Headline News
Alaska Alpine Adventures Launches
Guided Hiking Trip in Denali National Park
Alaska Alpine Adventures, an Anchorage, Alaska-based adventure travel company, has announced that starting in Summer 2010 they will offer a new basecamp hiking trip in Denali National Park and Preserve. This four-day, three-night camping and hiking adventure will take place in the heart of Denali National Park and just 17 miles from the summit of Mount McKinley.
"We are really excited about this Alaska hiking tour," said manager and guide Aaron Fetter. "We have been looking to offer a guided hiking trip in Denali National Park for almost 10 years, but have been continually stymied by transportation and permit hurdles. Finally those hurdles have been cleared and we are ready to go. This will be the most unique guided Alaska hiking trip in the state."
The tour, Denali Unexplored—Basecamp Hiking in Denali National Park, will take participants from Anchorage by bush plane into the park for a three-night camping and hiking adventure. Basecamp is set up beside a small lake nestled in a cleft between Ruth Glacier and Tokositna Glacier, incredibly close to the highest peak in North America.
Carrying a light daypack, participants will spend their days hiking miles of vast Alaska tundra and exploring the seemingly endless glaciers, then return to camp each evening for a lakeside feast under the midnight sun.
With almost unlimited daylight, your group will head for the tundra hills above camp, destined for magnificent views of the Backside Glacier, Ruth Glacier and, if weather permits, "The Great One," 20,320-foot Mount McKinley. You’ll learn in practice the skills necessary to hike off-trail in the Alaska wilderness—including reading a topographic map, choosing the best route, using trekking poles and traveling efficiently.
One day will be spent on the Backside Glacier. If this is your first time hiking on a glacier, you’ll quickly understand why this area draws mountaineers from all over the world. While not at all technical, your trek on the ice will give you the chance to learn firsthand the glacial features of this frozen river of ice, the valley that bears the scars of thousands of years of glacial activity, and the more recent visual indications of climate change on the Alaska landscape.
During this basecamp hiking trip, you will be hiking over hilly and uneven terrain, often covering more than 10 miles in a day. In addition to long day-hikes, you will be expected to load and unload your own gear. Pre-trip physical conditioning should begin no later than two months before departure and should include walking or hiking.
Also new for 2010, experienced backpackers should consider Denali Unexplored—Backpacking Denali National Park, a 10-day, 35-mile trek that will include eight full days of backpacking across massive glaciers, along wild rivers, and through virgin wilderness in a most amazing and virtually unexplored area of the park. Not only will this experience include an amazing flightseeing tour of Mount McKinley and the mighty Ruth Glacier Gorge, a floatplane drop-off at a small lake, and a train ride back to Anchorage, it also will provide experienced backpackers the opportunity to see Denali National Park in a way that few ever have.
This backpacking trip is an expedition-style trek and you will be expected to carry a backpack weighing roughly one third of your body weight (but no heavier than 60 pounds) over mountainous and inconsistent terrain for many days. Pre-trip physical conditioning should begin no later than three months prior to departure and must include hiking or walking with at least 45 lbs. in your backpack.
For more information about Alaska Alpine Adventures and to book trips, visit www.alaskaalpineadventures.com.
About Alaska Alpine Adventures
Alaska Alpine Adventures has been leading Alaska trips and adventure vacations throughout Alaska's spectacular national parks and wildlife refuges since 1998. Recognized by National Geographic as one of the Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth in both 2008 and 2009, Alaska Alpine Adventures takes adventure seekers on multi-day and multi-sport hiking tours, rafting trips, backpacking trips, kayaking trips and skiing vacations throughout the Last Frontier. Their brand of sustainable travel has been recognized by Adventure Green Alaska, Alaska's highly regarded sustainable tourism certification program.