Totally awesome day on Mt. Shasta with our guide Daniel. My dad and I booked a one-day tour with SMG to strengthen our backcountry skiing skills and to get to ski some of the awesome terrain on Shasta. We skinned up to around 9400ft and then transitioned to ski down. Daniel went out of his way to care for our safety, learning, and experience on the mountain. You could also tell he cared a lot about the mountain, town, and the outdoors in general. If you're getting into backcountry skiing, I highly recommend a day tour with SMG on Shasta! read more

I have been on two expeditions with Shasta Mountain Guides, and a friend has gone on a third trip. None of these trips saw the summit. Now I understand that in mountaineering weather plays a deciding role in if a summit is reached or not, but it seems to me like reaching the summit is NOT a priority at ALL. I mean ZERO priority. On this second trip, I was also told by one of the guides that my "footwork" was not good enough (whatever that means), so I was forbidden to head up towards the red banks. Meanwhile, I was in lockstep with the rest of my crew, and was not complaining, for a major blister I had on my heal. After having spent $3,000+ for the guides, (not to mention all other associated costs) they served ramen noodles with frozen meatballs in a cup. (Not a plate, meaning portions were tiny). Personally, I find their guidance underwhelming, and for someone to decide whether or not I can climb is preposterous. I do not recommend this company. read more

Shasta Mountain Guides -- specifically SMG owner Chris Carr and Sierra Avalanche Center Executive Director David Reichel -- hosted a small group of us in mid January 2024 for an AAIRE Level 1 Avalanche Course. Chris and David were knowledgeable and professional AND great instructors. There's a lot of information about snow science, avalanche behavior, and safe mountain travel to deliver in a short amount of time, and Chris and David provided a hands-on experience in an unbeatable setting -- the flanks of Mt. Shasta up from the popular Bunny Flat trailhead. We had signed up for the plus course, which included one extra day to tour and apply the knowledge of the AAIRE curriculum on site. We lucked out with a big storm and a wide range of avalanche conditions in the forecast, which let us experience the decision-making frameworks of the AAIRE course in real time. Chris and David tuned into the group dynamic from the outset, and seemed to connect individually with each of the six people in the workshop. The experience stoked my enthusiasm for continued avalanche education and a return for a guided tour from Shasta Mountain Guides this spring to see more of the mountain and help cement the training that they delivered to us over the four day session (likely in good old Cascade concrete...). Thank you, SMG, Chris and David. read more

Had a great trip, my two guides were JC and Mike. They did a very good job in taking us up. Unfortunately, it hit 50 mph winds and we were forced to turn around at 9500 ft. No summit this trip, but I still very much enjoyed the experience. I met Chris and Jen, the owners. Both are very nice and helpful. Next attempt at summit, I'll likely go through SMG again read more

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Shasta Mountain Guides are the only services I would consider using for a trip like this. We compared with a few others and chose SMG given the strong reviews - it was the right decision based on what I saw of other guided groups on the mountain. We climbed with Mikey and he was a great teacher and ultimately friend on the climb. We learned a lot about techniques, safety, and how to mentally tackle the mountain. It was a fantastic experience reaching the summit, but the climb itself was the hardest and most amazing part. My thanks to all the staff and especially Mikey. read more

Just got home from a weekend trip with Shasta Mountain Guides yesterday and was telling a friend about my experience. He asked me to rate my trip on a scale from 1-10; I told him it was an 11. The same goes here - if I could give these guys 6 stars I would! The mountain itself is breathtakingly beautiful and Ryan, Mike, and Adam (my guides) struck the perfect balance of being professional and adventurous. On the first day, Ryan stated that his goals for the trip were for us to learn the basics of mountaineering, to have fun, and to summit. We nailed all three! The only problem is that I now have a serious hiking/climbing itch and can't stop thinking about where I'll go next! read more

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Did my climb this past weekend (6/16-6/18, 2017). Had a great climb with Jeff and Dana. Very professional, funny, great teachers! Just awesome all around people! Food was great! Pace to the climb worked out perfect for me! Made the climb so fun and a great learning experience. Conditions worked out perfectly for us, even the night was fiercely windy but cooled off around midnight, and lead us into a blue bird day! Highly recommend SMG! such honest, genuine, helpful people! read more

First time with Shasta Guides and I really enjoyed my experience. I took Glacier I Mountaineering Seminar via the Hotlum-Bolam Glacier Route. My lead guides were Mike and Carl. Both were amazing. I completely felt safe under their leadership, learned a lot in mountaineering, and appreciated how much they cared for our well-being and experience. As a bonus, I was able to build more friendships among the other participants who enjoy mountaineering as muh as I do. I highly recommend Shasta Guides, especially Mike and Carl. I plan on coming back to take their Glacier II Mountaineering Seminar. read more

