“Every camp placement organization I spoke with let me know that this was hands-down the favorite camp. The level of organization and professionalism was amazing. My child really grew on this trip."
- Diana Ravicchio
Rossmoor, CA
This is the Adventure of a lifetime! Climbing Mount Shasta with ice axe and crampons will be the coolest thing you have ever done! This classic trip is a favorite among both students and instructors alike. For 24 days, you'll raft huge rapids, climb and bike in amazing North California scenery, and make lifelong friendships.
This is one of the most beautiful areas in Northern California. Develop your appreciation of the outdoors as you explore glacially carved valleys and alpine meadows full of wildflowers, swim in refreshing high mountain lakes, and throw a snowball in July!
Two exciting rivers - two completely different experiences! The Upper Klamath is huge, with bigger and longer rapids - one rapid is ½ mile long! The grin is permanent. Finally, enjoy a 3-day trip on the Middle Klamath. Paddle inflatable kayaks or rafts by day and sleep under billions of stars on a sandy beach at night.
The summit of Mount Shasta may be “the BEST day of your life!” You’ll spend three days on the mountain learning to use your ice axe and crampons before you head for the top with your summit team. Begin your ascent as early as 1 am. Enjoy sunrise on your way up, and experience the indescribable feeling of accomplishment at the top! The views are amazing. Finally, glissade (slide down) on the snow for a thrilling descent.
Feel the grit of the rock beneath your fingertips as you climb. We set up a variety of routes in the cliffs near Mount Shasta so you can choose your level of challenge. Improve your skills as you learn new techniques and gear safety. End the day with a refreshing swim in a nearby lake.
Choose gentle single-track paths along a river or long climbs with thrilling descents through “The Tunnel.” Either way, you’ll enjoy a picnic lunch, swim, and a fun day of biking!
The Lost Coast is simply magical! Backpack for four days with the ocean on one side, the spectacular King Range Mountains on the other, and sand under your feet. Explore an old lighthouse and see amazing marine life.
Feel tiny as you hike among the ancient 2,000 year old California Redwoods. Explore this enchanted ecosystem full of Jurassic ferns and huge trees!
Call 888-954-5555 for more information about this trip and to check availability. Apply early to ensure the trip of your choice.
Flying to Sacramento, California for Adventure Treks
California Challenge 1:
ARRIVAL: Sacramento, CA airport (SMF) - Schedule arrival between 8 AM and 1 PM on June 25
DEPARTURE: from Sacramento, CA airport (SMF) - Schedule departure between 6 AM- 1 PM on July 18
California Challenge 2:
ARRIVAL: Sacramento, CA airport (SMF) - Schedule arrival between 8 AM and 1 PM on July 9
DEPARTURE: from Sacramento, CA airport (SMF) - Schedule departure between 6 AM -1 PM on Aug 1
California Challenge 3:
ARRIVAL: Sacramento, CA airport (SMF) Schedule arrival between 8 AM and 1 PM on July 19
DEPARTURE: from Sacramento, CA airport (SMF) - Schedule departure between 6 AM - 1 PM on Aug 11
Arriving By Car:
California Challenge 1:
ARRIVAL: Terminal B Food Court at the Sacramento, CA airport - Schedule arrival between 9 AM and 10 AM on June 25
DEPARTURE: Terminal B Food Court at the Sacrament, CA airport - Schedule pick up between 9 AM and 11 AM on July 18
California Challenge 2:
ARRIVAL: Terminal B Food Court at the Sacramento, CA airport - Schedule arrival between 9 AM and 10 AM on July 9
DEPARTURE: Terminal B Food Court at the Sacramento, CA airport - Schedule pick up between 9 AM and 11 AM on August 1
California Challenge 3:
ARRIVAL: Terminal B Food Court at the Sacramento, CA airport - Schedule arrival between 9 AM and 10 AM on July 19
DEPARTURE: Terminal B Food Court at the Sacramento, CA airport - Schedule pick up between 9 AM and 11 AM on August 11
June 25: Students arrive in Sacramento, CA (SMF) by 1pm.
June 26: Day hike to Granite Lake in the Shasta-Trinity Alps.
June 27 - July 1: 5-day Backpack in the Shasta-Trinity Alps. You will find beautiful alpine meadows and wildflowers, swim in refreshing high mountain lakes, and throw snowballs in July!
July 2: Cross the border into Southern Oregon to Whitewater raft the Upper Klamath with River Dancers. The Upper Klamath is huge, with bigger and longer rapids. One rapid is 1/2 mile long!
