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On May 14th NASTC will embark on it’s annual climb up Mt. Shasta.  This is a three day expedition style climb.  The first day is a hike to basecamp and the remainder of the afternoon is spent setting up camp and learning basic mountaineering techniques & skills.  The second day is mainly an acclimatization day, we do a couple of short climbs & descents (on skis) and practice the mountaineering skills that we learned the previous afternoon.  The final day is the push to the summit.  The goal is to reach the summit before noon so that the snow is in prime condition for the ski down.  The ski down is about 6,000ft back to basecamp.  The skiing is not very technical but it is in off-piste conditions.  This is a great way to break into ski mountaineering if you’re curious, or if you are already into it, this is a good climb and a great accomplishment on your way to summitting Denali.