I'm climbed with Shasta Mountain Guides the last week of June and it was an awesome 5 star experience. We hiked to the summit over 4 days via the Avalanche Gulch route. The first 2 days was a leisurely hike up to 50/50 to acclimatize and do a little snow training. The first night was spent at Horse Camp and the second was spent at 50/50. Our guide, Joey, correctly predicted that Helen Lake would get crowed and 50/50 would be a better option, plus he knew the best spots to camp at Horse camp. Joey was perfect at route finding and pace setting. On the day of the summit push we got up at 2 am and were on the trial by 2:45. Joey had us well prepared with what to expect for the day and for each section of the summit push. We made the summit by 10 am and we're back at 50/50 by 3:30. I cannot stress enough the great job that Joey did guiding us to the, with his knowledge of the mountain and the route and where to push hard and when to take breaks made for an epic experience of a lifetime. The staff at SMG were also great prior to the trip answering all questions and providing solid advice and tips to give you the best chance for a successful climb. I will recommend SMG to all my friends!! read more

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This was my first time climbing Shasta and Dakota and Matt guided our group up the mountain to the summit beautifully. The two of them were fun, funny, knowledgeable and positive. My sister and I had an experience we will never forget. We felt safe in their hands and were able to relax while they made all the big decisions and judgement calls. They were just plain great to be around too!! Thanks for a safe, fun and exhilarating experience! read more

Chris and Ethan were my guides and they were awesome. I honestly can't believe I made the summit but with their training and expertise, we were able to complete it. The guides that work at SMG's are an extremely highly trained team and I would recommend them 100%. read more

You don't want to use any other service other than Shasta Mountain Guides. First off a brief highlight - extremely professional staff - extremely fun and passionate staff - EXTREMELY knowledgeable staff - high quality service of guiding - real challenges I have been a hiker / backpacker / climber all my life, and I wanted the natural progression of becoming a mountaineer the RIGHT way, and Shasta Mountain Guides were the catalyst of me becoming one. I knew I needed to go to a company that not only provided excellent service, but also at an affordable price. Our guides, Greg and Alyssa were nothing but the greatest folks I ever had the pleasure of being with. We were not only told what was expected of us, but what we needed to do to survive, and ultimately have TYPE 1 and TYPE 2 fun!!! I can't say enough about the quality of the guiding and service here. If you want to learn the right way of getting into mountaineering, LOOK. NO. FURTHER. Choose Shasta Mountain Guides, you will NOT be disappointed. Thank you so much Shasta Mountain Guides! AND THANK YOU GREG AND ALYSSA!! You two helped me realize my dream of summiting Mount Shasta and now I have found my passion in mountaineering! read more

This was my first mountain climb and I was very pleased with Mountain Shasta Guides' leadership to the summit! Joey and Skylar were our guides and they were extremely hard-working and knowledgeable, and great company, too. As a newbie climber, I felt safe and prepared the whole trip. I strongly recommend using Shasta Mountain Guides! read more

Shasta Mountain Guides - Tours Near Me - Mount Shasta, California

Just back from a truly awesome experience climbing Mt. Shasta with my son Jack (16) and our family friend Tommy (18). Our guides were Joey and Dana who said their goal was to make it safe, fun and to help us summit - in that order. And they did all three. They found that delicate balance required of a professional guide, to be a leader yet to also allow us all to have our own positive experience. Thank you Joey and Dana and thank you Shasta Mountain Guides! read more

Shasta Mountain Guides - Summit of Mt Shasta - Tours Near Me - Mount Shasta, California

I just completed the three day ascent of Shasta via the Avalanche Gulch route. The trip was an epic adventure and the service that Shasta Mountain Guides was excellent. Although I am a fit 67 year old man, I have never done any mountaineering and I could not have done it without the excellent leadership and instructions of the SMG guides, Will and Nick. They taught me how use crampons, an ice axe and rope up, More important their knowledge of the mountain gave me complete confidence in the safety of journey. Will and Nick prepared us excellent meals, frequently checked in with us to ensure that everything was okay and ensured that the trip was outstanding for all of us. I recommend SMG to anyone who wants a safe and fun ascent of Mount Shasta. read more

