What you get on this adventure: IFMGA certified & trained guide with extensive knowledge of the area and one more experienced tail guide 10-day Alaska ski plane trip (8 days of skiing with IFMGA guide) Federal land usage surcharge (USFS/BLM) Accommodation during the trip (Best Western Hotel in Valdez & glacier base camp) Breakfasts & dinners while in the base camp, breakfasts while in town Tents and glacier camping gear Helicopter assists Ski plane flight Round-trip Anchorage—Valdez What’s not included: Transportation to the starting point Snow travel equipment (splitboard or AT skis) Avalanche equipment Personal camping equipment Personal clothing/gear Dinners while in town Personal touring snacks & quick lunches Alcohol & libations Guide gratuities — optional, 10-20% of the trip booking cost

How fit do I need to be?

To enjoy this Alaska ski plane tour, you have to be in excellent shape. You will be on your feet for 5-7 hours a day for 7-8 days. Although ski touring will sometimes be heli-assisted, you still need to have endurance and strength to climb up steep slopes. The terrain is varied and challenging, so all participants should be experienced backcountry skiers who are able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.

What if I’ve never backcountry skied before?

To participate in this Alaska ski plane tour, you need to have previous backcountry skiing experience. You will be skiing, touring, and summiting on glaciated terrain for 5-8 hours every day, 8 days in a row. Your guide will take care of the planning, oversee your technique, and teach you how to better manage the terrain. They also have the experience and avalanche training necessary to keep you safe. Still, in order to enjoy this Alaska ski plane tour, you have to be a very experienced backcountry skier and fit enough to endure 8 days of ski touring.

What do I need to bring?

Traveling with your gear can be tricky, so here are some tips. When traveling to Alaska, it’s best to carry your boots in your hand on the plane. Pack your helmet goggles, gloves, and outerwear in a carry-on bag. Check your ski bag (skis or splitboard, avalanche equipment, backpack, sleeping bag, helmet) and check your duffel bag (filled with clothing, layers, etc.). A more detailed gear list will be provided upon commitment to the trip. For technical backcountry ski touring gear , you will need to bring: Alpine touring skis or splitboard with skins Touring boots and poles Avalanche safety equipment: Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver or beacon Lightweight snow shovel Avalanche probe For personal items , we recommend bringing: Helmet Touring daypack Sleeping bag and other personal camping sleeping gear Sunglasses or ski goggles Gloves and hat Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex recommended) Ski pants (Gore-Tex recommended) Down jacket or vest Synthetic or wool base layers, underwear and socks One triple-action locking carabiner or two conventional locking carabiners Repair kit and Leatherman for your equipment (can be shared between several people) Water bottle and 1L of water Thermos with a warm beverage — optional Food you can eat on-the-go First aid kit Sunscreen Daypack large enough to carry all items listed (around a 30-40L backpack) Camera — optional

Can I rent equipment?

All mandatory gear for the Alaska ski plane trip can be rented in Anchorage if you don’t have your own or would prefer to travel without it. You can rent: Avalanche safety pack, including backpack, beacon, shovel and probe Alpine touring skis or splitboard, touring boots and poles There’s plenty of shops in Anchorage offering rentals, such as Alaska Mountaineering & Hiking , Hilltop Ski Area , Alaska Outdoor Gear Rental and more. Make sure to pick up what you need the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.

Group sizes and age requirements

Group sizes and prices: For this Alaska ski plane trip, the client-to-guide ratio is 3:1. It takes a minimum of 3 people for this tour to operate. The maximum group size is 6. The cost is per person and doesn’t decrease as the group grows. Alaska ski plane trip can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements. Min. age requirements: If you are older than 18, you’re good to go. Minors older than 16 may be permitted to join the Alaska ski plane tour on a case-by-case basis. If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

Getting there and meeting location

Your Alaska ski plane trip starts in Anchorage, Alaska. Make sure to be there before noon, as that’s your Day 1. You will then meet your guide and your team, and start the drive to Valdez.

Safety measures in Alaska

We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more. Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans. We also expect you to respect local regulations and take measures to protect yourselves, your guides, and the communities you’re traveling to. For more information on travel recommendations and restrictions in Alaska, please refer to Alaska’s travel advice . If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!

Skier climbing up a steep climb in Alaska

ANCHORAGE | ALASKA

Alaska Fly-to-Ski Adventure

5.00 ()

Season

February through May

Nearest city

Your tour starts in Anchorage, AK

Duration

10 days (8 days of skiing)

Difficulty

Accommodation

Hotel in Valdez and glacier base camp

Guides

Chris Martin, Mindful Mountaineering Guides

From $7,499 () / 10 days

Got any questions? or Talk with us

Overview
Itinerary
Brochure
Guides
Reviews
Things to know

Dreaming of exploring uncharted territories, but don’t have those 3 weeks to spare? Then this Alaska fly-to-ski trip is just perfect for you! We’ll spend 10 unforgettable days in the wild, raw, and rugged mountains of the Alaskan wilderness, with an expert IFMGA guide by your side, moving from one amazing location to another by plane or helicopter. The first leg of the trip is spent touring the iconic Thompson Pass, the other in a remote glacier base camp. The snowpack is deep, the terrain possibilities endless, and the fresh snow limitless. You’ll get to learn glacier camping, glacier travel, and soak in the exciting glacier lifestyle. Join us for this unique adventure—we promise you, this one’s for the books!

