Ice Climbing in Alaska on the Root Glacier

Our Alaska Ice Climbing Guides are the Best!

If you want to experience the thrill of ice climbing in Alaska, this is the trip for you. Set amidst the stunning beauty of the Wrangell St. Elias National Park, the Root Glacier offers the perfect venue for people of all ages and skill levels to participate in this exciting and rewarding sport.

At St. Elias Alpine Guides, safety and customer experience is our number one goal. Our experienced climbing guides have been leading mountaineering courses, backpacking tours and glacier ice climbing seminars in this remote Alaskan wilderness for over 30 years. You’ll be in good hands from the moment your guide fits you for your harness until you’re swapping stories in our office at the end of the day.

Your Alaska ice climbing adventure begins at our office in the historic copper mining town of Kennecott. From the deck of our office, don’t miss breathtaking views of 16,390’ Mt. Blackburn and the Kennicott Glacier as your guide fits you for a harness, climbing boots, and steel crampons.

Once you are geared up, you and your guide will follow an historic wagon road north from Kennecott to a trail that descends to the Root Glacier. This road was built in the ‘20’s to supply the Erie Mine, six miles up the Root Glacier. Depending on the time of the season, the unforgettable flora of the Wrangell - St. Elias splashes color alongside the path. Brilliant blue lupine blooms in May and June and, as summer matures, dwarf fireweed and wild rose show up pink and vermilion.

As the trail descends down the lateral moraine towards the Root Glacier, the air becomes slightly cooler and, the vegetation changes dramatically as you near the edge of the ice and the newly exposed moraine found there. Here, you and your guide pause to strap on crampons and learn some basic cramponing skills. Cramponing is simply hiking on ice with the aid of spikes attached to the bottom of your boots. With simple instruction and practice, crampons open up an entire new world. You’ll feel like Spiderman, scampering securely around on the ice and feeling the crunch of the ice beneath your feet.

From the edge of the glacier you and your guide hike out onto the Root Glacier enjoying fabulous views of 6,696’ Donoho Peak, the impressive mile-high Stairway Icefall, and if you’ve got sharp eyes, the historic Erie Mine Bunkhouse. You’ll also pass serene blue pools, rushing waterfalls, and roaring moulins on the way to the wave walls where the climbing begins.

People of all ages have found our ice climbing guides to be experts in tailoring the day’s activities to their personal abilities and goals. A typical day may include instruction on topics such as proper equipment selection and fitting, an explanation of the climbing system, proper belay technique, crampon and ice tool technique, and lots of fun climbing. The goal is to learn and have fun and our guides promote an atmosphere of support and encouragement. From learning the basics, to climbing on more advanced terrain, our guides are there to make your Alaska ice climbing adventure a memorable one.

There is a day adventure that fits every level of experience, age and physical condition. St. Elias Alpine Guides will supply all the specialized gear for each trip such as crampons for half day glacier walks; ropes, ice axes, and climbing equipment for a full day of ice climbing; emergency and First Aid kits for all outings; and experienced, trained guides. Participants need only bring their personal gear, an openness to the outdoors and a sense of adventure.

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