Mountain climbers may consider Mount Shasta one of the easier Pacific Northwest mountains to ascend, but it’s no easy feat. On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, our colleague Fedor Zarkhin, breaking news and enterprise reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive, recounts his wild expedition to the top of the towering Cascade Mountain peak, sharing his stumbles and successes along the way. Making it to the top of the volcano requires more than 7,000 vertical feet of climbing, with an ice axe and crampons required toward the top. Those who can handle the physical feat may get stymied by weather. The reward is in the climb itself – and the stunning natural beauty found on one of the tallest mountains in the region. Here are some highlights from this week’s show: How Fedor ended up climbing Mount Shasta with a stranger. Tackling the difficult climb, five steps at a time. Why a recent shopping trip at the outdoors store ended up paying off. Why are physical challenges like this so appealing? -- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices