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Scale over 10,000 feet on a private 13-day expedition in Alaska’s rugged backcountry with St. Elias Alpine Guides. Discover unmatched climbing and skiing thrill in McCarthy’s wild terrain.
Scale over 10,000 feet on a private 13-day expedition in Alaska’s rugged backcountry with St. Elias Alpine Guides. Discover unmatched climbing and skiing thrill in McCarthy’s wild terrain.
Book with St. Elias Alpine Guides
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by St. Elias Alpine Guides · McCarthy, Alaska
The Mt. Sanford Expedition with St. Elias Alpine Guides offers an unparalleled 13-day private adventure in the awe-inspiring wilderness of McCarthy, Alaska. This challenging trip combines climbing, skiing, wellness, lodging, and transportation for a seamless, immersive experience. You'll conquer over 10,000 feet of vertical elevation, traversing glaciers and remote alpine terrain, all while surrounded by some of the most pristine and dramatic landscapes in the United States. With personalized scheduling and expert guiding, this expedition caters to experienced mountaineers looking to test their limits in a secure and supportive environment. Between climbs, enjoy comfortable lodging, nutritious meals, and time for restorative wellness activities that keep you energized and focused. The route includes breathtaking views of the Wrangell Mountains and offers incredible opportunities for backcountry skiing. McCarthy’s small-town charm and wilderness backdrop frame this expedition, making it a truly memorable adventure combining physical challenge with natural beauty and expert support.
expert.
13 days.
Participants should be in excellent physical condition with strong endurance, strength, and experience in high-altitude alpine environments.
Participants should be in excellent physical shape with experience in endurance, strength, and high-altitude climbing to manage the demanding terrain.
Yes, experience with glacier travel, ice climbing, and crevasse rescue is mandatory to safely navigate the expedition.
The guides provide specialized group gear, but climbers must bring personal technical equipment and clothing as specified in the packing list.
All climbs are led by certified guides trained in alpine safety, glacier rescue, and emergency protocols; teams carry full safety and communication gear.
Accommodation includes comfortable lodges in McCarthy for pre- and post-expedition stays, and heated mountain huts or tents during the climb.
Book several months in advance, ideally for late spring to early fall, to secure your dates and prepare for optimal weather conditions.
McCarthy is a historic mining town that served as the gateway for early 20th-century copper mining operations in the Wrangell Mountains.
The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park emphasizes Leave No Trace principles to preserve its fragile alpine ecosystems and protect native wildlife habitats.
St. Elias Alpine Guides is a guiding company based in McCarthy, Alaska, offering guided adventures throughout Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and surrounding wilderness. The company leads a range of trips including packrafting, multi-day rafting, glacier hiking, ice climbing, fly-in hiking, and private basecamp expeditions. Popular itineraries include Doubtful–Nizina Packrafting, Tebay Lakes Basecamp Packrafting, Chitina River trips, Western Copper River rafting, Raft and Flightsee, Full-Day Glacier Hike on Root Glacier, Skolai Pass fly-in hiking, Bremner Mine basecamp hiking, and multi-day Ice Climbing and Ice Climbing Camp programs. Trips are available as scheduled group departures or fully private, customizable experiences with options for day trips and multi-day expeditions. Many itineraries accommodate families and groups; for example, Chitina River trips welcome guests ages eight and up and Western Copper River trips can include children as young as three. Several trips conclude with scenic bush plane flights or operate from remote fly-in access points. St. Elias Alpine Guides emphasizes small-group guiding, route planning, and trip customization to match client skill levels and objectives. Guides provide logistics, gear guidance, and route choices appropriate to each itinerary. Booking information lists fixed departures for some trips and private-date options for others, with clear descriptions of duration and difficulty. The company’s offerings focus on authentic wilderness experiences in McCarthy, Root Glacier, Tebay Lakes, the Copper River corridor, and surrounding Alaskan river systems. Clients can select multi-day basecamps, day hikes, guided ice-climbing instruction, or combined raft-and-flightsee itineraries to tailor pace, challenges, and family needs. Booking details and gear lists.
Book with St. Elias Alpine Guides