FAQ
Have an unanswered question or two?
You’re probably not the only one – we get the following questions A LOT! If you don’t find what you’re looking for, please don’t hesitate to call or email us. We would love to hear from you!
General
St. Elias Alpine Guides was started in McCarthy in 1978 by legendary climber Bob Jacobs who wanted to explore even more remote wilds and was feeling like Denali was getting too crowded even back in the 70s! The current owners worked as guides for the company for many years before taking over the business and are only the third owners in 40 years! We’ve been around longer than the Park itself and are the longest continually operating business in the area. We are proud of our long and consistent legacy in the most magnificent wilderness on earth! To learn more about us, click here.
What can we say, we love the wilderness! The lifestyle that comes with living in a teeny, remote and completely off-the-grid community in the middle of the world’s largest protected wilderness requires hard work and a sense of adventure, both passions of ours. We like the type of people who come here as well – you have to want it! We invite you to study up on Wrangell-St. Elias and McCarthy-Kennecott and come see what’s at the end of the 60mi dirt road!
Whether you are joining us for a Day Trip or a longer Multi-Day Adventure, we have created a specialized packing list for you to consult as you are preparing for your trip. Our equipment lists are thoughtfully curated and have been refined over the decades we’ve been running trips – each item has a purpose! You can find all our Equipment Lists here or on each trip’s individual page. Be aware that there is no gear store in McCarthy-Kennecott so please come as prepared as possible. Please let us know if you have more specific questions on what to bring!
No, we do not rent out crampons. If you join us for an activity requiring glacier travel, crampons are included with your tour at no extra cost!
Limited rental equipment is available to our multi-day trip guests. Ask us if you have any questions or need to rent something for your upcoming trip.
Guns are not allowed on our Kennecott Mill Town Tour. The National Park Service does not allow guns within federally owned buildings and the Kennecott Mill Town Tour enters several federally owned buildings.
We strongly discourage but do not prohibit guns on our other Day Trip activities. If you do choose to carry a firearm while on a tour with us, we ask that you conceal it for the comfort of the other guests on your tour. Please note that our guides are well trained in bear safety, and the chance of a tour encountering an aggressive bear on our day trips is very unlikely and has never happend before.
Guns are not allowed on any of our multi-day trips.
Dogs are not allowed on any of our tours. Please note that the National Park Service has additional rules and regulations regarding Pets in the Park.
If you’ve ever talked to us here at SEAG and asked “What is the mileage of the route?” chances are you’ve heard some hesitation and a vague answer. Why is that? The answer is simple, mileage here isn’t straight forward. The mileage for some of our longer 8-day backpacking trips is often around 25-30 miles. If you’re an avid backpacker, you’re likely thinking “that’s it?!” – yup, that’s it. BUT that’s 25-30 “Alaskan miles.” So what are Alaskan miles? These are miles that are not defined by a route, which mean on-site navigation over some pretty epic terrain that can include, step elevation gain and loss, side-hilling, glacial travel, creek crossings, bush-whacking, and more! While the miles you hike in the backcountry of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park will be tough, they’ll also be some of the most rewarding hiking of your life.
WSENP is located in Southeast-Central Alaska, about 300mi East of Anchorage and on the Canadian border.
Day Trips
Mild
No experience needed, up to 1 mile of walking is required.
Moderate
Little to no experience necessary, 5-6 miles of walking is required.
Advanced
Fit beginners are welcome, this activity is strenuous in nature, and typically 8-11 miles of walking are required.
Expert
Experience required, extremely strenuous in nature, mileage varies and terrain can include steep hiking, scrambling, loose rock, falling rock, and tight spaces.
Group Trips are our standard trip option and mean that you’ll be in a mixed group. There is no guarantee that your group will be cohesive, and ability levels may vary wildly. If you’d like to ensure that you can go at a faster or slower pace, please consider booking a Private Trip. There is no opportunity to “turn around early” or hike independently on a Group Hike.
Private Trips are just that – Private! These are a great option if you are a family, have mobility issues, or want to be able to explore at your own pace. Groups with an interpreter must book a Private Trip. If you have time constraints or need to start at a different time than our Group Trip, then a Private Trip will be the best option for you – please contact us if you need to discuss different timing options. On a Private Trip, it will be just your group and your guide.
Our group sizes vary depending on the activity you are participating in. Ideally, we max our group sizes at:
Half-Day Glacier Hike 1:8
Full-Day Glacier Hike 1:6
Ice Climbing 1:6
Raft & Flightsee 2:12
Kayaking 1:6
Alpine Hikes: Variable
Ice Cave Exploration: Variable
Fly-In Hikes & Kayaks: Always Private!
Ask us about upgrading to a Private Trip! Private Trips are not available for our Raft & Flightsee.
