The Ashland Outdoor Store goes climbing on Casaval Ridge
Some of the folks from The Ashland Outdoor Store recently posted about their climb on Mt. Shasta’s Casaval Ridge.
Here’s their story:
(check out the post on their blog for more pics)
The high-pressure system hanging around accomplishes two things. It decimates our snowpack, therefore making our ski-season less fun. However, it also makes for stable and hard climbing conditions on our local peaks. This weekend was a good one.
Casaval Ridge is a Grade III-IV ridge that runs the length of the SW aspect of Mount Shasta. It lacks hard technical climbing, and most parties don’t opt to protect or rope up. Exposure is high, however – a fall on most of the terrain could be catastrophic. The views are stunning, and the line is very aesthetically pleasing. Without a doubt, the best climb on the southwest side of Mt. Shasta.
Brian Campbell and Adam DiPietro joined me for a single-push climb on Friday night. After a short ski, we had camp set up by midnight, roughly 8,500 feet. After four to five hours of sleep, we packed only essential gear, and started up the base of the ridge.
We knew the wind was going to be our biggest obstacle for the climb, and it definitely made progress slower than expected. After enduring gusty conditions on the easier pitches of the ridge, we reached the high camp at 10,000 feet, and found another party of two climbers. They’d made a bivy and dug out a trench, but were entirely buried in the night. It was around 9 am, and they’d opted to descend. We chatted briefly, and went separate ways.
About 150-200 feet higher, a steeper pitch of ice awaits, until a plateau is reached. The climbing was good, and fairly quick. Once we’d crested the ridge, the wind intensified. After a brief break, we crossed the crest of the ridge, and descended down to the north side of Casaval Ridge proper. More struggle against the wind followed. By noon, we’d reached just under 12,000 feet, at a small notch before the crux of the route. Winds had reached speeds of 60-70 mph, which put wind chill at -25F. After some talk, we decided to descend, saving our summit for another day. Low visibility, and the possibility of wind-loaded and avalanche prone slopes ahead won out over bravado.
Some 2,000 feet lower, we chose an adjacent ridge over our original route of ascent, and continued descending. The wind continued to increase in speed as we reached a lower saddle. By the time we’d reached it, speeds had hit 90+ mph. I was literally being blown off of my feet. After an intense thirty minutes of careful down-climbing, we reached the other side of the ridge, which offered some protection from the wind. It was incredible to witness the power of winter weather.
All in all, the climb was amazing.
Summit or not, our success was in keeping all members of our team safe.
We were stoked.
The route will still be good in weekends to come! If you’re thinking of climbing, contact Shasta Mountain Guides for up to date conditions, and check out the Shasta Avalanche Center’s advisory, updated every Friday morning.
More snow would add a significant avalanche hazard to some aspects of the route, but temps are low enough to keep solid ice and consolidated pack in place without additional snowfall for say, two or three more weeks.
We’ll be back, and we’ll see you on the mountain!
Spring skiing and mountaineering is in full tilt on Mount Shasta this year. On May 6th, the Mt. Shasta Fun Guide reported that Mt. Shasta “exceeds its corn expectations” - something backcountry skiers are blissful over. Folks are coming from all over the ski the ridiculous amounts of spring snow on Mt. Shasta and finding sweet conditions. If you’re coming to town, you can find backcountry info and direct experience by visiting The Fifth Season or Shasta Basecamp in Mt. Shasta. Both shops also rent and sell gear for backcountry adventures, from skiing to climbing. Currently the Shasta Basecamp website has a film from a ski mountaineering trip that features footage from a full summit and ski trip on Mt. Shasta (not from this year, there is a lot more snow this year than what you see in the film).
