Wilderness Education in Alaska

Glacier Overnighter  Day Hikes, Ice Climbing  Wilderness Expeditions  Prices & Trip Planning

We provide aspiring explorers, both youth and adults, with a foundation for traveling safely through the wilderness. The skills you learn are good for life.

Emphasis includes trip preparation, gear use, route-finding, risk management, backcountry cooking, wilerness first aid, leadership & decision making, and other themes relevant for aspiring hikers and explorers.

No backcountry experience is required, but we do encourage participants to have a strong desire to learn and be in reasonably fit condition. We operate entirely within the snow-free ablation zone of area glaciers, staying on white ice.

Meet at our office in Kennicott for gear/pack organizing, leaving the office after lunch for a 2-mile hike to the Root. We introduce students to crampons & take them on the equivalent of a ½ day glacier hike (4 ½ to 5 hours) before settling on a campsite for the evening and making dinner. Summer light makes exploring after dinner a nice way to digest, & also makes for inspirational and long-lasting sunset sessions.

Once on the Root Glacier there are options to hike closer to the massive Stairway Icefall, scramble onto the Donoho Landmass to visit a beautiful lake, cruise to a glacially damned and iceberg-ridden lake nestled alongside the Root, or hike into lush alpine areas. We operate entirely within the ablation zone of these glaciers, staying on white ice.

Students are given the opportunity to rappel into areas otherwise inaccessible, introducing them to rope systems, harnesses, and the fundamentals of ice-climbing. This is a great opportunity for students to build confidence in their equipment and themselves.

Our full day glacier tours get you onto the Root Glacier - 12 miles of ice long & one mile wide, flowing from the 8,000 vertical foot Stairway Icefall. Our guides take you further up glacier for views of the entire valley, as well as across the ice to investigate the dynamic cracks and slumping of the glacier near Donoho Falls.

Meeting at our Kennicott office in the morning we outfit the group with walking crampons & harnesses, making sure everyone is properly prepared.
The glacier is 2 miles away, our route taking us through the historic copper mining town and alongside the glacier. Guides focus on the cultural and natural history of this area during this time, identifying particular buildings, plants, mountains, glacial features, and signs of wildlife as we move along.

On the glacier we explore the waterways and canyons, finding drainage holes in the ice where the water rushes down out of sight and the ice is blue and sculpted. Groups have the option of an introductory Ice Climbing lesson, visit our Ice Climbing page to see more!
We operate entirely within the ablation zone of these glaciers, staying on white ice.

These are multi-day experiences where we share with you ways to travel safely and comfortably through the wilderness. There are 3 and 6-day glacier trips, as well as trips with a 3-day river rafting extension.

-One extended trip has the group camping back in Kennicott on night 4 of trip, then rafting from McCarthy to Chitina on days 5, 6 & 7 - finishing up with a night camping at the Confluence of the Copper and Chitina Rivers.

-Our other trip keeps the group in the Blackburn Basin, focusing on glacial travel and exploration including opportunities for ice-clilmbing instruction.

Contact us for a price quote!

A note on group size:
KWG believes in Low Impact. It is our preference and policy to split all larger groups into 6 clients and 2 guides, and send them all on their own adventure. We've found that larger groups than this can impact the wildlife (reducing sightings) and the often fragile ecosystems we are traveling through. We also believe it offers both a higher quality trip and a more enjoyable experience for both clients and guides.

Glacier Trips include
Walking crampons, harness, hardware. Guide carries climbing and safety gear. We provide cooking/meal gear and can help with other camping equipment, such as tents and sleeping pads, when needed. If possible we do prefer that students do provide own sleeping bags. If needing assistance the more notice the better.

What to bring for a trip on the glacier
-Wear comfortable clothing and bring at least one extra layer of fleece or something similar.
-Bring rain/wind gear, sun/baseball hat & sunglasses, warm hat, light gloves, water bottle, hearty lunch
-Wear sturdy boots or the most durable and supportive footwear available. Bring back-up warm socks.
-Enthusiasm and a desire to learn about and explore glaciers
-We will go over packing for trip / gear list once trip planning has begun
- Reasonable physical conditioning helps you enjoy your experience and get the most out of your trip. Novices welcomed.

Insurance
KWG purchases comprehensive liability insurance through Cathcart Ltd in Anchorage. If you or your organization would like to be named as 'additionally insured' please let us know at least 3 weeks prior to trip. There is a $50 charge to be additionally insured. Clients must sign provided insurance waiver, as well as a medical 'red flag' form. Those under 18 must have a parent sign. Please contact us for forms.

Guides
Our guides are Alaskan experienced and have all spent time learning the areas they will be sharing with you.KWG guides have a minimum of Wilderness First Responder medical training, carry first aid kits & and are well-versed in area evacuation protocol.

Reservations
Reservations secured with a 50% deposit. Mail your deposit to Kennicott Wilderness Guides, P.O. Box 111365, Anchorage, AK, 99511. A cancellation made more than 30 days prior to departure receives a full refund on KWG deposit. Cancellations made less than 30 days prior to departure costs client 50% of KWG deposit. There is no refund on deposits for cancellations made less than 2
weeks prior to departure.

Client Feedback
I would like to thank Kennicott Wilderness Guides, and especially you, Kevin Smith, and Chris Smith, for arranging three days of "on-the-ice" glacier training for the 14 boy scouts and dads from Winnetka Boy Scout Troop 20. Not only was the training invaluable, but the ease with which I was able to work out the arrangements with you via long-distance telephone and internet made the distance between Chicago and Alaska seem insignificant.
Everyone found the experience tremendously educational and fun. The scouts immediately adapted to crampons and learned about the details of traveling on glaciers and adapting to the special demands of cooking, etc., on ice. The ice climbing Kevin and Chris conducted was done safely and was greatly appreciated by those who had never rock climbed as well as those with rock climbing experience. In addition, the exercises Kevin and Chris conducted in assessing and crossing swiftly-flowing Alaskan rivers were put into practice later in our trip, when our hikers had to cross Toby Creek and the Chitistone River. We were extremely grateful that we had had instruction from your guides in a potentially life-threatening situation.
When I was setting up the trip, I was pretty sure our glacier training would be enjoyable, but I had no idea it would turn out to be so successful. I would urge any group visiting Wrangell/St. Elias for a backcountry trip to take advantage of your expert services. Not only does it enrich appreciation of the park, but it could also provide life-saving knowledge. Kevin's and Chris's enthusiasm and respect for the wilderness left an imprint on our scouts after the trip.
I have strongly recommended returning to Wrangell/St. Elias for future senior scout "high adventure" trips, and I have also recommended that similar, if not greater, engagements of Kennicott Wilderness Guides be considered as an indispensable part of those trips.
I would be happy to speak to anyone considering using your organization to give them greater background on what we did and what you did for us.

Tom Joyce
459 Provident Ave.
Winnetka, IL 60093