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California Mountain Guides Blog

Recent Blog Posts

Your Winter Is Being Decided Right Now

Caleb brings an honest look at the most overlooked month in avalanche safety: October. There’s no snow on the ground, but the weak layers that will matter in February are forming right now — in the snowpack, and in us.

A good headlamp is a critical piece of safety equipment.

A reliable headlamp allows a person to navigate, manage ropes, assess terrain, and respond to problems when daylight is gone. On alpine climbs, we start hours before sunrise, and delays, changing weather, or an emergency can easily extend the descent into darkness....

Sea Level to 14,000 Feet: How to Acclimatize for California’s Highest Peaks

Climbing California 14ers like Mount Shasta (14,179 ft) or Mount Whitney (14,505 ft) is a bucket-list achievement. However, for climbers living near sea level—whether in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, or elsewhere in the country—the compressed 2- to 3-day itinerary...

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Is Clear Creek Dangerous?

Is Clear Creek Dangerous?

With the recent accidents on Mt. Shasta's Clear Creek route, I've been thinking a lot about what may have contributed to them. I’ve guided people up that route more times than I can count anymore, and I can tell you firsthand, it’s not the casual stroll some expect....

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Welcome to the SWS / California Mountain Guides Blog

Welcome to the SWS / California Mountain Guides Blog

We’re excited to launch this space as a place to share stories, knowledge, and updates from the mountains we love. This blog isn’t about politics or noise—it’s about climbing, skiing, and mountaineering. Our goal here is simple: to highlight important topics that...

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