July 3-4: Rock climb and mountain bike near Mt. Shasta. We set up a variety of routes at Cantera Rock so everyone, from beginner to advanced, can choose their level of challenge. Ride gentle single-track paths while mountain biking or long up hills with thrilling downhill’s. Either way, your biking day is a lot of fun and you will enjoy a picnic lunch near a lake.
July 5-7: The summit of 14,162 ft. Mt. Shasta is a huge highlight! We will teach you everything you need to know as your summit team supports you all the way to the top. We start early (at 1 am) to begin the slow and steady hike to the top with ice axe and crampons. The sunrise over the snow-covered ridgeline rivals your view from the summit. You will then glissade (slide down) down the mountain!
July 8: Logistics Day (Laundry, food shopping, and van cleaning) in Mt. Shasta and drive to Happy Camp.
July 9-11: Enjoy a 3-day Raft trip down the Middle Klamath River with River Dancers. Paddle inflatable kayaks or rafts by day, and sleep under billions of stars skies on a sandy beach at night.
July 12: Drive to the Redwoods.
July 13-16: A 4-day Beach Backpack on the Lost Coast. The Lost Coast is simply magical. Backpack with the ocean on one side, the King Range Mountains on the other, and sand under your feet.
July 17: Day Hike through the giant Redwoods and drive to Sacramento for a farewell dinner. Overnight at Fog Willow Farm and meet goats, bunnies, mini horses, and a mini cow named Smalls.
July 18: Students depart from Sacramento, CA (SMF) by 1 pm
July 9: Students arrive in Sacramento, CA (SMF) by 1pm.
July 10: Day hike to Granite Lake in the Shasta-Trinity Alps.
July 11-15: A 5-day Backpack in the Shasta-Trinity Alps. You will find beautiful alpine meadows and wildflowers, swim in refreshing high mountain lakes, and throw snowballs in July!
July 16-17: Rock climb and mountain bike near Mt. Shasta. We set up a variety of routes at Cantera Rock so everyone, from beginner to advanced, can choose their level of challenge. Ride gentle single-track paths while mountain biking or long up hills with thrilling downhill’s. Either way, your biking day is a lot of fun and you will enjoy a picnic lunch near a lake.
July 18: Cross the border into Southern Oregon to Whitewater raft the Upper Klamath with River Dancers. The Upper Klamath is huge, with bigger and longer rapids. One rapid is 1/2 mile long!
July 19-21: The summit of 14,162 ft. Mt. Shasta is a huge highlight! We will teach you everything you need to know as your summit team supports you all the way to the top. We start early (at 1 am) to begin the slow and steady hike to the top with ice axe and crampons. The sunrise over the snow-covered ridgeline rivals your view from the summit. You will then glissade (slide down) down the mountain!
July 22: Logistics Day (Laundry, food shopping, and van cleaning) in Mt. Shasta and drive to Happy Camp.
July 23-25: 3-day Raft trip down the Middle Klamath River with River Dancers. Paddle inflatable kayaks or rafts by day, and sleep under billions of stars skies on a sandy beach at night.
July 26: Drive to the Redwoods.
July 27-30: 4-day Beach Backpack on the Lost Coast. The Lost Coast is simply magical. Backpack with the ocean on one side, the King Range Mountains on the other, and sand under your feet.
July 31: Day Hike through the giant Redwoods and drive to Sacramento for a farewell dinner. Overnight at Fog Willow Farm and meet goats, bunnies, mini horses, and a mini cow named Smalls.
August 1: Students depart from Sacramento, CA (SMF) by 1 pm
July 19: Students arrive in Sacramento, CA (SMF) by 1pm.
July 20: Day hike to Granite Lake in the Shasta-Trinity Alps.
July 21-25: A 5-day Backpack in the Shasta-Trinity Alps. You will find beautiful alpine meadows and wildflowers, swim in refreshing high mountain lakes, and throw snowballs in July!
July 26-27: Rock climb and mountain bike near Mt. Shasta. We set up a variety of routes at Cantera Rock so everyone, from beginner to advanced, can choose their level of challenge. Ride gentle single-track paths while mountain biking or long up hills with thrilling downhill’s. Either way, your biking day is a lot of fun and you will enjoy a picnic lunch near a lake.
July 28: Cross the border into Southern Oregon for the day to whitewater raft the Upper Klamath with River Dancers. The Upper Klamath is huge, with bigger and longer rapids. One rapid is 1/2 mile long!