Each activity that we offer is unique and requires a different skills set that may not be suitable for all ages. Here are the age limits for our Day Trips:
Kennecott Mill Town Tour – All ages are welcome! Please keep in mind that there are steep stairs that all participants must be able to navigate independently. A hands free carrier is required for those 2 and under.
Half-Day Glacier Hike – All ages are welcome! Consider that you will hike between 5-6 miles. A hands free carrier is recommended for young children. A Private Trip is a great choice depending on the ages and abilities of your kids.
Full-Day Glacier Hike – All ages are welcome! Consider that you will hike between 8-11 miles. A hands free carrier is recommended for young children. To give your family the ultimate flexibility, a Private Trip is a great choice depending on the ages and abilities of your kids.
Ice Climbing – We recommend participants be 8 years old or older. Participants are expected to swing ice tools that can weigh between 2-5 lbs and use their own strength to move themself up the wall. Please consider your kid’s capabilities! We strongly encourage that families with children under 8 years old book a Private Trip.
Raft & Flightsee – We require participants be 8 years old or older. Participants must be able to hold on to the boat independently and be able to quickly and fully follow instructions given by the guide.
Kayaking Trips – We require participants be 3 years old or older.
Fly-In Hiking Trips – All ages are welcome! A hands free carrier is strongly recommended for those 2 or under.
We do provide local transportation on the day of your activity for our Glacier Hikes, Ice Climbing, Alpine Hikes, Fly-in activities, Kayaking and Rafting. Your pick-up location and time will vary depending on where you’re lodging, so once you book a trip with us, please refer to your confirmation for your meeting instructions.
We do not provide transportation for the Kennecott Mill Town Tour. If you are not staying in Kennecott, where the tour begins, you will need to find your own way up to Kennecott. To get between Kennecott and McCarthy most people ride the local Copper Town Shuttle (pricing and schedule change seasonally), however, you can also walk or bike the 4.5 miles between the two towns.
Because we are a long-established company with a great reputation in a stunning and remote location, we attract the best guides in the business! We hire competent men and women with extensive outdoor experience, first aid training, and great personalities and then put them through a thorough training program unique to our area and our programs. Because our schedule is as dynamic as the environment we live in, we usually assign guides the night before for our Day Trips. We love and trust every one of them and we know you will too! You can read more about these fabulous individuals here.
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!
Glacier Activities – Yes, you do need to bring your own lunch. Bringing lunch is highly recommended to help keep you fueled during your time out on the glacier, especially for the Full-Day Hike or Ice Climbing!
Fly-In Activities – Yes. You’ll be out in the Backcountry from morning until evening, so you’ll definitely want to bring a lunch
Raft & Flightsee – No, lunch is provided! Please let us know at the time of your booking if you have any allergies or dietary restrictions.
Kayaking Activities – Yes, you do need to bring your own lunch.
You’re welcome to reserve a Snack Pack for $8 or purchase one at our office at the start of your hike. If you are staying at the Kennicott Glacier Lodge and have purchased a meal plan, they will provide you with a sack lunch for the day.
If you signed up for a day hiking or climbing trip, you’ll be responsible for providing your own snacks. You may also purchase a Snack Pack at our office at the start of your hike. These Snack Packs cost $8, and are full of delicious snacks to fuel your glacier adventure!
Typical contents include:
Nuts
Beef Jerky
Granola Bar
Candy Bar
Fruit Snacks
Fruit Leather
Rice Krispie Treat
Snack Crackers
*Due to item availability and the remote nature of McCarthy, substitutions may occur
Recommended Trips:
Half-Day Glacier Hike
Full Day Glacier Hike
Ice Climbing
Alpine Hike
Fly-In Hike
Please note that lunch is included in our Raft & Flightsee Trip, so no Snack Pack is needed.
If you are staying at the Kennicott Glacier Lodge you have the option of purchasing sack lunches for the day or the Lodge’s full meal plan which will include lunch, so no Snack Pack is needed.
Glacier Activities
We get asked this question a lot – and it’s a good one!
Both Glacier Hikes take the same 2.5 mile trail to the Root Glacier. However, on our Half-Day Glacier Hike you’ll hike an average of 5 miles over the course of 5-6 hours, while on the Full Day Hike you’ll hike closer to 8-11 miles over the course of 8-9 hours.
In general the Full-Day Glacier Hike is much more strenuous. You’ll get to go further out on the glacier, where the terrain can be more challenging and varied. Because you get further out on the glacier there is a chance you won’t see another group for hours! We consider our Full-Day Glacier Hike more exploratory and there is no set route.
We recommend that you join us for a Full-Day Glacier Hike if you’d like to jump into a Blue Pool, as the pools are not always accessible on a Half-Day Glacier Hike.
