were all very competent and comfortable with the exposure and choose not to rope up. The snow conditions were good though, if it had been icy I think we would have roped up.

[Mtn2Metro]

Thanks for the info. I'm considering hiring Shasta Mtn Guides 4/17 or 5/1. I'm driving down from Portland if anyone is interested in teaming up.

[sendintheclowns]

Did you ever end up climbing Casaval Ridge? I have climbed the West Face and Avalanche gulch and am looking for someone to climb with in the Spring.

[Mtn2Metro]

A late season snowfall passed through the weekend I had planned. I decided to go to Hood instead but the United Airlines plane I was scheduled on didn't have a pilot to go with it. So I left DIA after about 8 hours and went home. I'm def interested in rescheduling a trip.

[alpha]

FYI, given the description of your goals I would've thought you'd be looking at perhaps the Hotlum Glacier or Wintun Glacier.
Hotlum-Bolam is a fun route, but wouldn't do much for building "glacier travel" skills. It's a snow climb with an easy traverse around a bergschrund. That's about it, unless you're way late in the year and the snow has turned more to sun-cupped ice.

[Shasta Locales]

I'm considering the Casaval Ridge in early spring but am unclear on how technical the route is. Class 3-4 with ropes? If anyone who has been up could shed some light I would be grateful. I've been up Rainier via DC. I don't want to get in over my head with this one but the Hotlum-Bolam route doesn't sound like the challenge I'm looking for. I want to keep building on glacial travel for skills on other distant peaks. Thx.

It's not necessary to use ropes on Casaval, but you should be competent with crampons and self-arrest.

[nyker]

I climbed the route from Avalanche Gulch in July and had a great time. I'd highly recommend it:

http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepor ... ki=Include" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[alpha]

I climbed the route from Avalanche Gulch in July and had a great time. I'd highly recommend it:

http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepor ... ki=Include" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Fun enough route if you can avoid the crowds but also not going to do anything for improving glacier travel skills, which the OP was after.

[kaiman]

FYI, given the description of your goals I would've thought you'd be looking at perhaps the Hotlum Glacier or Wintun Glacier.
Hotlum-Bolam is a fun route, but wouldn't do much for building "glacier travel" skills. It's a snow climb with an easy traverse around a bergschrund. That's about it, unless you're way late in the year and the snow has turned more to sun-cupped ice.

I was thinking the same thing. I climbed the Hotlam-Bolam in August (when it was snow cupped and iced up but not bad) as an intro to glacier travel, along with Mount Hood and the Three Sisters and it's a great route, but the Hotlum or Wintun would be better. Or you could go all in and climb the Whitney glacier route (California's biggest glacier), but you'll want a guide/team and a rope/crevasse gear for that.

Correct me if I'm wrong but the Casaval Ridge route is more of a moderately technical (Class 3-4) snow/mixed climb and doesn't cross any glaciers does it?

Kai

[alpha]

Kai, you are correct. It is the ridge route climber's left of avy gulch. There may be some decently steep snow sections (I haven't climbed it), but there shouldn't be any glaciers involved.