Mt. Shuksan North Face Climb

GALLERY

DETAILS

Join Us on 3 Days Climb of North Face of Mt. Shuksan

Mount Shuksan is often considered the most photogenic mountain in the Cascades, and the North Face of Mount Shuksan has got to be the most aesthetic route. This route not only includes climbing the classic Fischer Chimneys, but also climbs steep snow and ice on the remote North Face, circumnavigates the summit pyramid, and ascends the Southeast Ridge on solid rock to the summit. For those interested in modifying the itinerary it is also possible to climb the North Face and then ascend to the summit via the seldom done Northeast Ridge, which requires additional ice climbing and complex alpine rock climbing. Or a complete traverse of the mountain may be done using a car shuttle, by ascending the North Face and descending the Sulfide Glacier Route. All said-and-done this route is one of the most complex, challenging, and beautiful lines in the Cascades. A must-do for any developing alpine climber with the requisite skills, stamina, and experience.

This route is generally done as a carry-over, which requires participants to carry light-weight overnight packs up technical portions of the route. Participants must train well to be prepared for this Mt Shuksan North Face climb, and think critically about what gear is necessary and what can be left behind

Difficulty in Mount Shuksan North Face Climb:

5.7 rock climbing in mountain boots
Steep snow or ice up to 55 degrees
Short sections of ice up to 80 degrees
Short sections of mixed climbing (rock climbing in crampons)
Climbing with a light-weight overnight pack
Grade IV

Prerequisites for Mt Shuksan North Face Climb:

Previous multi-day backpacking experience
Previous glacier travel and crevasse rescue experience. This can be gained on our Mountaineering Skills Course.
Previous multipitch rock climbing experience, preferably in an alpine setting. This can be gained on our Alpine Rock Climbing Course..
Excellent physical fitness. This trip involves long days on-the-move in the mountains while carrying a pack weighing around 30 to 35lbs. This pack will be carried while climbing rock, ice, and snow. Most participants will need to train specifically for this objective. Take a look at our Alpine Climbing Training Program for a training plan that will help you achieve this goal.

Duration

3 Days 2 Nights Camping

Gear check

Required

Passport

Not needed for US citizens

Minimum Age

16 years old

Activity

Alpine Rock & Ice Climbing

Accommodation

Tents

PRICE BASIS

PRICE INCLUDES

Fuel, Pots, and Stoves
Tents
Group climbing equipment
Guide Services

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

Transportation
Parking or entry fees (when applicable)
Food or drinks
Accommodation before or after the course
Personal clothing
Personal climbing equipment (rentals available)
Gratuities for guides

ITINERARY

Day 1 :

The first day we depart the Seattle Area at 5am, arriving at the Lake Anne Trailhead around 8am. We then hike past Lake Anne and head up the Fischer Chimneys. The going becomes slower here, as the trail is steep and there is 4th-class climbing along the route. We reach a campsite beneath Winnie’s Slide in the late afternoon. Depending on the itinerary we either stay here or continue down the White Salmon Glacier to a remote glacial valley on the north side of Mount Shuksan, then circle around to a bivi site beneath the North Face. This is a long and difficult day, but the incredible views and terrain make the day go quickly.

Day 2

We wake early this day, and depart camp about 30min before sunrise when it is just light enough to see. We ascend the North Face on steep snow and occasional ice, navigating around or over crevasses where present. Higher we encounter a short section of mixed climbing through a rock band. Above this we continue on steep snow and low angle ice, navigating around more crevasses until we reach the lower angle Hanging Glacier. We then continue up and over a glaciated pass between the summit of Mount Shuksan and Nooksack Tower before traversing down and around the summit pyramid to a snow and ice covered ridge. We ascend this- usually by ice climbing several ice ramp systems- to reach the plateau on the Sulfide Glacier above. Finally we reach the Southeast Ridge, and climb six pitches of solid rock to the summit before descending the central gulley back to the Sulfide Glacier. We descend the Sulfide to Hell's Highway at the top of the Fischer Chimneys route, then descend this (rappelling often required) to camp at Winnie’s Slide. This is another big day, with an immense amount of terrain, route finding, and technical climbing.