This trip was FANTASTIC. Between the guides, the food, and the views, everything exceeded my expectations. The guides, Greg and Joey, were the perfect combo of skilled and helpful to beginning climbers. They were able to deliver the goals of the trip while goofing off and making the trip very memorable. I won't be forgetting these cool dudes anytime soon. Greg and Joey wanted us to enjoy ourselves on our trip taking a lot of pressure off summiting. They were helpful on what to wear each day and checked our gear out thoroughly to ensure that we were prepared. My dad and I took the 3 day trip up Avalanche gulch. The first night we stayed at Horse Camp right at the tree line with beautiful views of the mountain and the alpine ecosystem. This camp also had a warm and nice smelling composting toilet. Seriously the best solar composting toilet I have been in compared to a few national and state parks in Texas. The water at Horse camp was also the BEST water I have ever had. I highly recommend stocking up on this stuff. The second night we stayed at 50-50 camp on the mountain. This camp had the most breathtaking views of the valley from the mountain. Snow school with the guides happened on the same day. It helped newbies really understand the fundamentals of climbing with an ice axe and crampons. If you decide to take this trip, enjoy the views and glacading down the mountian! read more

Stoked and dialed in! Had the adventure of a lifetime with Shasta Mountain Guides. My daughter and I booked the 3 days beginners summit expedition for mid June 2016. On line registration was easy and straightforward. After registering, we received an informative email with contact info for our trip. Gear lists and check out was awesome and everyone made sure that nube climbers like us were well prepared. Greg and Joey (our guides) were fantastic. These guys were real professionals. They made Snow school fun while teaching our group of 6 the basics of alpine climbing. Dinner each night (provided as part of the guide service) was delicious. We had chicken burritos with avacado the first night and pasta with sausage the second night. Who thought that food prepared above 8000 feet could be so good. Certainly the best part of the trip was the always positive attitude and great sense of humor of our guides. They really made climbing mount shasta a super memorable experience. read more

Summited with SMG on July 3. Awesome experience with two great guides. Razor and Andrew couldn't have done it better. Owner Chris is super helpful and answered all our silly questions prior to booking. Highly recommend SMG for any guided trip in the Shasta area!!! read more

Shasta Mountain Guides - Tours Near Me - Mount Shasta, California

This was truly an amazing experience on the mountain with SMG. Our guides for the trip were Steve (head guide) Lesha and Jaime. They all displayed true professionalism, knowledge of mountaineering, and were extremely friendly people. From the very beginning Steve informed us that their main priorities were 1.) safety, 2.) fun, and 3.) to summit. We managed to accomplish 1 and 2. Unfortunately the weather conditions beyond the red banks would not permit a summit attempt on our trip. Regardless, we all had a great time, met awesome people, and would absolutely recommend SMG for anyone looking for the ultimate guide experience on Shasta. read more

I finished a 4 day slow and steady climb in July 2012 with SMG. It was a great trip with awesome guides. The guides, Drew and Wilson were awesome! They knew their stuff, made sure we had a safe trip, were great leaders, and because of their hard work and motivation the entire group was able to summit from the West Face route. If you are thinking about climbing Mt. Shasta you should give Shasta Mountain Guides a call. read more

I attempted to climb this weekend with Shasta mountain guides. I climbed to red banks but had to come back because one other person in my group couldn't climb higher. There are few reasons that I gave them 3 stars. First they said they divid groups based on strength of climbers. But they divide it totally based on family members. I was doing solo climb so I was assigned to only other single person who was the slowest in our group. Second our guide was Lauren and she did nothing to encourage us to climb higher. As soon as the other guy said that he wants to go down, she said that she is going down with him without offering any alternatives to me. I wish I had Ryan (razor) or Michael. To summarize, I am extremely disappointed with the way they divided the groups. This was one in a lifetime opportunity for me. read more

Just got back from a 2 day climbing tour on Mount Shasta. Our guide Ryan Ghelfi of Mount Shasta Mountain Guides made it a terrific experience and we appreciated the thoughtful guidance and responsiveness of the company's owner and director, Chris Carr, ahead of the trip. As background, I have been hiking in the Alps since I could walk, with some climbing, but mostlyl hiking, and my girl friend and I climbed Mount Whitney and Half Dome without guides (but with good reading and preparation). Since I have been in the USA, 16 years, now, Shasta has attracted me greatly. This majestic mountain, standing all alone overlooking the Trinity Apls in the West, the Central Valley in the South and desert / valleys in the East and North seems to be calling for you. I started reading up and talking to climbers seriously two years ago and some have climbed alone, others with guides. I am glad I decided on going with a guide. It takes away a little from the experience (because you are not figuring it all out yourself), but it also added a great deal. I will recommend to anyone I talk to going with a guide. I found the company on Yelp. Chris Carr was great to answer questions ahead of time and the way I lined up the two day hike was perfect. You meet at a gear store for a gear check and you can buy or rent additional items - 5th seasons. In our group were 5 climbers and two guides, Justin and Ryan, our guide. Ryan was well-known all over the mountain, he was helpful to us and others and told us about his amazing hikes and trips and runs, which was very motivating. Awesome experience! read more