On both hikes you get to see incredible glacial features, learn about our local environment (including some glaciology), and interact with a surreal landscape that you’ll remember forever! You can’t go wrong no matter which hike you choose!
Absolutely! We recommend joining us for a Full-Day Glacier Hike if you’d like to jump into a Blue Pool, as the pools are not always accessible on a Half-Day Glacier Hike. If you’re interested in jumping into a Blue Pool, you may want to bring a bathing suit, change of clothes, and towel. But don’t worry, if you forget a suit or change of clothes, you can always jump in the buff!
Wondering what a Blue Pool is? It’s an area on a glacier where water collects. The water in the pool emits a beautiful turquoise color! These pools can often be very deep – perfect for diving into or doing a big old-fashioned cannonball!
We do not recommend trekking poles for the glacier portion of your trek. Trekking poles can be helpful for the 2-mile hike to the glacier, but are not required or necessary for all hikers. If you decide to bring trekking poles with you for your trek, please make sure they can easily break down so that you can store them on/in your pack while exploring the glacier.
We’re happy to say that the Root Glacier is a Valley Glacier, making access far easier than if it were high in the mountains. In fact, you will actually lose elevation to access the glacier! You’ll start your hike at roughly 2,000 feet and over the course of your day, you won’t gain or lose much more than 200 feet.
Multi-Day Activities
Backpacking + Basecamp Hiking Trips + Courses:
Moderate
Please keep in mind that there is no truly “easy” hiking terrain in the Wrangells and often the coolest places require a little extra effort to get to. On our Moderate Trips, you will be off-trail trail for the majority of the trip, traversing some combination of rocky slopes, squishy and spongey tundra, and/or slick glacial ice in crampons - all of it uneven, most of it hilly and some of it brushy. On these trips, you will cover 5-8mi/day with up to 1500’ of elevation gain/loss while carrying your own gear along with a portion of the group gear. You will be camping in the rugged wilderness with no manmade shelters, toilets, or really any type of development. We recommend physical training in preparation for Moderate trips. These trips are great options for experienced car campers and beginner backpackers, although we always recommend as much prior experience as possible.
Advanced
On our Advanced Trips, we will be completely off-trail trail for the entirety of the trip, traversing some combination of steep and rocky slopes, tussocky and squishy tundra, loose and dynamic moraine, thick brush and/or slick glacial ice in crampons - all of it uneven and hilly. On these trips, you will cover 6-10mi/day with up to 2500’ of elevation gain/loss while carrying your own gear along with a portion of the group gear (total pack weights usually come in at 40-50lbs). We highly recommend starting physical training in preparation for Moderate trips 2-3 months in advance. These trips are great for very fit hikers or backpackers with at least four +3-day trips under their belts, but honestly, the more experience you have, the better prepared you will be for the “Alaska factor”!
Expert
We often hear that our trips are the hardest trips our clients have ever done, and we hear this even from very experienced backpackers. Why? Because Alaska’s undeveloped wilderness is rough and rugged and provides endless natural challenges which make for slow going but also an extremely engaging and fulfilling experience! Our expert trips require a high level of fitness and conditioning and training prior to these trips is mandatory. On these trips, you can expect to cover up to 10 miles a day of steep, rugged, unstable, and inconsistent terrain with a 45-55lb pack of all your personal gear plus some group gear. You can expect to gain/lose between 1,000-3,000’ a day. You will be camping in the rugged wilderness with no manmade shelters, toilets, or really any type of development. These trips are perfect for very fit and experienced backpackers and we recommend starting training 2-3 months prior to the start of the trip.
Rafting Trips:
Our Rafting Trips are scenic floats through incredible wilderness and on all of our trips you’ll hit Class II-III rapids. The glacial rivers we float run fast and cold so we take a conservative approach, allowing everyone to have a fun and splashy time while mitigating the risks the water presents to the boats and rafters. On Rafting Trips you can expect to go on a short hike or two each day, usually 1-3 mi total and up to ~200ft of elevation gain. Please keep in mind that there is no truly “easy” hiking terrain in the Wrangells and often the coolest places require a little extra effort to get to. There aren’t any trails where you’re headed, so most hikes will be up dry creek beds or along the brushy edges of the river. Longer and more challenging side hikes may be accessible, depending on the trip. You will be camping in the rugged wilderness with no manmade shelters, toilets, or really any type of development. No special physical training or camping experience is required . We recommend our rafting trips to anyone looking for a wilderness experience at a very comfortable pace, those wanting to spend quality time with their group, or those hoping to relax while still seeing a lot. Kids ages 8+ are welcome.
