Mount Shuksan - Sulphide Glacier Route
CLIMB MOUNT SHUKSAN
Mt. Shuksan’s Sulphide Glacier route and summit pyramid. A Great climbing and skiing objective. Photo John Scurlock
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MT. Shuksan, 9131FT / 2783m
Named by native Salish tribes Mount Shuksan is 10th highest peak in the Cascades. Shuksan is one of the most photographed mountains in the world. This non-volcanic North Cascades Peak offers access to a wide span of glaciated and rock terrain for climbing. Begin your program in Skagit River Valley, hike through glacial valleys shrouded in cascades and onto the upper glacial plateau. On summit day cross the expansive Sulphide Glacier and scramble the rocky summit pyramid.
Details
Location: Mount Shuksan
Ratio: 3:1 climber to guide (max. 3 climbers)
Length: 3 days + 1/2 day travel and prep
Cost: $2247.00 per person - 1 Climber/1 Guide
$1347.00 per person - 2 Climbers/1 Guide
$1047.00 per person - 3 Climbers/1 Guide
Dates: May 18-21, 2024
July 25-28, 2024
Custom dates are available for this program by submitting a Private Booking Request or calling our office at (619)432-5462.
Itinerary
Prep Day - Travel to the Skagit Valley, WA. The team will start with a welcome meeting, run through a group gear-check and program orientation. We will get your pack to a comfortable weight and have time to answer any questions you may have.
Day 1 - Travel to the trailhead at 2,500’, deep in the sub-alpine old growth of North Cascades. The team then hikes on Forest Service trail systems to the North Cascades National Park Boundary above treeline. The group will turn the corner into a new vista and camp at the toe of the Sulphide Glacier; 3.2 Miles, +2,500’ Elevation Gain, 4 Hrs Travel Time, 35-45 lb Pack Weight
Day 2 - In the alpine air, training clinics will begin. Our guides will instruct the desired skills needed to climb a glacier to the summit. After the clinics the team will apply their new skills with a move to high camp; 1.5 Mile, +1,500’ Elevation Gain, 4 Hours Skills Session, with 2 Hours of Travel TIme.
Day 3 - Summit Day! Pre-dawn alpine start form High Camp ascending the glaciers to the Summit of 9131’ with light summit packs. The team will return to camp, pack up, followed by a full decent to the trailhead; 8.7 Miles, +3,100’ Elevation Gain, -6,900’ Elevation Loss, 12+ Hours Travel Time, 35-45 lb Pack Weight
Includes
Reserved Permit for Backcountry Sulphide Zone
All breakfasts and dinners on the mountain
Tents
Stoves and fuel
All group climbing equipment
Emergency communication
Excludes
Personal climbing and camping equipment
Lunches and snacks on the mountain
Transport to the Skagit Valley
Overnight accommodations on the first and last night of your trip
Activity Requirements
No previous mountaineering experience required
Moderate to strenuous trekking and climbing at elevations above 8,000’
Travel over moderate glacial terrain
Rock Scrambling in boots or crampons
Ability to carrying a heavy pack (35-to-40 lbs)
Overnight camping in tents
north cascades national park
This is our happy place. At more than 500,000 acres, the North Cascades National Park consists of a lifetime of Alpine Mountaineering and Alpine Rock Climbing. 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 climbing 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.
Johannesburg Mountain in the background during an ascent of the Torment-Forbidden-Traverse Photo: Mark Allen
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