Day 3 :

Today we have the opportunity to sleep-in a bit. We then pack-up camp and begin the descent of the Fischer Chimneys route, stopping for a break at Lake Anne. Four more miles of walking brings us back to our cars at the trailhead, just in time for a celebratory dinner en route back home.

FAQs

General FAQ's

Testimonials

I was part of a group that summitted Mt. Baker in early August this year. Overall, it was a great experience. I went into it not knowing what to expect from a guided climb (my past few had been unguided) and was pleasantly surprised. I was concerned that I'd be bored, but was happy to find that they did a great job juggling our group's varying skill levels, and I walked away feeling like I had learned and progressed as a climber. Ben and Anthony are both very knowledgeable (you can always learn from guides, it just depends how much time they have to teach!) and I found myself getting a bunch of new experiences even just in the 24 hours that we climbed. I was also impressed by their abilities to read us and judge when clients needed encouraging or advice. They did a great job managing us, and I remember the moment that my attitude turned from "this isn't going to happen but it's still experience" to "holy crap, we have a shot!" After toughing it out through some rain, blustering winds, and low visibility, the skies cleared up and we had our chance. Thanks to Ben and Anthony for the positive attitudes and guidance that weekend! I'd definitely join them again in the future.
Eve Jakubowski
What an awesome experience to go on climbing Mt. Rainier with Miyar Adventures. Sandeep and his team of guides ( Kirk, Alexis, Joe, Ben, Chris, Jasmin ) did an awesome job to lead the multiple rope teams trough snow skill preparations and guiding through safely on glacier journey. The amount of efforts put into multi-month preparation, pre-trip meetings, accessibility to gears for rent and attention to details with food/weight/personal gears were all instrumental in almost all of us (in a group of 24) able to summit Mt. Rainier and have wonderful memories. We knew we were in best company and safe hands with prior experience with Miyar Adventures led climb to Mt. Baker and few other preparation trips. And guides calibrated their approach from novice climbers to experienced climbers to push enough to have an enjoyable experience. I highly recommend to go with Miyar Adventures on amazing trips they have lined up around the Puget Sound Area and internationally.
Harshit Shah
This was my first time technical/glacier climb under great guides assistance & summited Mt. Baker & can't wait for more to come, see you soon ;)
Zuzana Svitek
If you are interested in doing any climbing or hiking but need a guide , I highly recommend Miyar Adventures...Sandeep is a wonderful person and you will actually learn (and practice ) climbing and crevasse rescue techniques in addition to the trip/climb ...it is definitely beyond a just a "get you to the summit" experience. He genuinely cares and brings in other excellent guides for bigger groups. My husband and I recently successfully made it to the summit of Mount Baker with Sandeep, two other guides and a group of friends and we had a fantastic experience. He and the guides he works with are very knowledgeable so I had confidence in their abilities to lead us but they are also very friendly and fun so that overall trip was enjoyable. I will definitely climb with Miyar Adventures again!
Monica Henry
I've climbed Rainier and Baker (+several other training hikes) with Sandeep and other guides from Miyar Adventures. The climbs were made super fun, safe, and informational. With Sandeep's detailed prior planning, extensive know-how of the mountaineering practices, and long climbing experience, you know the climb is going to be safe with great chances of summit. Before all big climbs, Sandeep does an indoor session to discuss the itinerary and answer any concerns. You'll definitely learn a lot whenever you spend time with Sandeep. He has expertise in all forms of climbing: mountaineering, rock and ice. So it also makes it easy to try other activities because you already know the guide well. I've taken instructions from few other guides as well and I wouldn't doubt to state that Sandeep is the best guide I've climbed with! He'll keep you motivated and answer your questions with patience. He'd have fun stories to tell from his rescue ops, first ascents, or other hard climbs. He is ready to make adjustments based on the preferences of the group which is a key in making the trip not only successful but also enjoyable. I can't recommend Miyar Adventures enough! Give them a try and you'll be glad you did.
Prateek Sharma