All the pictures and descriptions sound amazing! How do I know what’s right for me? Here are some things to think about when selecting a trip:
What is my #1 goal for this adventure? Do I want to relax and get away from a hectic schedule? Do I want to push myself on an epic and athletically challenging journey? Create life-long memories with my family or partner? Learn skills from the experts and grow my scope as a mountain athlete? See new landscapes and experience Alaska’s unique glaciated terrain?
What are my interests? Birding, animals, photography, geology, wildflowers, journaling, athleticism, spirituality, art, technical climbing, etc.
Will this trip be part of a bigger Alaska trip? Where else am I going and what else will I see? Our glaciated terrain, history, high-altitude peaks, and vast backcountry wilderness are what set us apart from other areas in Alaska.
What am I comfortable with at my current level of knowledge, experience, and physical and mental ability? Alaska is bigger and tougher than anything in the lower 48 and it’s a great place to push yourself, but you want to be realistic and make sure you have a good foundation to build upon if reaching for higher heights.
On Basecamp Trips we fly out into the wilderness and set up camp near the airstrip. From here we explore the area on a series of day hikes with lighter packs or paddles and return to the same camp every night.
Basecamp Trips are recommended for beginner campers, families with younger children, and those with injuries that may prevent them from carrying a heavy pack. We also recommend these trips for those looking for a more relaxing experience, though please note that all the terrain in the Wrangells is quite rugged so some level of athleticism is always required to get around the wilderness.
On Mini-Backpacking Trips we fly to a backcountry destination and strap on our heavy backpacks, taking a short hike to set up our first camp. Over several days, we will explore different areas on day-hikes, moving camp at least once again.
Mini-Backpacking Trips are perfect for those newer to camping and backpacking or those looking for a less physically strenuous backpacking experience in rugged Alaska. Great for kids 12 and up!
On Point-to-Point Backpacking Trips we take 4-8 days to get from backcountry destination A to backcountry destination B, moving camp every night, being completely self-sufficient, and carrying all our gear on our backs.
Our Backpacking Trips are different in difficulty as well as terrain and scenery and each presents a unique series of challenges. Alaska requires more and burlier gear which means heavier packs and the terrain and weather can be relentless – do not underestimate the challenges a trail-less wilderness presents! We do not offer any “easy” backpacking trips and do not recommend these trips for first-time or beginner backpackers.
On Rafting Trips we usually spend 2-6hrs on the river every day, stopping for lunch and short, scenic hikes before making a camp in the wilderness. Our rafting trips are scenic floats, allowing access to otherwise unattainable views and covering more miles than you ever could on foot, with some class II-III rapids in between. Rafting trips allow a slightly more “luxurious” wilderness experience than backpacking or basecamp hiking – easier on the legs, a more casual daily schedule with more time at camp, no backpack burden, more elaborate meals with fresher ingredients, etc.
We raft a few different rivers in the Wrangells and each has unique scenery and logistics, some involving bush flights and some ending way out on the coast! We recommend our rafting trips to anyone looking for a wilderness experience at a very comfortable pace, those wanting to spend quality time with their group, or those hoping to relax while still seeing a lot. Kids ages 8+ are welcome.
On Mountaineering Expeditions we access remote big-mountain terrain, usually landing on ski planes to climb and ski some of the tallest peaks in Alaska’s endless mountain kingdom! We offer small-group objective-based expeditions where the goal is to safely summit and descend a remote peak, play-style expeditions where we set up a basecamp to access some shorter but epic lines, and technical courses where the goal is to learn and practice mountaineering techniques and skills (see below). We climb and ski in a wilderness style – there are 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. This is a different style of climbing and takes strong mental and physical fortitude as teams must be completely self-sustained. All mountaineering trips include Trip Packages with transportation and lodging logistics included (Anchorage to Anchorage).
Our mountaineering expeditions are recommended for those looking to access some of the most remote and wild mountain terrain on the planet. Each trip has a difficulty level, requires vetting and a mountaineering resume. Some trips require guide references.
On Technical Courses the goal is to learn technical skills and put them into practice on Alaska’s unique glaciated terrain. Our courses vary in length and can be highly customizable
Technical Courses are recommended for those wanting to focus on skill-building and excited to learn in an incredible outdoor classroom. All skill levels are welcome. We are not affiliated with any learning institution and these courses do not provide any type of certification. That said, we hope that what we teach you and your experience is memorable and transforms your mountain confidence and abilities!
Most of our Multi-day Trips are offered in both a Group or Private Trip format.
Group Trips have set dates and are made up of individual travelers or smaller parties like couples who don’t know each other but are excited to adventure together! On a Group Trip, you’ll meet new people with similar interests and be able to spread the costs of the trip resulting in a lower per-person rate. We need a minimum of 3 people to run a Group Trip at the Group Rate and they max out at 8 participants for land-based trips and 12 participants for rafting trips. Learn more about Trip Minimums here.
