FEATURED DAY HIKES:

Root Glacier Tour

From our office it's a 2 mile stroll to the white ice of the glacier. Once there we'll strap on our crampons (metal spikes for your shoes) and show you around the other-worldly moonscape that awaits. We'll show you how to use your crampons correctly to safely view the blue-pools, deep holes, and cascading waterfalls that make up the glacier's convoluted surface. When we get back you'll wonder how the hours could pass so quickly!

Fireweed Mountain

A ridgewalker's paradise...combine easy access, mellow grassy meadows, craggy upper heights, and the biggest views of Mount Blackburn and the Chitina Valley and you've got Fireweed Mountain! This series of summits, all connected by ridges, is a premier peak scramble that gives a unique bird's eye view of Kennicott and McCarthy from across the valley. You'll earn these views; the way up is more of a 'route' then a trail and over the course of the day we'll gain about 5,500 vertical feet, so be ready for a workout....one you'll never forget!

Full-Day Ice Climb

Your guides show and explain to you the basic safety measures involved with climbing ice; checking your harness, using your crampons and ice axes properly, and other important aspects of safe climbing. Confidence in them, and trust in your gear makes your day more enjoyable. Spending a full day on the glacier gives clients an opportunity to become familiar with their equipment, learn the fundamentals of climbing ice, build confidence, and kick some butt. Hanging out on a wall of vertical ice, or being lowered into the guts of the glacier, can be simultaneously empowering, exhilarating, terrifying, and fun.

FEATURED BACKPACKING TRIPS:

Twaharpies Traverse

This is a trip that you'll be talking about for a long, long time. It begins in a tiny Supercub aircraft that takes us to a small landing strip on the tundra of upper Canyon Creek. The scenery and solitude here are both absolute. As we meander up the valley the peaks seem to get higher and the various gorges carved out by the creek's tributaries give clues to the valley's name. After a sweaty but non-technical climb to a 6,500 foot pass, we'll stop and soak in the view and scramble to the top of a nearby peak on the ridge if time allows. The descent from here is the tricky part as it follows a direct line down a steep snow gulley; but not to worry, no previous climbing experience is necessary! We'll bring along the rope and other necessary gear, and teach you the appropriate techniques you'll need to get down safely. As if that thrill isn't enough, the feeling you get when you step out onto the Twaharpies Glacier and take in the surrounding giants will floor you. From here we'll hike down the valley to the Glacier Creek airstrip. This is one of the trademark traverses in Wrangell - St. Elias National Park!

Donoho Lakes - The Backyard Wilderness

The Donoho Lakes region - easily spotted from Kennicott as the tree-filled 'oasis' amongst the grandiose Root and Kennicott Glaciers is a place with many charms, the first of which may be that it is right in our backyard! After we cross the Root Glacier and set foot back onto solid ground, we make our way through the network of lakes, brush, berries, and boulders that characterize this area. Don't be surprised if you spot some cranes on the lake, or bears happily munching on the bountiful berry crop. With the enormity of the glaciers, the stately profile of Donoho peak looming overhead, and the tranquility of the water, we're sure that you'll see how lucky we feel to have this spellbinding wilderness experience nearby.

FEATURED MOUNTAINEERING TRIPS:

Iceberg Lake Mountaineering

This is one of our favorite places to go due to access and the variety of terrain to climb in the area. Iceberg lake is located on the fringe of the Bagley Ice Field and offers a variety of day climbs ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 thousand feet long of knife-edged ridges, snow and ice slopes, granite faces, and lots of glacier travel. The access in this area is as good as it gets. The bush plane drops us of in an alpine valley and it is a short hike to base camp were we set up the tents at the toe of the glacier amongst wild flowers and towering peaks above us. This is an excellent area for all levels of climbers, whether first-timers or those out there looking for a rewarding challenge!

Mount Blackburn - 16,390 ft

This trip up the tallest peak in the Wrangell Mountains is for experienced climbers who want the challenge of a true Alaskan Giant! We tackle Blackburn’s North Ridge, using all the skills and techniques necessary to climb a mountain of this caliber. From the landing strip on the Nabesna Glacier we move camps up the mountain till we establish a high camp around 13,000 ft. Given good weather and proper acclimatization, a summit bid is attempted from here.