July 29-31: The summit of 14,162 ft. Mt. Shasta is a huge highlight! We will teach you everything you need to know as your summit team supports you all the way to the top. We start early (at 1 am) to begin the slow and steady hike to the top with ice axe and crampons. The sunrise over the snow-covered ridgeline rivals your view from the summit. You will then glissade (slide down) down the mountain!
August 1: Logistics Day (Laundry, food shopping, and van cleaning) in Mt. Shasta and drive to Happy Camp.
August 2-4: A 3-day Raft trip down the Middle Klamath River with River Dancers. Paddle inflatable kayaks or rafts by day, and sleep under billions of stars skies on a sandy beach at night.
August 5: Drive to the Redwoods.
August 6-9: A 4-day Beach Backpack on the Lost Coast. The Lost Coast is simply magical. Backpack with the ocean on one side, the King Range Mountains on the other, and sand under your feet.
August 10: Day Hike through the giant Redwoods and drive to Sacramento for a farewell dinner. Overnight at Fog Willow Farm and meet goats, bunnies, mini horses, and a mini cow named Smalls.
August 11: Students depart from Sacramento, CA (SMF) by 1 pm
We reserve the right to alter the itinerary prior to and throughout the trip as we constantly improve the Adventure Treks experience. Itineraries may change due to: Severe weather, student ability, motivation and conditioning, high or low rivers, high or low snow pack, unpredictable natural disasters and acts of God, vehicle breakdowns, road closures, volcanic activity, forest fires ,illness, ever changing permit regulations, any potential threat to safety; even a brilliant idea from an instructor or student. In the event of a schedule change, comparable activities will be substituted when possible and you will be notified by e-mail of significant changes.
Is this the best trip for me?
The California Challenge is a great choice for students who are ready to create a great community, have fun, and challenge themselves in the outdoors. No experience is necessary to join Adventure Treks. With our group size of 24 students and 6 instructors, we break up into small groups for each activity, and students can choose the appropriate level of challenge.
How does your waitlist work?
Please call 888-954-5555 to learn more about our waitlist. You can apply for multiple trips at once, and while you wait for a space to open on this trip, you can be guaranteed a space on antoher trip. You can also start the acceptance process for any trip so that you're ready to sign up if a space opens.
For more answers, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page or call us at 888-954-5555. We’re always happy to help you out!
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Allegra Fisher - Originally from Vermont, Allegra joins us for her third summer as a trip leader after spending the spring semester teaching high school girls in Central America with The Traveling School. Last fall, she hiked across the western half of Nepal on the newly-created Great Himalaya Trail. Allegra graduated with a degree in Ecology from Harvard University, where she led freshman backpacking trips, studied and traveled in Nepal for the first time, volunteered at a homeless shelter, and worked as a ropes course and rock climbing instructor. After college, she taught high school science for two years on the Zuni reservation in New Mexico with Teach For America. Allegra is certified in Avalanche Level I and is a Wilderness First Responder and PADI open-water SCUBA diver. Her travels have taken her to Africa, South America, Europe, and Asia, and when she's lucky enough to have some gear with her, she loves to telemark ski and mountain bike.
Callie Nelson - Originally from southern Wisconsin, Callie earned her degree in Organismal Biology and Environmental Science. She has done a variety of work in the environmental field including working with elephants as a zookeeper, teaching environmental education, leading a crew on the Pacific Crest Trail, and leading backpacking, whitewater canoeing, and climbing trips for teens. She enjoys running and backpacking and is a Wilderness First Responder.
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Amber Rudeen - Amber grew up in Colorado and recently moved to California where she is teaching for the Yosemite Institute in Yosemite National Park. Previously, she taught environmental education for four years at the Keystone Science School in Keystone, Colorado. She holds a degree in Environmental Science from the University of Idaho and is a certified Wilderness First Responder. Amber loves learning, teaching and exploring.
Kenny Goff - Kenny graduated from Indiana University with degrees in Management and Entrepreneurship and a minor in Outdoor Recreation. While at Indiana, Kenny taught rock climbing and backpacking courses for the university and was a rock climbing instructor at a residential summer camp. In addition to rock climbing, Kenny enjoys cycling, backpacking, and soccer. Kenny is certified Single Pitch Instructor by the American Mountain Guide Association, a Wilderness First Responder, and Leave No Trace Trainer.