Private Trips have custom dates and are just for your party. Private Trips are great for families, especially those with young children, close groups of friends or couples just wanting to spend time together, or those with special interests like photography or birding that they want to focus on during the trip. On a Private Trip, the entire experience is customized to your party and you don’t have to compromise to anyone else’s interests or abilities. Private Trips can be for just one, solo adventurer or get as big as 12 participants for larger groups.
For both Group and Private Trips, we work with a ratio of 1:4 for land-based trips, 1:3 for rafting trips, and 1:2-3 for mountaineering and ski trips. This helps with any pacing or interest discrepancies and provides additional support for bigger groups.
We usually start to take bookings for multi-day trips in the late fall – sign up for our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss our season opener!
The booking process can take a few weeks as you decide on your Trip and Trip Package details and requires back and forth communication with our office staff.
We recommend booking your Backpacking, Basecamp, Mini-Backpacking and Rafting Trips between November and May. The earlier you sign up, the more flexibility we’ll have to accommodate you, and the more availability there’ll be for exactly what you’re looking for.
As we get closer to the summer, options will dwindle and more importantly, 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 and existing trips, and so booking during this time frame is less than ideal and considered “last-minute”. We are not able to offer Trip Package services for trips booked within 2 months of the start date, for example, and may be slower to respond during the summer months.
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 and we don’t want to jeopardize the success or safety of the team by adding a participant who has not trained or mentally prepared for the challenges ahead. For this reason, we don’t take last-minute reservations for our objective-based expeditions.
We want you to feel comfortable booking your adventures with us knowing that anything can happen between now and then. Check out our Multi-Day Trip Cancellation Policy.
Our wilderness trip guides are the best of the best! They have worked for us as day guides for at least one full season, have extensive experience in the backcountry, advanced wilderness medical training, a good head on their shoulders, and are also fun and personable people to spend a few days or a few weeks with. They love what they do and want to make sure you have the best experience possible. Our guides come in many shapes and sizes and from many different backgrounds – you can get to know them here. We assign guides to individual trips 2-4 weeks prior to the trip and do our best to match their personalities to yours and your group’s. Your guide plans to contact you 1-2 weeks before the trip to introduce themselves and answer any last minute questions you might have.* Our schedule is as dynamic as our environment and we apologize if this doesn’t happen or isn’t as timely due to busy schedules and/or last-minute scheduling additions and changes.
*Our Mountaineering Guides get assigned several months in advance and will be contacting you 2 months before the expedition to make introductions and answer any last minute questions.
Likely, at some point or another, at least a little bit, yes.
On a Rafting Trip, you can help the guides unload the boats, set up camp, and carry your dry bag(s) to your tent nearby. After breakfast, you can help take down camp and load up the boats.
On a Basecamp Hiking Trip, you will need to carry your gear about 5-20min from the backcountry airstrip to set up camp at the beginning of the trip and then pack up and carry it back to the airstrip at the end. Throughout the trip you will hike with a small day pack – this is usually 5-15lbs.
On a Basecamp mini-Backpacking Trip you will need to carry all your gear between the airstrip and your camp, which will be 1-3mi away. This means at least 2 one-way trips with the big backpack (usually 30-40lbs). After setting up camp you will enjoy day-hikes with a much lighter day pack (usually 5-15lbs).
On a Backpacking Trip, you will move camp almost every night and will need to carry everything you need with you. For a trip up to 4 days in length, you can expect packs in the 35-45lb range and for trips in the 6-8 day range, please be prepared for weights closer to 45-50lbs. The burly gear that is required for the Alaskan backcountry isn’t very light so forget “ultralite” and think heavy-duty!
For all Basecamping and Backpacking Trips, the pack weight will really depend on what you bring, so we do recommend having a minimalist mindset. In addition to your own gear, we will be giving you a bear canister full of food and supplies, potentially another item like a fuel canister or a stove, and maybe a part of a tent if you’re not bringing your own (we recommend sharing tents to save weight). Your guides are weight-conscious packers and will never burden you unnecessarily. It’s likely that over the course of the trip you’ll be able to start adding your own things into the bear canister and your pack should get lighter as you eat your food and use supplies.
If you would really like to do a Point-to-Point Backpacking Trip but are concerned about the pack weight, we also offer Porter services. Porters cannot take your entire pack for you, but they can help alleviate your pack weight significantly and offer other assistance as an assistant guide on the trip.