Book a call

Camp in the middle of nowhere

A heli or a plane will take us into the Alaskan wilderness, where we’ll set up a glacier base camp
Learn glacier travel & camping

A pro IFMGA guide with extensive expedition knowledge will make our trip worriless
Fantastic terrain possibilities

From moderate glacier runs to steep chutes, you’ll find your perfect vibe cruising down fresh powder

Itinerary

Get a taste of a true skiing expedition without having to spend +3 weeks away! This 10-day Alaska ski plane trip grants you the opportunity to explore expedition lifestyle, learn glacier travel, and—of course—ski your heart out in the Alaskan wilderness. Joined by an IFMGA guide, you’ll have two parts of the trip: you’ll first be based in Valdez and ski the iconic Thompson Pass, and then you’ll fly into the mountains where you’ll set up camp on a glacier. Your guide takes care of all the logistics, leaving you carefree to maximize your time on the snow.

The itinerary below is subject to change due to weather and logistics. There is a high probability that you will not be able to fly into the remote glacier basecamp. In case that the weather does not permit you to fly into the remote basecamp, your guides will instead include 3 days of heli assisted ski touring.
Make your way to Anchorage, Alaska before noon. Your guide will pick you up at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. You will drive together to Valdez (5-hour drive) to arrive there by evening. Settle into your hotel and get some rest for tomorrow.

Accommodation: Best Western in Valdez
Meet your guide to go through a gear check. After making sure you have all that you need, head to Thompson Pass for some warm up ski touring. Standing at 2,678 ft, the mountain is renowned for its deep powder, challenging terrain, and varied options. As the day starts drawing to a close, return to the hotel.

Accommodation: Best Western in Valdez
Meals: Breakfast
Today you’ll hop onboard a heli that will take you either ski touring or ski mountaineering off of Thompson Pass. This means that you’ll start off with a heli drop and then ski tour on your own power for the rest of the day.

Accommodation: Best Western in Valdez
Meals: Breakfast
This will be your last day skiing on Thompson Pass, and it’s all human powered. Once you’ve had enough, retreat to your hotel.

Accommodation: Best Western in Valdez
Meals: Breakfast
It’s time to switch locations! Make sure you’re all set and ready for the second leg of your adventure—your guide will help you with any questions regarding the equipment and personal items you’ll need. Hop on a ski plane or a heli and fly into a remote glacier base camp. Together with your guide, set up the camp and get some rest for tomorrow.

Accommodation: Glacier base camp
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
You’ve got 3 full days of ski touring the surrounding areas! Since you’ll have an IFMGA guide by your side, this is an ideal opportunity to work on your aspirations and manage to ski more challenging terrain. Being in a basecamp in the middle of nowhere grants you the opportunity to explore untouched snow and limitless terrain options.

Accommodation: Glacier base camp
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Squeeze in a final tour if it’s possible, followed by packing up and getting ready to fly back to Valdez—a ski plane or a heli will come pick you up. Spend the night in Valdez.

Accommodation: Best Western in Valdez
Meals: Breakfast
After your final breakfast of the tour, pack up and head back to Anchorage. If you’re booking the flight for the same day, make sure to book a later one as you have to account for a 5-hour drive to Anchorage.

Meals: Breakfast

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Meet your guides

5.00

Chris Martin

Chris has been exploring since the day skis landed on his feet. He is inspired by sharing and teaching the skills necessary to achieve your dream of a lifetime in the mountains. Chris is an Internationally Certified Mountain Guide and has gained experience in rescue, working with the National Park Service. He is based in Crested Butte, CO, but has also pursued guided climbing and skiing from South Americas to Alaska.

5.00

Mindful Mountaineering Guides offer empowering and meaningful experiences in the mountains. They lead backcountry skiing trips in Alaska, South America, but also climbing outings and yoga retreats. Mindful Mountaineering Guides specialize in customizing adventures you have in mind—they will take care of the logistics and everything needed to make your trip happen!

5.00 (3 reviews)

Ken Kleist (source: Guide’s Website)

Chris is personable, thoughtful, and easy to talk with about any topic. Brilliant idea with the harmony of the outdoors, mindfulness, and good people.

Scott Cielinski (source: Guide’s Website)

Chris is an incredible guide and an even better person. He actively shares his extensive knowledge and has a contagiously positive outlook that guarantees a stellar day. Can’t recommend enough!

Ken Kleist (source: Guide’s Website)

Chris is personable, thoughtful, and easy to talk with about any topic. Brilliant idea with the harmony of the outdoors, mindfulness, and good people.

