Guided Alpine Climbing & Skiing in the Alaska Range
Explore Alaska’s Best Alpine Climbing, Rock Climbing, & Ski Mountaineering
Explore some of North America’s most spectacular and challenging alpine terrain with a custom guided expedition in the Alaska Range. Skyward Mountaineering offers guided mountaineering, alpine climbing, rock climbing, and ski mountaineering expeditions in Denali National Park and throughout the Alaska Range.
Every expedition is tailored to your abilities and and unique goals. Our certified AMGA guides combine extensive Alaska Range experience with intimate knowledge of the terrain, weather, and logistics required for successful expeditions in this remote environment. From the jaw-dropping glacier flight on day one to the climbing and skiing that follows, an Alaska expedition offers a rare combination of remote wilderness and remarkably easy access, spectacular alpine terrain and big mountain challenges. It’s an experience unlike any other in the mountains.
Did you know?
Skyward Mountaineering was the first guide service to successfully guide Ham and Eggs on the Moose’s Tooth! We were also the first guide service to successfully guide several other classic routes throughout the Alaska Range, such as the Southwest Ridge on Peak 11,300 and the Harvard Route on Mount Huntington. Combined, our guides have experience with over 100 expeditions into the Alaska Range.
Choose Your Alaska Range Expedition:
Guided Alpine Climbing & Mountaineering Expeditions
Explore the Alaska Range on a guided alpine climbing trip with Skyward Mountaineering. The peaks and glaciers in Alaska offer some of the most challenging and rewarding mountaineering in North America, with opportunities for complex glacier travel, technical alpine climbing, ice climbing, mixed climbing, rock climbing, and steep snow. Our guided Alaska climbing trips are designed for experienced climbers and mountaineers seeking world class mountaineering expeditions, technical alpine routes, and challenging ascents in a remote mountain environment.
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![An alpinist in a red jacket is climbing up a steep and narrow couloir filled with snow and ice on the Ham and Eggs route on the Moose's Tooth.]()
The Ham and Eggs route on the Moose’s Tooth may be the most popular alpine route in the Alaska Range! A must do for any budding alpinist.
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![A climber in a blue jacket is traversing a steep snow slope on Annie's Ridge above the Kahiltna Glacier. The steep rocky and snowy cliffs at the base of Mount Hunter are in the background.]()
Kahiltna Basecamp is the launching spot for hopeful climbers on Denali’s West Buttress. It’s also home to multiple excellent alpine routes.
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![A climber in a red jacket is traversing a corniced ridge on Peak 11,300 in Alaska. The West Fork of the Ruth Glacier is below in the background.]()
Traverse an exposed corniced ridge and excellent moderate mixed climbing pitches on Steve House’s “favorite climb in North America”.
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![A climber in blue pants is belaying a climber below up a steep ice and snow pitch at the start of the West Face Couloir route on Mount Huntington. A blue and yellow rope is draped over the belayer's leg and ice screws and a cam are on his harness.]()
Mount Huntington is an iconic peak towering over the Alaska Range and the West Face Couloir has become the standard route to this imposing summit.
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![An alpinist in an orange jacket is mixed climbing up a steep rock face on the Spiral pitch of the Harvard Route on Mount Huntington.]()
The Harvard Route on Mount Huntington is a true alpine testpiece with mixed climbing, ice climbing, steep snow, and exposed ridge traverses to an iconic summit.
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![Two rope teams are traversing the glacier in the Ruth Gorge with steep mountains on the sides.]()
The Ruth Gorge is home to a wide variety of classic routes, from introductory alpine routes such as the Japanese Couloir to challenging mixed routes on Mount Bradley and summer rock climbing on routes such as Cobra Pillar.
Guided Ski mountaineering Expeditions
Alaska is one of the world’s premier destinations for ski mountaineering, offering vast glaciers, high peaks, narrow couloirs, steep snowy faces, and exposed fluted ridges. Our guided Alaska ski mountaineering trips combine backcountry skiing with mountaineering skills, including glacier travel, steep snow climbing, and technical ski descents. From classic ski lines in the Alaska Range to challenging first descents and epic mountain views, our ski expeditions in Alaska provide experienced skiers and mountaineers with opportunities to travel deep into remote mountains and enjoy fun base camping and exciting ski descents.
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![The tail of an airplane with the words "Talkeetna Air Taxi" sits on the Kahiltna Glacier with a snowy peak in the background.]()
Intermediate to advanced ski mountaineering
Guided Rock Climbing expeditions
The Alaska Range offers world class alpine rock climbing in some of the most remote and spectacular mountain environments in North America. Our guided Alaska alpine rock climbing trips combine technical rock climbing with glacier travel, and big wall climbing in the mountains. The long multipitch routes and high quality granite cracks and faces require efficient movement and transitions. For experienced rock climbers, an Alaska rock climbing expedition provides the opportunity to climb classic, technical, traditional multipitch routes in the big mountains for multiple days.
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![Golden granite splitter crack in the foreground with the Ruth Gorge glacier in the background.]()
Intermediate to advanced alpine rock climbing
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![The Pika Glacier as seen from the air, under the wing of a Talkeetna Air Taxi De Havilland Otter.]()
Intermediate to advanced alpine rock climbing
Why Choose Skyward Mountaineering for an Alaska Range Expedition?
Skyward Mountaineering offers custom guided mountaineering, alpine climbing, and ski mountaineering expeditions throughout the Alaska Range. Our decades of experience climbing and guiding in Alaska, including on some of the range’s most classic and remote objectives, form the foundation of every expedition. From first ascents to established trade routes, we bring intimate knowledge of the Alaska Range to every trip, adapting our plans to your goals, experience, route conditions, and weather.
All of our Alaska expeditions are led by certified AMGA guides. Our small team allows us to provide highly personalized guiding while maintaining the professionalism, technical expertise and judgment required for complex alpine environments.
We also provide year-round support to help you prepare for your climbing or ski mountaineering expedition. From ice climbing courses in Ouray and glaciated ski tours in the Pacific Northwest to personalized training plans designed to build your fitness and skills, our guides and support team are committed to helping you arrive prepared and ready for your objective.