On our objective-based Mountaineering Expeditions, you will be required to carry all your own gear and some group gear between camps. Depending on the terrain, you may bring sleds with you for all or some of the route. Depending on the route, you may do stretches of the route multiple times, caching gear as you go, so you may not always have the full weight of all your equipment with you at all times. At maximum, you can expect weights of 80-160lbs to be split between a backpack and a sled and at minimum a 30lb bag for single-day excursions.
This is one of the most commonly asked questions!
We practice Leave No Trace principles and make sure to minimize our impact on the natural landscape as much as possible.
In Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the recommended practice for backpackers is to either individually dig small holes (your guide will carry a small trowel) to use as a personal latrine per-use or choose a place near camp but with some privacy and dig a trench for use as a group latrine, depending on the location. You will carry out all your used toilet paper and all other sanitary products and trash.
On rafting trips, we carry a plastic toilet box with a seat that is set up near camp and your guides will carry out all waste on the boats.
On mountaineering trips, the latrine is commonly a crevasse or snow-pit protected from camp by a wall of snow.
Your guides will instruct you on the particulars of the situation per camp to set you up for success and all possible comfort. Please don’t be shy to ask them questions on this matter. It’s a necessity that has been given lots of thought your guides are experts in ALL things outdoors!
Wrangell – St. Elias National Park is home to both black bears and grizzly bears and we are honored to share our home with such majestic animals. We treat the bears with respect and do our best to maintain their wild environment and nature. The bears out here are truly very wild and have very little contact with humans – this means that they are naturally afraid of us! Yes, even grizzlies! Bears do not hunt humans and our most common bear sighting is of a bear’s butt as they run away.
Although bear sightings may be exciting, we do our best to avoid close encounters with preventative measures at camp and while hiking that our guides will share with you. Just in case of unusually close encounters, our guides carry flare guns (to scare a bear away) and pepper spray (in case of an uncomfortably close meeting). It is very uncommon to have to use either.
If you want to, you can bring your own bear spray too, however, know that your guide has one and has been trained on how to use it. With 40 years of guiding in the Park, we have found that being bear aware, taking preventative measures and the flare gun and pepper spray to be sufficient mitigations.
Please refrain from bringing firearms with you on our trips. Not only does this make our other guests and guides uncomfortable, but they are also completely unnecessary for bear safety. We know that other areas of Alaska may recommend firearms for bear safety, but we specifically recommend against them.
We pride ourselves on cooking healthy and delicious meals even under the most adverse conditions! Your exact menu will depend on the trip, your guide, and the dietary preferences/restrictions you list in your Trip Application. No matter what kind of cook your guide is at home, all our guides are well-trained backcountry chefs and use time-tested recipes from our proprietary cookbook for their trips. We carry a plentiful and varied stock of ingredients and most meals are prepared from scratch (allowing for easy substitutions, additions or subtractions of ingredients). We onlyt use pre-packed freeze-dried meals on summit pushes on our mountaineering expeditions.
On our backpacking and basecamp trips, you can expect 3 meals a day, plus snacks of your choice. Breakfasts and dinners are usually hot meals and lunches are served cold. On mountaineering trips lunches consist of a variety of snacks as it can be hard to organize group meals while on a rope team.
We use a combination of fresh, dehydrated, and freeze-dried ingredients to make our delicious meals, however on longer backpacking and mountaineering trips your guides will use more freeze-dried foods than fresh foods to keep pack weights as low as possible. On our rafting trips, we cook full multi-course meals with fresh ingredients and enjoy hot and cold breakfasts, cold lunches and hot dinners.
Meals for most trips start with Lunch on the first day and end with Lunch on the last day. *
*If you are signed up for a Custom Trip Package with us, it may include more meals. Check with us if you’re not sure. Mountaineering trips also include meals in McCarthy before and after the backcountry expedition.
We can accommodate most dietary restrictions and even preferences, too! Please be honest and open with your guides about what you can and cannot eat, why, and what will happen if you do. Don’t worry if it’s just a preference – there’s no need to pick out the mushrooms out of every meal when they could easily just be left out.
Because our guides prepare most meals completely from scratch it’s easy for them to add, leave out or substitute ingredients. They are attuned to the consequences of cross-contamination and prep and cook meals with great care when dealing with an allergen or an upsetting ingredient. We have never had any food-related allergic reactions or major issues arise in the field.
We ask that you are realistic about how you want to eat in the backcountry. If you follow a very strict diet at home, consider making exceptions while on the trip as your body will be extra stressed and comfort foods will seem much more appealing out there. We also want to make sure you’re getting enough calories, protein, and other nutrients. If you tell your guides you don’t eat pork, they won’t pack you any bacon, and then when breakfast rolls around and you can hear it sizzling in the pan, that delicious bacon smell is in the air, and everyone else is crunchin’ on crispy bacon strips……you’ll be eating drool for breakfast! If you tell us you eat vegan, we will pack you amazing and delicious vegan meals, so don’t count on stealing anyone’s cheese and jerky if it turns out you actually make exceptions for tasty treats! Be realistic, and communicate honestly.
