Alaskan Climbing/Skiing
Alaska’s vast and wild terrain offers limitless adventure, with sheer rock faces, complex glaciers and icy mountains comprising challenges from entry-level to Himalayan-scale. Whether it’s the world-class skiing of the Valdez or the magnificent climbing of the Alaska Range, our Alaska trips hold unforgettable experiences for anyone who’s drawn to adventure.
We offer a wide variety of Alaskan options. Our three core courses are our Valdez Heli-Ski trip, Alaskan Mountaineering Seminar and our Ham and Eggs climb.
We also guide Mt. Huntington, Peak 11,300, and Denali. All of these are available upon request.
Alaska’s proximity and hassle-free logistics mean you don’t need an abundance of time to reach world-class terrain. You just need physical and mental tenacity, and a well-developed sense of adventure – from there, we can match you to the right Alaska trip. With such spectacular mountains and expert guidance, it’ll be an experience you won’t forget. We invite you to join us up in Alaska!
“I was particularly impressed with the fact that the logistics were handled perfectly and the trip was fun from start to finish. For me, it was an absolutely perfect trip.”—Ed H, Denver, Moose’s Tooth, Ham and Eggs
Alaska’s Chugach Mountains have some of the best mountain skiing in the U.S. and arguably the world. On our 8-day trip, we spend a week exploring the steeps of the coastal Chugach range. During the day we ascend jagged 10,000’ peaks, take in the 360-degree Alaskan wilderness panorama, carve virgin turns down fresh powder slopes, and in the evenings we dine out and relax at a comfortable hotel. All at a fraction of the cost of a $15,000 heli-skiing trip!
The incredible scale of Alaska’s Ruth Gorge seems reminiscent of Patagonia, but with better weather. The vast glaciers and towering alpine rock faces give breathtaking scenery and phenomenal mountaineering opportunities. The Ruth offers a superb arena to improve one’s alpine skills.
Climbers covet the true summit of the Moose’s Tooth (10,335’), and Ham and Eggs climbs the most logical line to this beautiful peak. Since the first ascent in 1975, a bold undertaking by Jon Krakauer and friends, the route sat mostly dormant for 24 years with no complete ascents. In 1999 CMS guide Dale Remsberg and his wife, with fresh information from Krakauer, made the 3rd ascent just a day after the second ascent. Since then, the route has seen many ascents and has become one of the most classic lines in the Alaska Range.
Peak 11,300 has become a new classic in the Alaska Range, partly due to Steve House’s pick of the Southwest Ridge as his top tick in the book “50 Favorite Climbs”. To date, CMS guides have successfully guided this route twice.
Many climbers consider Mt. Huntington the most beautiful peak in the Alaska Range, and it’d be hard to argue otherwise. Imposing from all sides, Mt. Huntington has no easy way up – every route requires steep, technical climbing. Although massive rock walls, ice chutes and cornices make Huntington’s summit seem improbable from any aspect, the West Face Couloir (aka Nettle-Quirk route, for the first climbers to ascend it to Huntington’s summit) sneaks its way up relatively moderate terrain for 4,000 vertical feet to the coveted 12,240’ summit.
Denali, aka Mt. McKinley, is one of the world’s most famous mountains, and for good reason. Its traditional name means “The High One” in the native Athabaskan language, and with a vertical rise over the surrounding plateau of 18,000’, Denali is more prominent than even Mt. Everest. In an inhospitable region of Alaska’s interior, Denali is a magnificent massif of granite blanketed by five ancient rivers of ice for which it is their source. The first ascent of Denali took place in 1913, but the classic and moderate West Buttress route was not pioneered until 1951 by Bradford Washington. The more technical and and still less crowded West Rib Route was not completed until 1959. Join us as we attempt to overcome the tremendous challenges posed by this giant mountain in hopes of earning the opportunity to stand for a short while on the highest point in North America.
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