Mountaineering + Ski Expeditions
CLIMB AND SKI
THE MOUNTAIN KINGDOM
Since 1978, St. Elias Alpine Guides has provided extreme adventurers access to North America’s premier mountain wilderness – Wrangell St. Elias National Park. A convergence of three impressive mountain ranges, the Park offers endless remote, world-class climbing and skiing. We offer small-group wilderness-style expeditions – no fixed lines, no sherpas, no busy basecamp scenes and established camps, no weather stations, and usually no one on the mountain except our team!
Mountaineering + Ski Trips
Mt. Sanford Expedition
The perfect first, Alaskan, high-altitude summit!
13 days
May 19 – 31, 2026
May 18 – 30, 2027
(skiers welcome!)
Mt. Bona Expedition
Climb the fourth-tallest mountain in the US!
13 days
Custom dates may be available for 2026
May 12 – 23, 2027
(skiers welcome!)
Mt. Blackburn Expedition
Summit the king of the Wrangells!
15 days
April 25 – May 9, 2026 – FULL!
April 24 – May 8, 2027
Mt. Bear Expedition
Scale the remote grizzly of the St. Elias Range!
13 days
May 13-25, 2026 – FULL!
Custom dates may be avaialble for 2027
(skiers welcome!)
Chugach Backcountry Ski Basecamp
Ski endless, epic, and wild lines!
8 days
April 26-May 3, May 1-8, May 15-22, 2027
Custom Expedition
Plan a trip of a lifetime in the remote Wrangells!
7-15+ days
Custom dates available for 2027
Private pricing varies
(skiers welcome!)
Mountaineering + Climbing Courses
DETAILS
Why climb or ski in Wrangell - St. Elias National Park?
- On May 25, 2022 over 100 climbers summited Mt. Everest. On the same day, our team of 10 summited Mt. Bear. They were the only team to climb and summit Mt. Bear that year…
- Unlike other busy basecamp scenes with planes and helicopters buzzing overhead, out here you won’t see another party on your expedition!
- Wilderness climbing is the purest form of the sport and will test your limits. No weather stations, fixed lines, sherpas, established camps, or tracks to follow – it’s just you and the mountain.
- Access to this remote and logistics-heavy part of the world is made easy.
- Our expert and experienced guides will help you push yourself and achieve your personal best.
Custom and Private Trips
Want to climb something even further off the beaten path? Perhaps a wild peak with only one or two ascents to it’s name. Or maybe a first descent is what you’re after?
Find partners on our dedicated Facebook page to share in the adventure and spread out costs.
Already got a group that wants to climb in the Park? Contact our Expedition Coordinator to start planning your Private trip today!
What's Included
All of our mountaineering trips are all-inclusive Trip Packages!
- Customized trip planning
- Van transportation to and from Anchorage
- Lodging in our historic bunkrooms (as far as capacity allows)
- An orientation day at headquarters and group packing (most trips)
- Your professional guides (2 minimum on each trip)
- Scenic bush flights with technical landings for access
- All food in the backcountry and in McCarthy
- Group camp and technical gear (tents, fuel, sleds, ropes, etc)
You’re responsible for your own personal camping and technical gear, getting to and from Alaska, and gratuities for your guides.
FAQ
To decide which Mountaineering trip is right for you, consider your goals for this trip.
If your goal is to learn as much as possible, we recommend a Course. A course-style trip is completely focused on learning and solidifying your mountain skills to set you up for the next big adventure.
Is your goal just to have fun? Although fun is more of a state of mind that you can bring on any trip, a base camp-style trip probably fits you best. On a base camp trip, our goal is to conquer smaller objectives for pure enjoyment, and these trips are less committing. Check out our Chugach Backcountry Ski Basecamp or consider a Private Custom trip, and we can create the perfect fun-filled adventure for you!
If your goal is to conquer a major Alaska summit, you should be looking at our objective-based expeditions: anything with "Mt. ...." in the title. On these trips, the objective is to summit a remote Wrangells giant and then descend safely. Each mountain requires something different, so check out each trip and use the Alaska rating system to determine what level of difficulty or technicality you are ready for.
Remember that whatever your goals are, you can definitely have fun and learn on any trip - that part is up to you!
For Mountaineering Expeditions, we recommend booking between November and February so you have a solid plan and can have ample time to prepare your gear and train for the trip. Mountaineering expeditions should not be spontaneous, last-minute decisions as they are serious endeavors. Poorly prepared participants can jeopardize the success or safety of the team. For this reason, we don’t take last-minute reservations for our objective-based mountaineering expeditions.
We recommend booking your Backpacking, Base Camp, and Rafting Trips between November and March. The earlier you sign up, the more flexibility we’ll have to accommodate you, and the more availability there’ll be for all the details of your perfect trip.
As we get closer to the summer, options will dwindle and our time will become limited to help with trip planning as we start to focus on the upcoming season. From May to Sept, our small office staff is busy with daily operations, so booking during this time frame is less than ideal and considered “last-minute”. We may not be able to offer Trip Package services and may be slow to respond during the summer months.
Tipping is customary in the guiding industry and always appreciated. Our guides are paid professionals but tips make up a significant portion of their income and can go a long way toward making guiding a feasible long-term career choice. For our day trips, a good estimate is between 10% and 20% of the trip cost. So if you go on a day hike or climb with us, that would come to between $10 and $35 per person, depending on the trip and the percentage. As in any industry, your tip should be based on the service you feel you received. If you had the time of your life, the sky’s the limit! You can tip your guides in cash, via Venmo or you can leave a gratuity on your card. If your trip includes a flight you should plan on tipping your pilot independently, any amount that you pre-tip will go to your guide directly. Thank you for considering this ahead of time!
There’s a lot of potential adventuring in the mountain kingdom of the Wrangells, and a lot of these trips are committing!
Schedule a call with our Expedition Coordinator to learn more, ask questions, and decide what trip is right for you.