Back to Blog
road to Mount Shasta, California

Donate

Meet the Climbers

Follow the Instagram stories

Full professional photo album coming soon…

 

Recent updates

Thursday, June 05

Tonight, we will gather climbers, BCPP friends, family, supporters, staff, and the Mt. Shasta community to celebrate and host a reception sponsored by our fantastic partners in prevention, Innersense Organic Beauty!

12:20: All climbers have made it back safely to Bunny Flats and are off the mountain! They are in such great spirits and we are so proud of them. Congrats, Climb Against the Odds Team 2025!

10:15 AM The groups have departed high camp to hike down to the trailhead at Bunny Flat. Some are even glissading.

Supporters will gather at the Bunny Flat Trailhead to welcome the climbers home with cow bells, cheers, posters, and big hugs. 

9:00 AM As this group climbed Mt. Shasta in the name of breast cancer prevention, they carried prayer flags up the mountain. Before the descent, the flags were unfurled, and the written names of our loved ones were read out loud. 

 

8:00 AM The climbers are up and enjoying breakfast sandwiches at base camp before they depart to Bunny Flats

Supporters gather with handmade signs for the climbers

Team Innersense Organic Beauty

Climbers Nick, Meg, Rachel, and Erica

Climbers embrace and celebrate their safe return

BCPP’s Marie DeJournette and Katharine Huffman

All smiles and hugs at the trailhead

Climbers Erin, Jonathan, and Laura

Prayer flag ceremony

"The wind carries our prayers of love, healing and remembrance. May we all be well."

BCPP 2025!

Way to go, climbers.

Mt. Shasta Summit

Flying prayer flags in memory and in honor of those impacted by breast and other cancers

The summit feels so sweet!

Erin’s words: As Neil Young once said, “I wanna live, I wanna give,” and that captures my heart for this journey. 

Other climb groups are close behind

So close to the summit!

Heads down and focused

Mt. Shasta's Thumb

Short rest before Misery Hill

Summit day updates

Wednesday, June 04

4 PM: ALL climbers have made it back safe and sound to basecamp. The climbers and guides will have a good hot meal, camp overnight on the snow at base camp, and head out tomorrow am. 

3:45 PM: The remaining climbers are now below Thumb Rock and are glissading!

2:30 PM: Climbers are now below Misery Hill. Many will start glissading in the next 20-30 minutes.

1:30 PM: The climbers are descending back to basecamp. 

1 PM: Heather Shirey reached her personal summit at high point 13,235′. Rachel Berke and Erica King reached their personal summit at 12,500′. Katharine Huffman reached her personal summit at 11,300′. They are all back safely at basecamp.

12 PM: Katie Luke and Jo Oseman have reached the summit at 14,179′! 

11:55 AM: Andy LaVelle, Bryan Churchill, Megan Krieg, and Nick Vernon have reached the summit at 14,179′!

11:45 AM: Shayna Cassidy and Rose Spagnolo have reached the summit at 14,179′! 

11:40: BCPP staff climber, Laura Gillan, has reached the summit at 14,179′!

11:10 AM: Erin and Jonathan Steen have reached the summit at 14,179′!

11:00 AM: Next? The climbers will cross the summit plateau then another couple hundred feet to the final summit.

10:40 AM: All teams start their ascent to the top of Misery Hill. Conditions: still windy.

10:25 AM: The first climbers, wife and husband duo Erin and Jonathan Steen, reach the top of Misery Hill.

10:05 AM: Climbers are now ascending Misery Hill, bottom elevation of 13,100′.

9:55 AM: Climbers have reached the top of short hill, will have a short rest, then tackle Misery Hill next!

8:45 AM: Winds have increased at the Red Banks, 12,800′. The climb from Lake Helen to the top of Red Banks is a key part of the Avalanche Gulch Route, gaining around 2,400 feet of elevation.

See the climb teams staggered? It’s good to not be right on top of each other in case of a fall or rock fall. If someone directly above you slips they could take you out on their way down. Same for kicking up a chunk of ice. 

8 AM: Conditions: winds 28-33 with possible gusts of 50.

7:30 AM: Teams are approaching the Thumb, 12,900′.

7:15 AM: All crews are crushing the Heart pitch!

5:35 AM: The sunrise offers more light for the climbers as they ascend.

4:55 AM: The climbers are moving up from Helen Lake on their way to the Red Banks.

4:45 AM: Rob Abramowitz climbed with the crew to 10,435′ at Helen Lake and will be there to assist with anyone who needs to return.

4:45 AM: We received word from the guides that the teams are moving up from Helen Lake at 10,435′.

4 AM: Claudia Mudgett reached her personal summit at 9,500′.

3:30 AM: All rope teams (1-3) have left base camp and are on the move up.

2 AM: Hikers wake, get dressed in their summit gear, and have an early pre-dawn breakfast.

Behind the Red Banks

Making great progress!

