ICE CLIMBING
CAMP
Multi Day
- Course
- Moderate
Learn how to ice climb on the Root Glacier!
Learn how to ice climb and take your climbing skills to the next level! The Alaska Root Glacier provides an endless field classroom with various terrain features that are perfect for learning and practicing. Not only will you get a ton of ice climbing laps in and get to practice your technique, you’ll also learn the rope systems involved so that you are ready to get out there and climb on your own! Let our stoked and professional ice climbing guides show you the ropes!
- Learn in the field with stunning Alaskan backdrops
- Curriculum is customized to your learning style and experience
- Small group format ensures you get individualized instruction
- Root Glacier has endless and varying climbing terrain
Learning Objectives can include:
- Ice climbing technique
- Climbing knots
- Ice anchor building
- Belaying and rappelling
- Gear familiarity and maintenance
- Route selection and terrain assessment
- Lead climbing (optional)
- Advanced rope skills and rescue (optional)
Trip Details
Trip Length
3 days
Total Mileage
10mi
Total Elevation Gain/Loss
1,000
Rates:
Private Solo
$2,275
Private 2 Participants
$1,260/person
Private 3-8 Participants
$950/person
Group
$950/person
Group Trip Dates:
July 18-20, 2025 (Women’s Specific)
June 13-15, 2025
August 29-31, 2025
Private Trips with custom dates are available. Schedule a call with our Expedition Coordinator to plan your Private Trip today!
The “Alaska Factor”
There is a reason Alaska has such a rugged allure for the lower 48 and beyond: it is still wild! This raw and untamed landscape offers our clients the opportunity to authentically pioneer new territory and have real adventures. Part of embracing the “Alaska Factor” is understanding that things may not always go as planned and expecting the unexpected. Water levels might rise, snow might fall, glaciers may shift and move – the landscape is dynamic and unpredictable is what makes Alaska, Alaska!
All of our trips are customized as they unfold and your guide will fluidly make decisions based on weather, logistics, and group dynamics to maximize each day’s experience. There can be quite a bit of variation, but on each trip we promise a big slice of the real Alaska and authentic adventure!
DAY 0
DAY 1
After enjoying lunch, it’s time to head down to the glacier and ice climb! Today will focus on ice climbing technique and movement – whether you’re new to the sport or a seasoned veteran, it’s always helpful to focus on your form! Today’s lessons will also include belaying instruction and basic knots. After your afternoon of climbing, it’s time to head back to camp and eat some dinner. Afterwards, your guide may further discuss climbing knots, or help further familiarize you with your ice climbing equipment.
DAY 2
DAY 3
What’s included?
- Customized trip planning
- Logistics consultation*
- Your professional guide(s) – 4:1 ratio
- Orientation and a Gear Shakedown
- All the food on the trip
- Group camping gear (bear canisters, cookware, fuel, tents**)
- Ropes, non-technical crampons, and some other technical gear
*Upgrade to a Trip Package and have logistics included with your trip!
**We recommend that you bring your own tent if possible
What’s not included?
- Gratuities
- Personal camping and technical gear
- Logistics
You’ll need to be in McCarthy the day before your trip begins for an Orientation and Gear Shakedown. You’ll meet your guide, grab group gear and make sure you are fully prepared to go into the backcountry.
Please account for a full day for travel both to and from McCarthy and the next Alaskan destination. We don’t recommend leaving McCarthy the last day of your trip as this cuts significantly into your last backcountry day and usually makes for a very hectic drive.
Check out our Transportation Page to learn how to get to and from McCarthy. Check out our Lodging Page for lodging recommendations in the area.
Trip Package
If you are planning your trip +2 months before your trip start date, upgrade to a Trip Package! A Trip Package will include transportation to/from McCarthy, local lodging, and any other local activities you’re interested in. We charge a non-refundable $50 Trip Package fee per person for this service.
This is a Moderate Backpacking Trip
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.
GALLERY
We offer an Ice Climbing Day Trip, too! No experience necessary and beginners are welcome. If you already have climbing experience, consider a Private trip for a customized day with more laps, learning and more technical terrain.
WANT TO ICE CLIMB
BUT DON'T
HAVE 3 DAYS?
FAQ
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.
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 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.