Novice Mount Shasta climbers rescued after relying on Gemini AI to plan trip

Three novice climbers stranded on Mount Shasta over the weekend told rescuers they had relied on Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence to help plan the trip, according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office.

Read more SFFD races to unload entire garbage truck to save trapped person

The three young men from Roseville ultimately spent an unplanned night high on the mountain after a 16-hour climb, a dead phone battery and a knee injury complicated their descent. The U.S. Forest Service said climbing rangers reached them the following morning in remote terrain inside Mud Creek Canyon.

“We relied too much on AI rather than our own critical thinking,” the climbers later told rangers. SFGATE reached out to the U.S. Forest Service but did not hear back prior to publication.

The climbers told officials they had used Google’s Gemini AI, YouTube and AllTrails to prepare for the trip, relying on Gemini specifically for route research, as well as food and water recommendations. The group said the platform advised them to pack simple carbohydrates instead of fats because fats “take too long to digest.” 

On Aug. 29, the three young climbers set out from the Clear Creek Trailhead and set up a base camp near Clear Creek’s head springs, despite camping being prohibited in the area. They began climbing around 3 a.m. the following day, carrying enough food and water for what their AI platform told them was an 8-hour climb. 

Instead, the ascent took about 16 hours, and by the time they reached 11,000 feet around 1 p.m., they considered turning back but decided to continue, the Forest Service said. At Mushroom Rock, around 12,800 feet, one climbing group advised them to turn around, while another encouraged them to keep going. Although the climbers said they did not feel well, they pushed forward and reached Mount Shasta’s summit around 7 p.m. 

After sunset, during their descent, the climbers called 911 for directions and eventually wandered off-route into the upper reaches of Mud Creek Canyon. One climber had used AllTrails for navigation, but the phone running the app died. A backup battery charger also failed, leaving the group largely dependent on sight as they descended after dark, according to the Forest Service. 

Read more With rumors of a hurricane in California, here’s what to expect

Around 11,500 feet, one of the climbers lost their balance and injured their left knee. The person had a headlamp but was not using it in an effort to conserve battery power, instead relying on the other climbers’ lights. The group continued downhill before stopping around midnight near 11,000 feet. The climbers were not equipped to spend the night exposed on the mountain, as they did not have enough food and water, warm clothing or an emergency shelter. 

Forest Service rangers reached them at around 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 31 and found the group exhausted, hungry and thirsty. Rangers treated the knee injury and provided food and water. 

Strong winds prevented two attempted helicopter hoists, forcing the climbers and rangers to continue down on foot. They returned to their base camp around 3 p.m., where Siskiyou Search and Rescue personnel helped escort them back to the Clear Creek Trailhead. The rescue ended around 6:30 p.m. 

The climbers later acknowledged they had packed for an 8-hour climb, though it took them roughly 16 hours to reach the summit.

The Forest Service urged climbers to rely on established Mount Shasta resources, carry backup navigation such as paper maps, pack for unexpected circumstances and set a firm turnaround time. The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office stressed, “If you have not reached the summit of Mount Shasta by noon, turn around.”