Things to know

What you get on this adventure:
- - IFMGA certified & trained guide with extensive knowledge of the area and one more experienced tail guide
  - 10-day Alaska ski plane trip (8 days of skiing with IFMGA guide)
  - Federal land usage surcharge (USFS/BLM)
  - Accommodation during the trip (Best Western Hotel in Valdez & glacier base camp)
  - Breakfasts & dinners while in the base camp, breakfasts while in town
  - Tents and glacier camping gear
  - Helicopter assists
  - Ski plane flight
  - Round-trip Anchorage—Valdez
What’s not included:
- - Transportation to the starting point
  - Snow travel equipment (splitboard or AT skis)
  - Avalanche equipment
  - Personal camping equipment
  - Personal clothing/gear
  - Dinners while in town
  - Personal touring snacks & quick lunches
  - Alcohol & libations
  - Guide gratuities — optional, 10-20% of the trip booking cost
To enjoy this Alaska ski plane tour, you have to be in excellent shape. You will be on your feet for 5-7 hours a day for 7-8 days. Although ski touring will sometimes be heli-assisted, you still need to have endurance and strength to climb up steep slopes. The terrain is varied and challenging, so all participants should be experienced backcountry skiers who are able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.
To participate in this Alaska ski plane tour, you need to have previous backcountry skiing experience. You will be skiing, touring, and summiting on glaciated terrain for 5-8 hours every day, 8 days in a row.

Your guide will take care of the planning, oversee your technique, and teach you how to better manage the terrain. They also have the experience and avalanche training necessary to keep you safe. Still, in order to enjoy this Alaska ski plane tour, you have to be a very experienced backcountry skier and fit enough to endure 8 days of ski touring.
Traveling with your gear can be tricky, so here are some tips. When traveling to Alaska, it’s best to carry your boots in your hand on the plane. Pack your helmet goggles, gloves, and outerwear in a carry-on bag. Check your ski bag (skis or splitboard, avalanche equipment, backpack, sleeping bag, helmet) and check your duffel bag (filled with clothing, layers, etc.). A more detailed gear list will be provided upon commitment to the trip.

For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:
- - Alpine touring skis or splitboard with skins
  - Touring boots and poles
  - Avalanche safety equipment:
    
    Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver or beacon
    
    Lightweight snow shovel
    
    Avalanche probe
For personal items, we recommend bringing:
- - Helmet
  - Touring daypack
  - Sleeping bag and other personal camping sleeping gear
  - Sunglasses or ski goggles
  - Gloves and hat
  - Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex recommended)
  - Ski pants (Gore-Tex recommended)
  - Down jacket or vest
  - Synthetic or wool base layers, underwear and socks
  - One triple-action locking carabiner or two conventional locking carabiners
  - Repair kit and Leatherman for your equipment (can be shared between several people)
  - Water bottle and 1L of water
  - Thermos with a warm beverage — optional
  - Food you can eat on-the-go
  - First aid kit
  - Sunscreen
  - Daypack large enough to carry all items listed (around a 30-40L backpack)
  - Camera — optional
All mandatory gear for the Alaska ski plane trip can be rented in Anchorage if you don’t have your own or would prefer to travel without it. You can rent:
- - Avalanche safety pack, including backpack, beacon, shovel and probe
  - Alpine touring skis or splitboard, touring boots and poles
There’s plenty of shops in Anchorage offering rentals, such as Alaska Mountaineering & Hiking, Hilltop Ski Area, Alaska Outdoor Gear Rental and more. Make sure to pick up what you need the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.
Group sizes and prices:
- - For this Alaska ski plane trip, the client-to-guide ratio is 3:1.
  - It takes a minimum of 3 people for this tour to operate. The maximum group size is 6.
  - The cost is per person and doesn’t decrease as the group grows.
Alaska ski plane trip can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:
- - If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
  - Minors older than 16 may be permitted to join the Alaska ski plane tour on a case-by-case basis.
If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
Your Alaska ski plane trip starts in Anchorage, Alaska. Make sure to be there before noon, as that’s your Day 1. You will then meet your guide and your team, and start the drive to Valdez.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more.

Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.

We also expect you to respect local regulations and take measures to protect yourselves, your guides, and the communities you’re traveling to. For more information on travel recommendations and restrictions in Alaska, please refer to Alaska’s travel advice.

If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!
A 30% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. The remaining amount is paid 3 months (90 days) prior to departure. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies.
- - If Client cancels the Booking anytime prior to one hundred twenty (120) calendar days in advance of the trip contemplated by the booking, Client is entitled to a full refund.
  - For cancellations ninety (90) to one hundred nineteen (119) calendar days in advance, Client is entitled to a refund in the amount of fifty percent (50%) of the total amount paid when Booking.
  - For cancellations seventy-five (75) to eighty nine (89) calendar days in advance, Client is entitled to a refund in the amount of twenty-five percent (25%) of the total amount paid when Booking.
  - After that deadline, Client is not entitled to any refund. Any reimbursable expenses arising out of the Booking incurred by Guide prior to the date of cancellation (including but not limited to plane tickets, car rental payments, and lodging or transportation fees) are non-refundable as soon as they are incurred by the Guide.