Mount Shasta

Shasta rises 4,322 metres and, because there is nothing near it of comparable height, it stands about three thousand metres above the surrounding country - which is why it is visible from a very long way and why it dominates so completely. It is a potentially active stratovolcano with seven named glaciers; Whitney Glacier is the longest in California and Hotlum the largest by volume. Climbing to the summit is a serious undertaking requiring ice axe and crampons on the standard Avalanche Gulch route, with a permit and a human waste pack-out kit. Lenticular clouds form over the summit regularly. The mountain has attracted spiritual and esoteric claims since the 1880s, including a belief in a hidden city, and the town reflects that.

The landscape

• A volcano rising three thousand metres above its surroundings - visible for a long way.
• Seven glaciers - including the longest and the largest in California.
• Lenticular clouds - forming over the summit regularly.
• A long esoteric tradition - reflected in the town below.

When to go

June to September for climbing; the mountain is visible year round. A full day, or two for the summit.

Good to know

The summit is a genuine mountaineering climb with rockfall and altitude, not a hike - people die on it. Permits and waste kits are required above 3,000 metres. Weather changes fast. Winter road access is limited.

Nearby

Castle Crags is south; Lassen Volcanic is south-east.

Key facts