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888.797.6867mail@swsmtns.com210 East Lake St., Mount Shasta, California 96067

SWS Mountain Guides

Professional Guides since 1981

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General Expedition Information
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Avalanche Information

National Avalanche Center
Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center
Mt. Shasta Avalanche Center
Friends of the Mt. Shasta Avalanche Center

Mountain Shops & Organizations

Wilson Eastside Sports, Bishop, California
Elevations, Lone Pine, California
Fifth Season, Mt. Shasta, California
Shasta Basecamp, Mt. Shasta, California

Recommended Organizations:

American Alpine Club
American Avalanche Association
Wilderness Medical Association
Leave No Trace
Access Fund
Shasta/Trinity National Forest – Mt. Shasta
Inyo National Forest – Mt. Whitney / Eastern Sierra

SWS Offices & Course Venue Maps

SWS Mountain Guides Shasta Office Map
SWS Mountain Guides Lone Pine Office Map
California Rock & Ski Guides Bear Valley Office Map

Mountain Weather

Mt. Shasta Weather Information
Mt. Whitney Weather Information
International Weather Information by Mountain / Range

Lodging & Transportation

Mt. Whitney / Eastern Sierra Nevada Transportation:
Recommend Airports:
Las Vegas, Nevada / LAS – 223 miles from Lone Pine, CA.
Mammoth Lakes, California Airport / MMH – 92.5 miles from Lone Pine, CA.

Ground Transportation Eastern Sierra / Mt. Whitney:
Eastern Sierra Public Transportation
Eastern Sierra Shuttle Services

Mt. Shasta / Southern Cascades Transportation:
Recommended Airports:
Sacramento California / SMF, – 212 miles from Mt. Shasta
Redding, California Airport / RDD – 50 miles from Mt. Shasta
Medford, Oregon / MFR -90 miles from Mt. Shasta

AMTRAK Train Transportation to Dunsmuir, California
www.amtrak.com

Ground Transportation Mt. Shasta Area:
Mt. Shasta Shuttle Services

Eastern Sierra Nevada Lodging Information:
Mt.Whitney Hostel Lone Pine, California- Mt. Whitney Climbs
Murphey’s Motel, Lee Vining, Calfornia – Ice Climbing
Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce
Bishop Visitor Center
Mammoth Lakes Visitor Center

Mt. Shasta Lodging Information:
SWS Mountain Guides Bunk House
Mt. Shasta Chamber of Commerce

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SWS Mountain Guides Testimonials

“Thanks for a great trip. Tyler and Lonnie were excellent. All in all this was an excellent experience.” “We made it down, had a great time, and will definitely be looking to go on another trip with your company” — Mt. Whitney Mountaineer’s Route — July 2018

Ray – Herndon, Virginia

“JB is the Man” He stayed positive during a challenging to nonexistent snowpack in Bear Valley, I’ve already recommended JB and SWS Mountain Guides to many of my friends interested in Avalanche Education — Avalanche Level 1 Bear Valley, CA — January 2018 —

Nate – Bear Valley, California

“I had a really amazing time, Kique and Matt are excellent guides” “I learned a ton and will definitely be signing up for another trip in the future” –Basic Techincal Ice Climbing – Lee Vinning, CA. — January 2018 —

Daniel – Mountain View, California

“This trip was nothing short of EXCELLENT, it was one of the best mountaineering trips I’ve been on…and not just because we had success on the volcanoes! The trip was perfectly orchestrated to maximize our acclimatization process in such a short period of time. The guiding was superb…everything was explained, organized and conducted brilliantly”– Mexico Volcanoes Expedition — November 2018 —

Alix – Los Angeles, California

“I just wanted to say that I was very impressed with our guide Tim He has the perfect personality and knowledge to set the group at ease. Well done to your crew!” — Mount Whitney Ascent — August 2017

Rick – San Ramon, California

“Tim and Tyler were great guides. Tough climb great experience!” — Mt. Shasta Summit Ascent — May 2016 —

Jake – Columbus, Ohio

“I had an absolutely phenomenal experience. Neil was amazing – layering in educational and safety tips throughout the trip, along with much-needed humor. Can’t wait to work with SWS Mountain guides again, and hopefully find myself on another Neil climb. Thanks for an amazing experience!” — Mt. Whitney Mountaineer’s Route — July 2016 —

Scott – Minnesota

Everything went smoothly, our guide made sure we were prepared for all elements and was a very good teacher. Kique had a great personality and the group got to know each other really quickly. It was nice to have a guide that really pushed each individual to better their skills and keep challenging ourselves in a fun and safe environment.Thanks SWS! Great weekend! — Sierra Nevada Technical Ice Climbing Lee Vining Canyon — February 2017 —

Sabrina – Incline Village, Nevada

“Just wanted to let you know again how great my climb and overall experience was with Richard! He was very professional, from the time he first contacted me to the time we said our goodbyes at the end. I would not hesitate to climb with him again.” — Mt. Shasta Summit Ascent via Clear Creek – September 2016 —

