Alaska - Mountaineering options with Cheaper Air Taxi.

[Tapas]

Hi All,

Greetings.
I am looking for some options in Alaska for some peak bagging without spending the $500+ Tax Flight.
What are the Peaks/Glacier High Mountain - Mountaineering option in - Late Spring (May End) with cheapest possible air taxi cost (Between 200-300 round trip drop off).

Any - Suggestions/Opinions are welcome.

With Regards
TG

[bedellympian]

Don't pay for an air taxi at all. You can climb White Princess and other peaks in the Delta Range (eastern Alaska Range) with a 10 mile hike up the glacier from the road. Park on the side of the Richardson highway, lots of pullouts. You can also climb a ton in the Chugach, approachable at the W end from ANC or the E end from the Richardson near Valdez. Then there is also driving into McCarthy and climbing stuff in the Wrangells and St. Elias. Finally, you can take the bus to Wonder Lake in Denali and hike overland to the N side of the AK range (a full day, probably two if carrying lots of gear). You can get on Denali itself or other peaks. Check the N ridge of Mt. Mather, Jed Brown had an article on it in the AAJ.

[genepires]

never done it but try asking about just one way air flight.  fly in and hike out?

[Jake_Gano]

At that price you won't find much if any round trip options. But, as Gene said, there are fly-in hike-out (or ski-out) options.   People fly in to the south end of the Eklutna Traverse and ski out to the north (although that is usually earlier in the year).  Other options include the Scandinavian Peaks/Mat Glacier or, if the weather cooperates, peaks in the Knik Area.

[keenwesh]

If your budget is that tight you might get more bang for your buck climbing somewhere else. The main selling point of the AK range is that for $600 bucks you get dropped off right at the base of some huge and remote mountains. Zero approach, go climbing. Spending an additional week on either end thrashing in and back out seems like more expensive than the flight.

 

I'm soft though, I've been talking about hiking out of the range for 5 years, and have yet to give it a go.

[wfinley]

Choose your adventure:

Free

$300

$600

$900