If you have a highly specialized diet for health reasons and we are not able to accommodate it, we will work with you to find a alternate solution.
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!
We understand that you may have luggage or things you don’t want to bring into the backcountry with you so we have a designated area at our headquarters where your guide will label and store your stuff while you’re out. This area is not locked, however, we have never had any issues with loss or damage. If you have a small item of great value that you are particularly nervous about, we may be able to store it in our office for you – just ask your guide.
On the Chitina River, Copper River, Source to Sea, or Custom Trips with different start and end points, any luggage you leave behind with us will be brought out to meet you at the end of the trip.
On our Backpacking, Basecamp, Rafting or Mountaineering Trips a shared tent will be provided for you, however, if you have your own tent and can bring it, we recommend that you do. You’ll be most comfortable with the equipment you’re already familiar with (or you can become familiar with it on this trip) and this is probably why you got a tent in the first place – to use it!
For our Backpacking, Basecamp, and Rafting Trips we use lightweight 2-man and 3-man, 3-season tents with double vestibules. Our fleet of rental tents includes a variety of brands and models like MSR Elixers and Alps Mountaineering Extreme. Other great options are the Big Agnes Copper Spur or MSR Hubba Hubba.
For our Mountaineering and Ski Trips we use sturdy but lightweight double-wall, 4-season tents with vestibules like the Mountain Hardwear Trango.
If you’d like to bring your own tent, double-check the make and model with us first to make sure it’ll stand up to the rugged demands of the Alaskan backcountry!
Mountaineering
All the pictures and descriptions sound amazing! How do I know what’s right for me? Here are some things to think about when selecting a trip:
What is my #1 goal for this adventure? Do I want to relax and get away from a hectic schedule? Do I want to push myself on an epic and athletically challenging journey? Create life-long memories with my family or partner? Learn skills from the experts and grow my scope as a mountain athlete? See new landscapes and experience Alaska’s unique glaciated terrain?
What are my interests? Birding, animals, photography, geology, wildflowers, journaling, athleticism, spirituality, art, technical climbing, etc.
Will this trip be part of a bigger Alaska trip? Where else am I going and what else will I see? Our glaciated terrain, history, high-altitude peaks, and vast backcountry wilderness are what set us apart from other areas in Alaska.
What am I comfortable with at my current level of knowledge, experience, and physical and mental ability? Alaska is bigger and tougher than anything in the lower 48 and it’s a great place to push yourself, but you want to be realistic and make sure you have a good foundation to build upon if reaching for higher heights.
Yes! Our Intro to Mountaineering Course is designed to teach you the basic skills you need to join an Alaskan big-mountain expedition. Remember that an objective-based expedition also requires excellent fitness, so we require physical training in addition to a comfortable knowledge and skills base. Because we always have to vet applicants for our objective-based trips, those that have done any type of multi-day adventure with our company already have a leg up - our guides have been out in the field with you and can comfortably make a recomendation on which summit is best for you.
The most typical progression for climbers is to join our Intro to Mountaineering Course, knock out a big summit or two in the lower-48 (something like Rainier, Baker or Shasta) and then join us on a non-technical, high-altitude expedition like Mt. Bear or Mt. Bona. After one remote, Alaskan big-mountain objective is complete, don't blame us when the cravings start and you set your sights on the even more challenging Mt. Blackburn!
Some of our mountaineering and ski expeditions, especially the objective-based trips, require participants to submit a climbing resume. A climbing resume lists out your relevant outdoor and climbing experience. We use these to get to know you a little better and to make sure you are signing up on a trip of an appropriate level for everyone’s safety and enjoyment.
This does not have to be a formal document with fancy letterhead, there is no particular format to follow and as long as the info is there, you can email this to us at any time. You can include mountaineering expeditions, rock climbs, ice climbs, alpine climbs, scrambles, and traverses – you can definitely include attempts that didn’t quite make it, but please make that clear in your notes and why. The important details to include about each outing are the name of the area or mountain, the route name, the difficulty rating, the month and year you did it, and your role on the team (was it a solo attempt, where you guided by a professional, were you guiding a group of friends?). You may choose to include other details about your climbs like the distance or elevation gained, how the climb felt to you (was it super easy or were you at your limit?), or anything remarkable that happened during the outing. It can also be helpful to know a little about your general fitness and outdoor experience so you can include information on your workout habits or other relevant athletic feats (extended backpacking trips you’ve been on or how many miles you run a week, for example).
