is Avalanche Gulch route, which begins at the Bunny Flat Trailhead and gains about of elevation in a round trip of approximately . The crux of this route is considered to be to climb from Lake Helen, at approximately , to the top of Red Banks. The Red Banks are the most technical portion of the climb, as they are usually full of snow and ice, are very steep, and top out at around before the route heads to Misery Hill. The Casaval Ridge route is a steeper, more technical route on the mountain's southwest ridge best climbed when there is a lot of snow pack. This route tops out to the left (north) of the Red Banks, directly west of Misery Hill. So the final sections involve a trudge up Misery Hill to the summit plateau, similar to the Avalanche Gulch route. No quota system currently exists for climbing Mount Shasta, and reservations are not required. However, climbers must obtain a summit pass and a wilderness permit to climb the mountain. Permits and passes are available at the ranger station in Mount Shasta and the ranger station in McCloud, or climbers can obtain self-issue permits and passes at any of the trailheads 24 hours a day. Climbing Mount Shasta can be done in one day; however, it is often completed in two days. Climbers can ascend from Avalanche Gulch and camp at either Horse Camp (elev. ) or Helen Lake (elev. ). Camping at a higher altitude also helps with acclimatization and often reduces the risk of altitude sickness. See also List of mountain peaks of California List of California fourteeners List of highest points in California by county List of Ultras of the United States List of volcanoes in the United States Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway Notes References Sources Lamson, Berenice (1984). "Mount Shasta : a regional history". University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations: 140. External links Cascade Volcanoes Fourteeners of California Mountains of Northern California Mountains of Siskiyou County, California National Natural Landmarks in California Mount Shasta Mount Shasta Potentially active volcanoes Protected areas of Siskiyou County, California Mount Shasta Sacred mountains Shasta-Trinity National Forest Stratovolcanoes of the United States Subduction volcanoes Tourist attractions in Siskiyou County, California Volcanoes of Siskiyou County, California Shastan languages Locations in Native American mythology