Quite often I hear descriptions of climbing Mt. Shasta as being a “non-technical” mountaineering objective. This could not be further from the truth. Depending upon the time of year, every route on Mt Shasta can have snow, ice, and steep terrain which demand technical mountaineering skills. Among the most essential skills are knowing how to properly use an ice axe and crampons. These tools are not just cool looking accessories you carry on your pack; they are your lifeline when conditions turn firm, slick, or unforgiving.
Learning to use an ice axe starts with understanding its primary roles of balance, stability, and self-arrest. All mountaineering objectives, including Avalanche Gulch on Mt Shasta, require climbers to ascend early in the morning when the snow is hard. Depending upon where you are camped, these alpine starts can be as early as 12am! Under these conditions, your axe acts as a third point of contact, helping you maintain rhythm, security, and most importantly, if you slip, self-arrest. Self-arrest is the technique of driving the pick into the slope while positioning your body in the correct position on top of the axe to stop a dangerous fall. The kind of muscle memory you need to accomplish this only comes from practice, ideally on a safe slope before your climb.
Crampons are the other tool that you must learn to use if you are going to be successful on
mountaineering objectives such as Mt Shasta. I would argue that use of crampons is essential and even more important than use of the ice axe. Once you are adept at using crampons your risk of falling go down dramatically. Crampons transform your boots into precision tools, but walking in them is never as simple as it looks. It requires a deliberate, slightly wider stance to avoid catching spikes on your clothing or tripping yourself. Techniques like the French technique, duck walk, and front-pointing become crucial as the angle steepens. On Mt. Shasta, you will need to use a mix of these, depending on the route and conditions.
Most first-time climbers underestimate how much these skills affect their efficiency but believe me – efficiency is key to having a successful summit. Moving confidently with crampons and an ice axe conserves energy, which matters enormously at altitude. Every unnecessary slip or awkward step drains reserves that you will need later for the summit push.
The use of the ice axe and crampons are foundational mountaineering skills and in my opinion are NOT optional. While you can get a basic idea of how to use these tools online or in books, the best way to learn these skills is to take a mountaineering course. Here, at SWS Mountain Guides, we offer very practical, one day clinics which are 5-7 hours in length where we go through ice axe and crampon techniques you need to know to be successful in the mountains. You can then take what you learned and go and practice on your own on smaller peaks and build familiarity before you attempt to climb high on Shasta’s flanks.
The mountains reward those who are prepared and when the snow is firm and the slope steepens, you will be glad your tools feel like extensions of your body rather than unfamiliar pieces of gear clipped to your pack. Happy climbing!!
Written By David Cressman