Mountaineering Courses | Ski Mountaineering

St. Elias Alpine Guides (SEAG) quit guiding on Denali in 1978 because of over crowding, and moved to McCarthy, Alaska – nestled in the heart of the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountains - where the remoteness of peaks guarantees solitude, beauty and a feeling of being "the first". St. Elias Alpine Guides offers Alaska mountaineering trips that span the range of experience, from beginner to expert, from a 5 day mountaineering course to a try at the most difficult Alaska mountain, 18,008 foot Mt. St. Elias.

St. Elias Alpine Guides is proud to adhere to the highest level of climbing ethics as set forth in the Tyrol Declaration.

SEAG is a professional Alaska mountaineering guide service offering a full range of Alaska mountaineering programs, from a climbing school that includes ice climbing and glacier seminars, to general mountaineering courses, to first ascent expeditions, to high altitude mountaineering expeditions. Our expeditions are totally self sufficient. The nearest humans can be nearly 100 miles away.

St. Elias Alpine Guides is a strong supporter of professionalism in mountain guiding. Our founder, Bob Jacobs, is an American Mountain Guides Association Certified Alpine Guide, as are several of the guides who work for this small personalized company.

Exploring the mountains with knowledge and experience allows climbers to move "fast and light." The expedition is an introduction to this method of alpine climbing. The heart of the St. Elias Mountains--a landscape that rivals any mountain kingdom in the world--is a classroom filled with opportunities for learning and practicing alpine climbing techniques. Our focus will be on moving carefully over many types of terrain, working on route finding, glacier travel skills, crevasse recognition, campsite selection, avalanche evaluation, anchor systems, multi-pitch climbing, ice climbing, and steep terrain climbing. Using Iceberg Lake as our base, we will climb high onto alpine glaciers and dig in at an advanced base camp. Climbs will be numerous and the terrain varied, all the while concentrating on gathering that understanding and comfort to explore this lofty realm "fast and light." No previous mountaineering experience is required although it would be a plus. Good physical condition is a must, and extensive backpacking experience is required. All types of terrain will be explored including snow covered and non-snow-covered glaciers, steep snow couloirs and faces, rock ridges, and technical ice climbing.

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The route, an Alaskan Grade 2+, follows the airy and steep south-west ridge, offering stunning views and secure climbing. Steep snow and scree is encountered along with several false summits before the altimeter reads 12,010 feet and we raise our ice axes high excitement, with Blackburn, Stanford and Wrangell as our backdrop.

A challenging peak, Drum offers technical climbing without the commitment or rarified air of its larger neighbors. Drum is suitable for intermediate climbers, or fit novices in search of a real challenge. Basic mountaineering skills and comfort with exposure are required. This is an 8-10 day climb

Mountain skills are helpful, but not absolutely necessary as these skills can be taught as required prior to and during the expedition. This is a nine day climb or a twelve day mountain traverse.

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From the broad summit plateau down to the lush tundra that surrounds its base, Mt. Sanford, with its massive bulk, is the 6th tallest peak in the United States. Our route up the Sheep glacier is moderate climbing - Alaska Grade 1 - and with 13,000 feet of vertical gain along the way, there is plenty of climbing and scenic views overlooking the bulk of Mt. Blackburn, the shield volcano of Mt. Wrangell and the Fuji-like pyramid of Mt. Drum.

The Sheep glacier, arduous but not steep, is moderately crevassed, and brings other "big mountain" characteristics such as altitude, weather, white-out navigation and a large dose of remoteness.

Participants should be strong backpackers or beginning climbers with strong legs. For the intermediate backcountry skier, Sanford offers stellar big mountain lines. Mount Sanford is an 8-10 day trip.

 

We have had a number of clients that contact us looking for a small, professional outfit to take them mountain climbing in the Alaska Range – so how could we say no? Mt. Dickey, Barrille, Moose’s Tooth? Let us know your dream climbing trip, and we’ll do everything we can to make it happen. We specialize in individuals and small groups that want a custom trip based on their goals, abilities and timeline. We have all the tools to put together an incredible trip for you, and our personal service is what keeps clients coming back to climb with us every time they make it up to the great North land. Join us for a climb and see what it means to be part of the S.E.A.G. climbing community.

