Shasta Mountain Guides

I can’t heap enough praise on the SMG team. They are wonderful people with a deep connection to Shasta and have earned my respect/​admiration. I had the pleasure of climbing the north side with Eric & Joe… and would climb with them again, without hesitation

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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 Unilocal.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 — 5^th 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!

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.

Dial it in. Professional guides and safe.