TRIP DIFFICULTY LEVELS
All of our trips have an assigned difficulty level to help you understand what to expect and choose the best trip for you. Trip difficulty levels depend on the duration and type of adventure.
DAY TRIP DIFFICULTY LEVELS
Day Trips are categorized by the following categories: Mild, Moderate, Advanced, and Expert
Mild
No previous experience is needed. Even these adventures will require up to 1 mile of walking and up to 150 feet of elevation gain/loss. For water activities, there is a chance you could get wet.
Moderate
Little to no experience necessary, 5-7 miles of walking on uneven ground, and up to 500 feet of elevation gain/loss is required. You are likely to encounter some steep slopes and loose rock.
Advanced
Fit beginners are welcome, though no previous technical experience is required. These activities are strenuous in nature, and typically require 8-12 miles of walking and 1,000-4,000 feet of elevation gain/loss. You will encounter steep slopes with loose rock.
Expert
Experience is required, and these trips are extremely strenuous in nature. Mileage varies, and terrain can include steep hiking, scrambling, loose rock, falling rock, and tight spaces.
MULTI-DAY TRIP DIFFICULTY LEVELS
Backpacking, Base Camp Hiking and Packrafting Trips, and Courses are categorized by the following categories: Moderate, Advanced, and Expert
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 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 any type of development.
We recommend physical training in preparation for Moderate trips, and some camping experience is preferred, but not required. These trips are great options for car campers transitioning to the backcountry, beginner backpackers, as well as those who don’t want to move camp every day in the backcountry.
Advanced
On our Advanced Trips, we will be completely off-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. You will be camping in the rugged wilderness with no manmade shelters, toilets, or any type of development.
On these trips, you will cover 6-10mi/day with up to 2500 feet 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 Advanced trips 2-3 months prior to the trip.
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 physical training before these trips is mandatory. On Expert 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 will encounter both bushwacks and stream crossings. 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 any type of development.
These trips are perfect for very fit and experienced backpackers, and we recommend starting training at least 2-3 months prior to the start of the trip.
MULTI-DAY RAFTING TRIP DIFFICULTY
Our Multi-Day 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 miles 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.
MOUNTAINEERING + SKI TRIP DIFFICULTY LEVELS
A unique grading system was developed 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 extreme weather. There is no “easy mountaineering” in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park, and the Alaska grading system is an extremely steep curve. The differences between each grade are significant, and it can take climbers many years to transition to the next grade.
GRADE 1
Single-day objectives, with easy glacier routes. Objectives up to 8-11,000’ with prominence of up to 3000’.
Intro to Mountaineering Course, Chugach Backcountry Ski Base Camp, Ski Mountaineering Course
GRADE 2
Long single-day or multi-day objectives. Predominantly non-technical routes, but can include significant exposure, knife-edged ridges, extreme weather, and high-altitude.
Mt. Bear, Mt. Sanford, Mt. Bona
GRADE 2+
This grade covers everything in the Grade 2 category PLUS increased technicality. These routes include steep snow and ice pitches and more complex navigation of technical and hazardous terrain.
Mt. Blackburn, Mt. Steller
GRADE 3
Multi-day objectives, with sustained technical climbing.
University Peak, Mt. Hunter, Mt. Foraker
GRADE 4
Challenging multi-day objectives, with prolonged technical climbing, exposure, and additional logistical technicality.
Mt. Moffit
GRADE 5
Committing, multi-day objectives, with sustained, difficult technical climbing over several thousand vertical feet.
Mt. St. Elias
We hope this helps you decipher our adventure offerings and choose the best trip for you and your group! If you have any questions about trip difficulty, please contact us. We are happy to help!