We will review your resume and may have follow-up questions and from there we’ll be able to advise you as to which expedition is best for you!
A unique grading system to help decipher the remote, cold, stormy nature of Alaskan climbing. It is important to remember that even Grade 1 may involve climbing on snow and glaciers in remote locations and cold weather.
Grade 1 - Single day, easy glacier route
Objectives up to 8-11,000’ with prominence of up to 3000’
Intro to Mountaineering Course, Chugach Backcountry Ski Basecamp
Grade 2 - Long day or multi-day, non-technical, but exposed to knife-edged ridges, weather, and high-altitude
Mt. Bear, Mt. Sanford, Mt. Bona
Grade 2+ (the + signfies increased technicality)
Mt. Blackburn, Mt. Steller
Grade 3 - Multi-day hard to difficult, with sustained technical climbing
University Peak
Grade 5 - Multiday sustained hard climbing over several thousand vertical feet requiring high commitment
Mt. St. Elias
Kennecott/McCarthy
The towns of McCarthy and Kennecott are closed to outside vehicle traffic, and the Footbridge is the only way for visitors to enter the area. The Footbridge is a pedestrian bridge that crosses over the Kennicott River and is located at the end of the McCarthy Road.
You can pay to park your car at the Base Camp Kennicott Campground at the end of the McCarthy Road. To access the towns of McCarthy and Kennecott, you’ll want to cross the Footbridge. Once on the other side, there are a few different ways to get to where you need to go:
- If you need to get to your lodging, check with your lodging host to arrange a pick-up with them.
- If you need to get around the area for the day, there is a local shuttle service that provides rides up to Kennecott at a cost. However, you can always ride your bike or walk the ½ mile to McCarthy or the 5 miles to Kennecott. There are no bike rentals available in the area.
- If you’re joining us for a glacier activity, rafting trip, fly-in hike or multi-day activity - transportation is included! Once you’ve booked a trip with us, check your confirmation for more information.
Regardless of how you arrive in McCarthy, be advised that no outside vehicles are permitted within the town, so don’t plan on being able to drive yourself around. Uber and taxi services are a laughable concept out here in the bush…you’ll see!
Within the towns of Kennecott and McCarthy, all local businesses and points of attraction are within walking distance.
To get between Kennecott and McCarthy most people ride the local Copper Town Shuttle or the Blackburn Heritage Shuttle (pricing and schedule change seasonally), however, you can also walk or bike the 4.5mi between the two towns.
The Footbridge at the end of the McCarthy Road is about a 20min walk from McCarthy. The Copper Town Shuttle also offers service to the Footbridge on a regular schedule.
Most local lodging hosts will provide transportation for check-in and check-out so you should be able to get to your accommodations from either the Footbridge if you’re driving in or from the airstrip if you’re flying in – check with your host for more details.
If you’re doing an activity with us, chances are we provide transportation! Check with us if you are unsure if transportation is provided for your activity.
The condition of the road varies during the course of the Summer Season (May-September), and travel is not advised during the Winter Months (November-April). If you do choose to drive down the McCarthy Road in the Summer you should keep the following in mind:
It is a 60-mile gravel road.
There are many potholes and frost heaves along the way.
There are narrow sections of road and soft shoulders.
Sharp rocks and old railroad spikes can cause flat tires, you should always travel with a spare.
Landslides have been known to occur on certain sections of the road, blocking progress.
Travel is slow going, and you shouldn’t go any more than ~35 miles per hour.
Always allot more time to travel the road than you think you need, we recommend 2-3 hours from Chitina (where the road begins) to McCarthy.
If you have questions about alternative transportation options in and out of the McCarthy/Kennecott Area, you can refer to our Transportation Page.
Even though we are a remote and completely off-the-grid community, we’ve got some great lodging options in our area! There are historic wilderness lodges and hotels, small cabins, BnBs, and a big campground, too! Please visit our lodging recommendations page for more information.
Verizon is the only major service provider that works in the towns of McCarthy and Kennecott. GCI has been reported to work in the area, but it isn’t always reliable. It is important to note that service is spotty along the McCarthy Road, and there is no service in the backcountry of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve.
There is no public WiFi in the area. We highly recommend that you enjoy the chance to unplug, unwind, and explore the beautiful Kennicott Valley! However, if you do need WiFi, many lodging options in the Kennicott Valley provide internet for their guests – check with your lodging host if you need WiFi.
Mill Tour
No, we do not provide transportation for the Kennecott Mill Town Tour. If you are not staying in Kennecott, where the tour begins, you will need to find your own way up to Kennecott. To get between Kennecott and McCarthy most people ride the local Copper Town Shuttle (pricing and schedule change seasonally), however, you can also walk or bike the 4.5 miles between the two towns.