Approaching the thumb

Climb groups stagger for pace+safety

The heart pitch looking down

The heart pitch looking up

On the move

Headlamps of the various rope teams

This is what a 3am ascent looks like

Steep incline under the stars, led by the light of our long time sponsors, Princeton Tec

Rope team 1 on their way up

Climbers: Erin Steen, Jonathan Steen, Heather Shirey, Carly Bressler-Archambeau, Shayna Cassidy, Rose Spagnolo

Prep and hike to basecamp

Tuesday, June 03

6:00 PM: Climb group 1 and 2 have made it to base camp! All climbers have completed snow school and will eat dinner to refuel before heading to bed early (or at least try to). They have a 2 am wake-up call to begin their summit attempt to 14,179′.

3:00 PM: The first group of climbers have made it to high camp. Weather is sunny, warm, with a light breeze.

2:00 PM: Alex Nguyen and Carly Bressler-Archambeau reach their personal summit at 7,500′.

11 AM: The climbers were divided into three rope teams and are currently en route to base camp at 9,500′.

10 AM: After they geared up, all climbers carpooled to the Bunny Flat trailhead. From there, we took some photos and sent them on their way with cheers, love, and support!

8 AM: After getting their food and hydration, the climbers headed to our long-time friends and incredible guides at Shasta Mountain Guides. There, they could get their rope team assignments, rent any last-minute gear, and unpack and repack their Osprey backpacks to ensure they only brought what they needed for their climb. The packs end up weighing about 45 lbs, so being mindful of what goes in is very important. Every ounce counts!

6 AM: Today, the climbers woke up bright and early to have breakfast and prep their lunches for their day hike to base camp.

Climber's tents at basecamp

Sunset on the mountain

 

 

Making their way up to 9,500′

Group 3 rolling into basecamp!

 

 

Group 1 departing the trailhead

Guides:

David Reichel, Katie Wry, Alec Blossom

Climbers:

Erin Steen, Jonathan Steen, Heather Shirey, Carly Bressler-Archambeau, Shayna Cassidy, Rose Spagnolo

Group 2 departing the trailhead

Guides:

Ethan Atkins, Travis Soares, Sam Steuart 

Climbers:

Katie Luke, Laura Gillan, Jo Oseman, Claudia Mudgett, Katharine Huffman, Alex Nguyen

Group 3 departing the trailhead

Guides:

Joey Iouse, JC, Jeff Bert

Climbers:

Andy LaVelle, Bryan Churchill, Megan Krieg, Nick Vernon, Rachel Berke, Erica King

Climb alumni supporter:

Rob Abramowitz

 

Off they go!

45 lbs of gear in their Osprey packs

Climbers will depart from Bunny Flat

Survivor Claudia Mudgett

Wearing the annually awarded Talisman, passed down since 2003

Katharine Huffman pre-climb

Katharine has led BCPP’s federal lobbying work since 2007 

Calm, cool, collected

Bryan Churchill prepares for the climb

Gear check

All group guides review the gear

And teach the climbers the proper way to pack

Mt. Shasta community climber

Shayna Cassidy

Bay Area Young Survivors climber

Jo Oseman

Ready to hit the trail!

Rose Spagnolo

The most trusted

Thank you to our Shasta Mountain Guides

Shasta or Bust

The mountain awaits

The lake to cool down after descent

2025 Climb Against the Odds Team

Gathering in front of Mt. Shasta as a full team for the first time

 

The journey to Mount Shasta begins

Monday, June 02, 2025

For our 26th Anniversary of Climb Against the Odds, we are honored to welcome 18 volunteer climbers from across the country who will attempt Mount Shasta’s icy 14,179 ft peak to challenge the 1 in 8 odds of a woman’s breast cancer diagnosis.

Many climb in honor of their own breast cancer diagnosis, for a loved one, or for future generations, carrying prayer flags inscribed with names up the mountain. We all climb for prevention so that no one should have to hear the words “You have breast cancer.”

So far, the team has raised a total of $176,395 of their $200K goal to prevent breast cancer.

Help them reach their goal!

All of the funds raised by our inspiring climbers goes to support BCPP’s work to translate science into education, press businesses to make safer products, protects consumers from toxic chemicals, and passes health-protective laws.

Our climbers are packing up and preparing for their travels from across the U.S. to Northern California’s Mt. Shasta.

Upon arrival, climbers will check in at the Mt. Shasta Resort, and  will meet their event leader/mama bear, Marie DeJournette, to pick up goody bag and their climb sponsor t-shirt.

Next, they will head to pick up climb rental gear at Fifth Season. They also have the chance to complete any remaining last minute shopping for food and gear in town.

Their official all-hands on deck Welcome Dinner kicks off at 5:00 pm where all of the climbers will get to meet each other in person for the first time!

We are happy to reunite with our dear friends from the Mt. Shasta community, who generously host us every year. One community member joins us each year as a climber, with their  fundraising proceeds going to the local Mercy General Hospital to support breast cancer treatment for those who need it.

And last but not least, we are so thrilled to reconnect with Shasta Mountain Guides, our expert mountaineering guides who support us up and back home safely down the mountain on this journey to Climb Against the Odds for breast cancer prevention.

Team Innersense Organic Beauty

BCPP's Janet Nudelman + Laura Gillan

The climber chalets in Shasta

Pre-climb improntu dance party

Feeling inspired?

Climb Mount Shasta in 2026! Get started today on your adventure of a lifetime.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Share This