Ski Summit of Mount Shuksan
Ski Summit of Mount Shuksan
Mount Shuksan is a skiers mountain. Photo John Scurlock
overview
The Ski Summit of Mount Shuksan program is designed for experienced and fit backcountry skiers and snowboarders who are ready to ski and ride the volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest. This program lightly touches on the skills needed to enter the world of ski mountaineering while focusing on skiing one of the iconic mountains of the North Cascades.
To keep the focus on skiing and depending on conditions your team may forgo the rocky summit pinnacle for a long ski tour of the glacial plateau during this trip. If you or your group are totally stoked to give this wintery, mixed climbing summit a shot, Contact Us for a custom program.
Details
Location: Mount Shuksan
Ratio: 3:1 climber to guide (max. 6 participants)
Length: 2.5 days
Cost: $850.00 per person
Dates: May 25-27, 2024
Custom dates are also available - Contact Us
Itinerary
Day 1 - Participants will meet their guides in the late afternoon at a campground near the trailhead. Here we will perform a gear check and go over the plan for the next couple of days.
Day 2 - After traveling to the Mount Shuksan trailhead. We will will approach our objective via the South side of Mount Shuksan. Once our winter high camp is established, instructors will introduce rope-work fundamentals for ski mountaineering as well as the skills and equipment needed to ascend glaciated slopes on touring equipment.
Day 3 - Summit Day! Rolling start from High Camp ascending the glaciers to the summit with light summit packs. We will ski our brains out on the wide open spaces of Shuksan’s Glaciers. The team will return to camp, pack up, followed by a full decent to the trailhead.
Includes
All breakfasts and dinners on the mountain
All group camping equipment (Tents, Stoves, Fuel)
All group climbing equipment
Guide guaranteed to be working with in their Scope of Practice
Emergency communication
Excludes
Personal climbing equipment
Personal clothing and camping equipment
Transceivers, shovels, probes
Touring equipment
Dinner on Day 1 and Breakfast on Day 2
Lunches and snacks
Transportation to and from the meeting location
PREREQUISITE EXPERIENCE OR SKILLS
Participants should be able to comfortably link turns and enjoy black diamond to double-black runs in various conditions including heavy powder, icy slopes, and wind crusts. Skiers and riders should be comfortable spending all day outdoors engaged in moderate to intensive cardiovascular activity including 3,500-5,000 vertical feet of ascent in a day at elevation.
Ability to carrying and ski with a heavy pack (35-to-45 lbs)
Participants will be traveling in avalanche terrain and must have taken an AIARE Rescue Course or have equivalent formal training with avalanche equipment (transceivers, probes, shovels) and its use.
The Mountain Bureau suggests that participants have a minimum of 10 backcountry tours with significant elevation gain as well as winter camping experience prior to participating in this trip.
Activity Resources
Making turn on the Sulphide Glacier - Mark Allen
north cascades national park
Mount Shuksan is located at the northern end of North Cascades National Park. At more than 500,000 acres, the North Cascades National Park consists of a lifetime of Alpine Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, and Skiing. The mountains feature steep rugged glacially sculpted rocky mountain peaks with the most expansive glacial system in the contiguous United States. This offers an attractive venue with significant relief and majestic views. The glaciers in route to your objective are watershed to major spillways feeding the highest degree of flora biodiversity of any American national park. This area is incredibly scenic and therefor very popular. Access to large portions of North Cascades National Park are limited and it is difficult in peak season to acquire access to popular climbs. The Mountain Bureau secures backcountry permit reservations with the National Park Service for all of our scheduled climbs so you don’t have to worry about access.
Mount Shuksan in Winter conditions as viewed from the South.
All scheduled programs can also be booked with custom dates and itineraries. Please see our Custom Guiding pages for more information or Contact Us for a custom program.
All programs are subject to the Mountain Bureau LLC Terms & Conditions