Climbing
Buy Your Permits!
PERMITS FOR APRIL- OCTOBER 31 2012 SEASON GO ON SALE FEBRUARY 1 at 9:00AM Click on the “buy now” button below to purchase after Feb. 1st.
Permits through Mar. 31, 2012 are available at no cost at the Lone Fir Resort, telephone number (360) 238-5210.
Feel free to call our MSHI office at 360-449-7883, or the Climbing Rangers at 360-449-7839, or the Mount St. Helens Monument office at 360-449-7800.
CURRENT CONDITIONS ON MOUNT ST HELENS (UPDATED 1/18/2012)
The climbing route is snowy and icy. Please be prepared, and expect winter conditions from now until late spring. The Climber’s Bivouac is closed. The winter climbing route leaves from Marble Mountain Snow Park.
See the U.S. Forest Service Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument website for more information.
Don’t want to climb alone? Never climbed Mount St. Helens? Consider joining the Mount St. Helens Institute on a guided climb.
CLIMBING AN ACTIVE VOLCANO
At 8,328 feet high (as measured by USGS in 2009), Mount St. Helens offers climbers a breathtaking view from the crater rim. Although it is not a technical climb, it is strenuous and hazardous due to ice, large boulders, loose pumice, fast-changing weather and volcanism. Climbers should be in very good physical condition, well equipped, informed about volcanic hazards, and have plenty of water and food.
All climbers must register and obtain a climbing permit. Before climbing Mount St. Helens, please read climbing rules, road and trail conditions, and other important information from the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.
The Mount St. Helens Institute has partnered with the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument to help protect the volcano’s fragile features and to ensure climbers have a safe, low-impact experience on the volcano.
GUIDED CLIMBS
We have space on busy weekends. The Mount St. Helens Institute offers guided climbs led by qualified leaders or by geologists who enlighten climbers to the volcano’s dramatic past, recent eruptions, and ongoing volcanism. Read more about the Institute’s guided climbs. For those who desire a geology-focused climb, read more about the “Geology on High” climbs with a geologist.
REGISTRATION
You must register and have a permit to climb Mount St. Helens. Find out how to register.
PERMITS
Climbing permits are required year-round above 4,800 feet on Mount St. Helens, and fees vary depending on the season. Permits for 2012 will be available February 1, 2012 at 9 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. Find out how to obtain a permit.
EQUIPMENT
Mount St. Helens is not merely a mountain—it is an active volcano. You need to be prepared for extreme weather, possible ash fall, and other hazards. Read about how to prepare for your climb.
CLIMBER’S BIVOUAC
In the summer, climbers usually start their ascent in summer by camping the night before at Climber’s Bivouac. Read more about Climber’s Bivouac and its free Fireside Chats.
Questions? Email the Institute at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call us at (360) 449-7883.