Karen – San Antonio, Texas

“Hands down the best trip up Shasta I have done. Tyler was so knowledgable — I picked his brain the whole time and learned so much. Never felt rushed and everything was well organized. Definitely, will consider SWS for future trips.” — Mt. Shasta Ascent via Hotlum Bolum Ridge — Sept 2016 —

Samuel – Santa Cruz, California

“Loved the custom trip to Mt Haeckel with our guide Tim Mincey. 3rd or 4th trip with him. Great service by this company as always” — Custom Eastern Sierra Climb — May 2017 —

Albert – Richardson, Texas

“Thanks for getting us to the top, Tim M. A trip I will never forget.” — Mt. Shasta Summit Ascent — June 2017 —

Scott – Lakewood, Colorado

“We had a great day with Alex teaching us how to climb and self arrest properly. He definitely built our confidence and allowed us to have a safe climb yesterday. We summited in a day as we planned, beautiful mountain and great trip! Please let him know we made it, he was both professional and a lot of fun to be with. We would travel with SWS and Alex again!” — Mt. Shasta Ice Ax Clinc — June 2017 —

Mike – Kennesaw, Georgia

“Thanks for the great adventure! Guides had a lot of useful information on mountaineering which was great.” — Mt. Shasta Summer Ascent — July 2017 —

Joei – Sacramento, Califorina

“I had a great time! Neil was great at accommodating a varied itinerary and strategy for each of the days we were out. Also, his backcountry cooking skills are top notch. I’ll be coming back again to continue my mountaineering education with SWS when the time comes. Many thanks for a great experience!” — Sierra Nevada, Palisade Mountain Camp I – June 2017 —

Joel – Louisville, Kentucky

“Expedition was great. Scott and Richard were incredibly prepared and helpful and they always answered all the doubts we had.
I learned a lot and pinned down some points that had forgotten it.
Definitely SWS mountain guides is a must recommend.” — Mt. Shasta Ice and Snow Expedition Course — June 2017 —

Ubal – San Mateo, California

“Thanks! Had a spectacular clinic session this weekend that prepped us perfectly our climb up Mt Shasta”– Mt. Shasta Summer Ascent July 2017 —

Jon – San Francisco, California

“We had a great trip and all 3 guides (JB, Neil, and Matt) were awesome to work with! Thanks for a great trip!” — Mt. Whitney Mountaineer’s Route – 2017–

Jonathan – Marshall, Virgina

“I had an incredible time on my Mt. Whitney hike with JB, Neil and Matt. They put safety as a priority and made me feel secure at all times. Their knowledge and ability also made for an amazing adventure. I appreciate the focus and energy they gave to the trip.” — Mt. Whitney Mountaineer’s Route July 2017 —

Frank – Catharpin, Virgina

“We had a great trip. Richard made sure we were able to summit safely and learn everything we needed to enjoy our time on the mountain. This was a truly unique experience we will always remember. We would definitely recommend SWS for any Shasta climbs.” — Mt. Shasta Summer Summit Ascent 2017–

Robert – Atlanta, Georgia

Tim Peterson and Matt Meyer were great guides! I appreciated Tim’s extensive experience and his calm, yet straight-forward demeanor, and found his guidance to be encouraging and easy to follow. All in all, our group had a great time. Thank you for your great service!” — Mt. Shasta Summit Ascent 2017 —

Carolyn – San Francisco, California

“Sure, happy for you to share. We had a blast.” — Ice Ax Clinic Mt. Shasta 2017 —

Lisa – Oakland, California

“I had a great time on the summit hike with Alex. Attached is the
picture that I really wanted to get on top of Mt. Shasta (and feel free
to share it, just please credit me as well) But hopefully soon I can do a companion photo drinking a
Rainier on top of Mt. Rainier.” — Mt. Shasta Summit Climb 2017 —

Bennett – Bellevue Washington

“We had a fantastic time and Tim M. our guide was extraordinary!” — Mt. Whitney Summer Ascent —

Wendle – San Luis Obispo

SWS Mountain Guides Offices

Main Office & SWS Shasta Bunk House
210 East Lake St., Mount Shasta, California 96067

Bear Valley Office:
3 Bear Valley Rd, Bear Valley, California 95223

Lone Pine Office:
120 South Main St., Suite 1.5, Lone Pine, California 93545

Reservations & Information: 888.797.6867

Email: mail@swsmtns.com

SWS Mountain Guides Commercial Permits

Sierra Wilderness Seminars Inc. dba SWS Mountain Guides, dba California Ski Guides dba California Rock Guides operates under Special Use Permits & Commercial Use Authorizations in the following public lands: Inyo National Forest / Shasta-Trinity National Forest / Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest / Eldorado National Forest / Stanislaus National Forest / Lassen National Park / Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks / Pinnacles National Park / Alabama Hills Recreational Area / Others were appropriate

Essential Eligibility Criteria

To participate in SWS Mountain Guides Climbs, Courses and Clinics you must be able to walk, hike, climb or ski over uneven natural terrain while carrying a pack. Read More Here

Federal Legal Policy

“In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information is also available in languages other than English.
To file a complaint alleging discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provided in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by (a) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (b) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (c) email:program.intake@usda.gov.” “USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.”

SWS Mountain Guides Main Office - 210 East Lake St., Mount Shasta, California 96067

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