Shasta Mountain Guides - Ryan Ghelfir, our super helfpul, safe, motivating guide and extreme sports athlete - Tours Near Me - Mount Shasta, California

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I climbed Shasta (Avalanche Gulch) last year with a group of friends. I didn't summit. Many reasons why but perhaps guides would have helped. Who knows. I hadn't done anything like it before. This year I went again as a group of 8 (which included 3 dads and 3 teenage daughters). We all reached the summit. I think it was largely due to SMG. First, they were very organized in setting up the trip. Communication was clear, etc. Second, the guides were fantastic. We had Dane (lead guide) and Joe. They were kind, clear, expert and unflappable. Watching them move is an exercise in economical calmness. But when they needed to spring into action (like when I almost lost my crampon on a steep ascent), Joe was like a cat reaching me to help. We did the 4 day Hotlum Bolum Ridge. It was totally memorable. The guides and SMG were so integral to our success. Dane's team included the 3 17 year old girls and his firmness and calmness was essential to their success. In fact, they beat everyone to the summit. SMG comes with my highest recommendation. True professionals. I will always remember our guides and the experience with a smile. read more

Can't say enough good things about our guides and the trip to the summit of Shasta. Ryan, Andrew and Owen were outstanding in all aspects and would definitely recommend them for anyone considering a Shasta climb. They were knowledgeable, professional and accommodating. read more

Just back from a 3 day trip with SMG with 8 buddies. These guys are top notch. Skilled and friendly guides who struck a perfect balance between safety and summitting. The owner, Chris Carr, loves what he does and was on the mountain with us for parts of the climb. He's doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing - clearly loves the mountain and his company and his clients. We'll be back for more climbs, more good food, and another humbling experience with great folks! read more

I cannot say enough AMAZING things about Shasta Mountain Guides. When I was trying to plan a way to conquer this dream of mine to summit Mt. Shasta there were two things that were paramount when deciding who to go with- Safety and Honest Communication. Fun was going to be had no matter what so long as you have a good idea of what you're getting into and remain flexible and fluid (mother nature does her own thing and we play by her rules!) SMG has an incredible reputation and let me tell you- they blew my expectations out of this world. The owner, Chris, cares deeply about his guides, his clients and the mountain itself. He hiked up the mountain to drop off emergency equipment needed and kept climbers safe the entire trip by keeping eyes and ears on the groups. My guides, Dave, Mikey and Bill were the absolute dream team. The guys seriously deserve trophies. They were heros up there. They were honest. kind, extremely knowledgeable and so patient with each and every one of us. And they make delicious mountain meals! I cannot tell you how grateful I am for those guys and you and expect the same thing from SMG too! Don't waste your time looking anywhere else to get up to the summit of Mt. Shasta- SMG is the way to go. They keep you safe, they keep you happy and having fun and will do everything in their power to get you up to the summit! read more

Fantastic guides for a fantastic 3 day climb up the north side of the mountain! We had 8 people and 3 guides. Greg, Katy and Seth were top notch. They provided great support from our first meeting at the shop up to camp, great meals, coaching and encouragement all of the way to the summit and back. If you are looking to climb Mt. Shasta, go with Shasta Mt. Guides. read more

I recently returned from hiking Shasta (at least attempting) with a large group of guys. When we arrived we were immediately greeted, welcomed, and setup for the 2 day hike. Climb to camp, camp to summit. This was one of the best experiences I have had in my life. It pushed me, and it was flat out hard as hell. I'm a slow hiker and always have been, but the these guides seriously kept me going, kept me safe, and kept it fun! My hats off to Eric, and Chris! I didn't summit, my physical conditioning just wasn't good enough and I dropped 15lbs prior to arriving. However, I never would have gotten to where I did without these guys. If you are considering hiking this mountain and really want to summit.. Go with Shasta Mountain Guides. Listen to their tips and tricks for breathing, keeping a good pace, and no shortage of good jokes. Top notch operation! read more

We had a very positive experience with these guides. Our guide Jacob Swartz was a gem. He was always calm, consistent with his pace, organized, thoughtful, considerate, knowledgeable, and extremely patient. We felt that Shasta Mountain Guides was very organized by providing a general guideline for the climb before the trip and then on the day of the trip going through a checklist to ensure that we had everything in order. They are timely and efficient. We felt safe and secure climbing the mountain with these guys. Thank you Shasta Mountain Guides for an amazing experience. read more