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A group of amateur hikers put their faith in AI to conquer California’s notoriously dangerous Mount Shasta, only to wind up stranded thousands of feet up the volcano and in need of rescue.
The three men, from Roseville, relied on Google Gemini to plan their weekend climb—down to what food and how much water to pack—according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office.
The planned eight-hour climb on Aug. 29 turned into an overnight ordeal after the group missed the recommended turnaround time, got lost in the dark, and entered a steep canyon, reported CBS.
The friends set out from the Clear Creek Trailhead on Saturday and made base camp near the head springs of Clear Creek at roughly 8,400 feet.
They left with daypacks at 3 a.m. the next morning, expecting the climb to take about eight hours.
At 3 p.m., they reached Mushroom Rock at approximately 12,800 feet. One group of climbers allegedly advised them to turn back, while another encouraged them to continue.
The three started down in the dark and, about an hour later, called 911 for directions, per ABC7. One hiker used AllTrails on his phone, but the battery died and his backup charger failed.
The group veered off course and around 11,500 feet, one of the men injured his left knee. They pushed on until midnight, stopped near 11,000 feet and then spent the night in the canyon.
Forest Service climbing rangers reached the exhausted, hungry, and dehydrated hikers around 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 31, treated the injured man’s knee, and provided food and water.
Attempts to evacuate by helicopter failed. One was canceled due to strong winds.
Rangers and Siskiyou Search and Rescue assisted the group out of Mud Creek Canyon and back to base camp.
The hikers later informed authorities they used AI, YouTube videos, and AllTrails to plan the trip, with Gemini advising them on food and water requirements.
“This was a critical misstep, as they were advised by Gemini to bring far less food and water than their group required, especially when their planned 8-hour ascent became a multi-day ordeal,” the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities warned climbers not to rely solely on AI and to consult the local Mount Shasta Ranger Station before attempting a climb.
The three hikers seemed to get the message. “We relied too much on AI rather than our own critical thinking,” they told rangers.
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