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Nathaniel Humphreys – Nathaniel hails from Asheville, NC and joins us for his third year as an instructor. He was a 5-year A.T. student, completed a research project with the C.L.I.M.B.E. program at Montreat, and thru-hiked the 270 mile Long Trail in Vermont. Nathaniel is a classical singer with six years of training, an avid reader, and a certified Wilderness First Responder. He is currently attending St. John's College in the high-altitude desert mountains of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Erica Van Steenis
- Originally from Southern California, Erica lives in Asheville, NC. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2008, and has a degree in History and International Development. Throughout college she led sea-kayaking and backpacking trips, and after graduating she worked with at-risk youth. For the past year, Erica has kept herself busy interning on a sustainable farm. In addition she has a passion for traveling and has explored Europe, South America and the US. .
*Instructors may change prior to your trip – we’ll let you know if this happens.
Reviewed by: Sophie Grossman
Date: November 2010
Rating: 5 out of 5
Truthfully, i wish i could have given this trip a six out of five. I came into the trip worrying because my past trip had 14 people on it all together. I didn't think i was going to like the bigger group, but boy was i wrong. Cal Chal was a life changing experience. I made my best friends in the world. It has been four months since i got home, and im still homesick. I told my parents i wanted a internal frame backpack for my birthday. Cal Chal was fun even when we were in the van. the scenery was breathtaking, and i think about the trip everyday. I would totally recommend this trip to anyone!
Reviewed by: Kathryn Waller
Date: October 25, 2010
Rating: 5 out of 5
I thought my previous summer with Adventure Treks was awesome but it was nothing compared to this trip. This was by far the best summer of my life. Iif you are debating on wether or not to choose this trip it's worth it. The scenery is amazing, and the people are the best.
Reviewed by: Simone D'Luna
Date: June 28, 2010
Rating: 5 out of 5
This was my third trip with Adventure Treks, and by far my favorite. Northern California is absolutely beautiful and there was not one part of the trip I would change. Summiting Mt. Shasta was perhaps the most amazing thing I've ever done, and I got such a huge sense of satisfaction from it. The community we were able to build was incredibly close, and we did everything as a team. The instructors were fantastic as well and acted not only as our guides and mentors, but also as friends. The trip was challenging, but each person could choose what level of difficulty was right for them. My overall experience gave me a tremendous boost in confidence, and it is something I will never forget.
Reviewed by: Matt Cohen
Date: February 10, 2010
Rating: 5 out of 5
This trip was absolutely amazing. This was my third trip, but by far the best. The way the community came together was astounding. I felt like everyone were my brothers and sisters, even the instructors. Everyone is caring and nice. There is no way to be a loner. It's amazingly easy to make friends on an AT trip. Even for people who are shy, you will feel so comfortable during the trip, you will return home feeling much different than when you left.
Reviewed by: Danielle Ward
Date: February 10, 2010
Rating: 5 out of 5
I didn't think the orgeon cascades could be beat until i went on the california challenge. I met the most amazing people and the greatest friends!! I definitely understand why they call it the California Challenge because it was pretty difficult at times. Summiting Shasta was by far the hardest thing i have ever done but it was worth every step! California was hard but it had it's relaxing times too like when we rafted Klammath River and played in the water and on the mini beaches, it was perfect at night when we didnt use our tents and just slept under the stars. I can't complain about anything on the trip because the food, activities, friends, and instructors were all the greatest and i can't wait for my next trip!
Adventure Treks is a program for teenagers, so we don’t allow any inappropriate language or content in our reviews. We do screen reviews for spam and legitimacy, and we will post all appropriate comments in full.
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Thanks for interest in Adventure Treks!
Our administrative staff welcomes the opportunity to answer any questions and help you choose the best summer experience for your child.
1. Fill out our online application or apply by phone by calling 888-954-5555 Monday-Friday 9 am to 5 pm EST. Submit an $800 deposit to hold your place on the adventure of your choice.
2. We intentionally limit the size of our program, so enrollment is limited. Please send in your application early to ensure a place on the trip of your choice.
3. Our acceptance process ensures a great peer group for your child. We require an essay and 2 references from each new student, and we may also arrange a brief phone interview to get to know your child better.
All deposits are refundable prior to March 1st, less a $200 processing fee, for cancellation for any reason. For cancellations after March 1st, tuition is non-refundable. We recommend that you purchase trip cancellation insurance for your protection. If a participant withdraws voluntarily or is sent home as a consequence of unacceptable behavior, no refund of any kind will be granted. It is the parents’ responsibility to cover any additional travel expenses.
Click map to enlarge
| Duration: | 24 days |
| Dates: |
I June 25 - July 18 II July 9 - August 1 (session II is full!) III July 19 - August 11 |
| Grades: | 9-11 |
| Activities: | |
| States: |
California |
| Price: | $4395 |
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