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Like Denali, Mt. Bona, the highest peak in the American Saint Elias Range, poses similar challenges: arctic weather, high elevation, and heavy glaciation. But Bona offers more remoteness, more solitude, and less likelihood of altitude-related illness. In fact, with its varied climbing-teaching route finding through crevasse fields, small icefalls, and immense open glaciers-- Mt. Bona offers a perfect training climb for the world's elite peaks like Mt. St. Elias and Denali. This expedition teaches all aspects of glacier mountaineering, including menu planning, equipment selection, route decisions, avalanche evaluation, risk awareness, glacier travel, crevasse rescue, campsite selection, ski mountaineering techniques, and much more. We land via ski-equipped bush plane at nearly 10,500-feet on the Klutlan Glacier and ferry loads to establish 2 or 3 camps on our way to the summit. This is an Alaskan Grade 2 climb, and participants should be in good physical condition with perhaps a Mt. Rainier climb or a winter ascent of a Colorado "fourteener" in their resume.

Alpenglow bathes the sharp ice ridges in the distance with pink light that fades into a deep azure blue over the summit of Mt. St. Elias. The soft light explodes into colors off of ice crystals kicked into the air by boots, as they make the last few steps onto the very top of a remote summit, a place never before stood upon by humans. The magic of the Wrangell and St. Elias Ranges are the myriad of unexplored peaks and glaciers. There are only a few exotic places left on this earth where a climber can experience the deep awe struck by exploring mountains no one has ever set foot on. The first ascents expeditions are designed for climbers who want to weave exploration together with climbing, who want to climb in solitude and in true wilderness.These expeditions combine a day or two of training on the local Root Glacier where skills are learned, practiced and honed. A wheel/ski equipped plane then flies the group into a remote basin where numerous peaks are chosen for their difficulty, their ease, or simply their beauty. This adventure requires simply having a basic understanding of climbing, since many of the skills needed to climb safely and successfully are taught during the first days, and routes can be selected to accommodate a variety of abilities.

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Our lead guide Dave Staeheli did the second ascent of University Peak and since that time, the mountain has only received three other ascents to the summit. It is an amazing peak located in the heart of one of the most rugged mountainous regions in Alaska, the St. Elias Mountains. Steep snow and ice climbing, weaving through a maze of enormous seracs and aesthetic climbing lines all characterize an ascent of the North Ridge of University Peak, which was first climbed in 1955.

Join us for a truly remote and incredible Alaska adventure through this amazing mountain architecture, and perhaps you can join the handful of mountaineers that have taken in the view from the top.

Potential climbing partners must have good physical conditioning and technical experience with waterfall ice and/or Grade II climbs.

Chris Kulp, 2005 Summit attempt
Photo by Vince Anderson

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First climbed in the 1900's, less then 50 parties have climbed Mt. Blackburn. A true wilderness climb, the route ascends the Northwest ridge with over 7,500' feet of climbing, over-looking the Nabesna Glacier, the longest valley glacier in North America at 75 miles long! Along the ridge, we'll encounter steep snow and ice, cornices, crevasses, ice falls, stunning alpenglow while peering out of our tents, and the rarified air of big peaks.

A challenging peak, Blackburn is ideal for the mountaineer looking for "full-on" Alaskan peak without having to take a month away from family and work. As an Alaskan Grad 3 climb, we'll use plenty of gear to protect ourselves from falls and the cold while still traveling light as we can.

As with most heavyweight Alaskan peaks, we'll fly to the base of Blackburn, landing on the Nabesna glacier. To allow for weather and acclimatization, this is a 17 day expedition with a low guide-to-client ratio. Contact us for schedule and rates – or to inquire about our new route/variation that we’ve had our eye on…

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