CONQUERING MT. SHASTA SMALL GROUP OF HIKERS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY SCALE THIS TALL MOUNTAIN.

Byline: BILL BECHER

MT. SHASTA - The light from our headlamps glinted off the snow. Behind us, the dawn streaked orange across the horizon. Straight ahead, pointing toward the stars, was our objective - the 14,161-foot summit of Mt. Shasta.

This all started with a packet in the mail from REI Adventures, the travel side of the large outdoor equipment cooperative. Climbing Shasta is one of the most difficult trips in their catalog of exotic adventures.

The company sent detailed information about the climb and a gear list. Included was a section on conditioning - a suggested four- to six-month program of hiking with a backpack, running, cycling and stair climbing to get in shape.

When I first saw Mt. Shasta floating, Fuji-like, above the forest from 80 miles away I wondered if my preparation would be up to the challenge.

Mt. Shasta is what mountains are supposed to look like: solitary and capped with dazzling white snowfields and glaciers. With a base-to-summit rise of more than 11,000 feet, it's a far more imposing sight than Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain in the lower 48 states.

A dormant volcano, Mt. Shasta is the second-highest peak in the Cascade Range. We get a clinic on snow travel because we'll be climbing in it in full gear, helmet, ice ax, crampons, rope and harness.

The odds of making the summit of Shasta are against you.

Only about one-third of those who attempt the climb actually reach Shasta's wind-swept peak. By going with expert guides, you can double your chances of success.

With group gear, our backpacks on the 5-hour hike from the trailhead to base camp at 9,800 feet weighed about 50 pounds. A long slog, but we were all in high spirits, anticipating the adventure ahead.

After hiking in, we spent the next day learning mountaineering skills: how to climb and descend snowfields and how to use an ice ax, crampons and ropes.

We practiced self-arrest - plunging the tip of an ax into the snow to stop a fall. Glissading - a fancy word for sliding down the mountain on your rear end - was fun.

Our group of mostly novice climbers included four men and two women - a computer engineer, a management consultant, a real estate broker, a purchasing manager and a software company executive. Three had been on previous REI Adventure trips, and all were looking forward to the challenge of summit day.

There were few people on the north side of the mountain. We were taking a route called the Hotlum-Bolum because it goes between two glaciers of the same name. Most first-time climbers use the Avalanche Gulch route on the other side of Mt. Shasta, but it's a crowded ``trade route'' according to our guides.

We learned the ``rest step.'' The idea is to pause with leg extended so that your skeleton, not your leg muscles, support you for a second or two. We looked like bouquet-carrying brides stutter-stepping down the aisle, but after hours of climbing ,every bit of rest helps. We also learned pressure breathing - forcefully exhaling to clear our lungs of carbon dioxide.

High altitude can cause headaches, nausea and more serious problems, which is why we spent two nights getting acclimated at our base camp. Because Shasta seems to attract bad weather like a red Porsche attracts speeding tickets, we have an extra day in case we have to postpone our attempt. After the summit climb .we can use the extra day to practice more glacier travel skills before heading back to town and an included night at a local hotel and group dinner.

Summit morning was clear and cold when our guides rousted us out of our tents at 3 a.m.

We started early because it's easier to climb on snow firmed by freezing overnight temperatures and because it will be a very long day. Donning warm clothing, we ate breakfast and left base camp. We wouldn't be back until 5 in the evening.

At the first snowfield, we kicked the points of our crampons into the hard snow, paused, took a deep breath and repeated the process. This is how you climb a mountain - one rest step at a time.

Resting and blowing,we made it slowly up the steep mountainside. As the sun got higher. we put on dark glacier glasses to protect against the dazzling whiteness of the snow. One of the women was having trouble with her crampons and decided she wouldn't make it today. The two women descended with one of our guides.

At ``Rope Up Rock,'' we tied into a rope for protection on the rest of the climb.

Ben Billings, our lead guide, is like a drill sergeant on the climb. No stopping except once an hour. Another climber was feeling the altitude but bit the bullet and kept going until we came to a rocky plateau. He waited while our group, down to three climbers and one guide, continued on toward the summit.

As the sun softened the snow, the ice underneath made the footing treacherous, even with crampons. We used our new self-arrest skills more than once.

Near the summit, snow and glaciers gave way to barren rock. We picked our way up a steep trail.

A few hundred feet below the summit, fumaroles exhaled a sulphurous stench. In 1875, naturalist and explorer John Muir and a companion survived an icy snowstorm on Shasta by warming themselves in the hot mud here.

At the summit, we dropped our packs and were treated to a 360-degree view above the clouds.

After a half-hour rest, a few tired high-fives and some photos, we signed the summit register and started back. Billings, our guide, reminded us that the climb was only half over.

On the way down, we used our ``plunge step'' - kicking our heels into the snow as we descended. More ice and softening snow made the going difficult.

After what seemed an eternity, we got to the snowfield above our camp where we could glissade. Now it was only a butt-slide to camp, our waiting dinner and congratulations from the other climbers.

Those who didn't make it this time were ready for another try.

Carol Moyer, who had to turn back, doesn't buy into the ``because they're there'' theory of why people climb mountains. She enjoys the physical and mental challenge of mountain climbing, the training it requires and learning new skills.

``I will definitely go back to Shasta,'' said Moyer. ``I would go next week if I could get the time off.''

IF YOU GO

Mt. Shasta is 60 miles north of Redding in Northern California. REI Adventures offers five-day clinics and climbs from June to mid-September. Info at www.reiadventures.com or call [phone]. The Mt. Shasta Book by Andy Selters and Michael Zanger (Wilderness Press) is an excellent guide to the mountain and includes a topo map with the major climbing and hiking routes.

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(1 -- 3) A challenging hike up 14,161-foot Mt. Shasta is offered through REI Adventures. Writer Bill Becher was among a small group that was led up the mountain, which is located in the Cascade Range. Manuel Vargas (top photo) enjoys a sip of coffee after a long day of hiking up and back down Mt. Shasta, which is a dormant volcano. Hiking trips are offered by REI from June to mid-September.

Photos by Bill Becher/Special to the Daily News

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