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Backpacking in Denali’s Remote Wilderness

Itinerary
Backpacking Tour of Denali’s Whale’s Tail Route
Date and group size

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Deposits

When booking a trip, you can either pay for it in full or reserve your spot with a 30% deposit. The remaining 70% of the trip price is to be paid 90 days prior to departure, at the latest.

Cancellations

After 48 hours, booking fees are non-refundable in all cases. You can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options:

Basic
  • If canceled within 48 hours of booking, a full refund will be issued.
  • If canceled 60 or more days before departure, a 70% refund of the total trip price will be issued.
  • If canceled within 59 days of departure, no refund will be issued.
  • Booking fees are non-refundable after a 48-hour grace period.
Flexible
  • If canceled within 48 hours of booking, a full refund will be issued.
  • If canceled 60 or more days before departure, a full refund of the total trip price will be issued.
  • If canceled 30-59 days before departure, a 50% refund of the total trip price will be issued.
  • If canceled within 29 days of departure, no refund will be issued.
  • Booking fees are non-refundable after 48 hours grace period.
Super Flexible
  • If canceled within 48 hours of booking, a full refund will be issued.
  • If canceled 30 or more days before departure, a full refund of the total trip price will be issued.
  • If canceled within 29 days of departure, a 50% refund of the total trip price will be issued.
  • Booking fees are non-refundable after 48 hours grace period.
Backpacking in Denali’s Remote Wilderness
Itinerary
Backpacking Tour of Denali’s Whale’s Tail Route
People
1 Person
Date(s)
--
Duration
8 day
Guide(s)
Jack Bynum, Indigo Alpine Guides
Reserve deposit (30%) $0
Second Payment Amount: $0

  • Experience Denali’s wilderness up-close on a week-long backpacking tour of the legendary Whale’s Tail! Join your experienced guide for a 20-30 mile (30-50 km) journey across Alaska’s towering mountains and massive glaciers and spend your days traversing epic ridgelines, summiting peaks, and marveling at the wildlife. Re-energize with delicious food, enjoy the serene atmosphere and make memories with fellow adventurers!

    • Welcome to Talkeetna, one of the coolest towns in all of Alaska! This place has history. For decades it’s been the mountaineering hub of Alaska. Pretty much every mountaineering expedition for Denali or the Alaska Range starts here. Wherever you look you’ll see people with excited / nervous anticipation on their faces as they wait to fly into the range to start their climb.

      You can get here from Anchorage by car, bus, or train. We definitely recommend you arrive a day early so you have some time to see the town and eat the Roadhouse cinnamon rolls. We’ll meet in the morning, get packed and sorted, take a break for lunch and then, weather-permitting, fly into the Alaska Range. Just like that, we’ll be in the surreal remoteness of Denali National Park.

      Talkeetna Alaska downtown

    • In the morning, we’ll wake to our new home for the next week. You may still be reeling from yesterday’s flight in. There’s nothing quite like seeing Alaska from the sky—breezing over tundra; spotting moose and grizzly; floating through massive glacial gorges with mile-high walls of granite; watching the sun glint off rivers braided like lungs; seeing the tallest mountain in North America at eye level… It’s a flight to remember!

      Today will be our first real travel day. After breakfast and coffee, we’ll pack up and start making our way ever closer towards Denali along alpine tundra. Today we’ll get our legs under us and learn the ways of walking off-trail in Alaska.

      Hiking in Denali'S wilderness and wildlife

    • We’ll spend the next four days wandering high alpine meadows, climbing small peaks, crossing glaciers, spotting moose & bear (from a safe distance), watching the persistent alpenglow of the far-north dance across the snowy Alaska Range, laughing around camp, eating delicious well-earned meals, and connecting in the deep way wilderness makes possible. There are no trails in Alaska and few people set foot on the Whale’s Tail.

      Surreal landscapes in Alaska

    • When you wake to the final morning in the backcountry relishing the memories, the deep sense of connection to a world that moves slower but also excited for your restaurant meal and hot shower. We’ll take some time this morning to soak in the quiet and reflect on how we want to return to the busier world—what we want to bring with us and what we’d rather leave behind.

      We’ll get picked up in the afternoon and bid farewell to the Whale’s Tail and Denali for another wild flight back to Talkeetna. We’ll return to Talkeetna to a beautiful shared house where we can shower and clean up before heading out to a celebratory dinner in town.

      Alaska range in Autumn

    • After a delicious breakfast in town we’ll all say our goodbyes to each other and to the Alaska Range off in the distance. You can return now to Anchorage (or Fairbanks if you prefer) for your flight home or head off elsewhere to continue exploring Alaska.

      Aerial panorama of Brooksrange river

    • Please consider the Alaska factor—any expedition in Alaska requires flexibility, patience, and a big sense of adventure. We always try our best to follow our itineraries as written, but rarely do. That’s part of the fun of it!

      Alaska weather is always changing and shifting and we will always respectfully honor what the weather allows or doesn’t allow us to do. We get the incredible luxury of flying into these beautiful places, but with flying also comes a need to defer to the conditions. Sometimes flights may be delayed for a day or more as we wait for an appropriate weather window.

      Trip itineraries may also shift due to group skill, pilot availability, or any number of unforeseen circumstances. Please come with an open mind, a spirit of enthusiastic adventure, and a willingness to see where the trip takes you.

      Denali sunset

    • Included:

        • A Whale’s Tail backpacking tour guide with extensive knowledge of the area
        • 8 days of backpacking 
        • Accommodations in Talkeetna on Day 7
        • Tents — your guides can equip you with tents free of charge
        • All air and ground transportation for the duration of the tour
        • All breakfasts and dinners in the field
        • Denali National Park entrance fees
        • All group supplies (cooking equipment, water treatment options, group shelters, bear canisters, toilet supplies, emergency communication devices, maps, GPS, first aid kit)

      Not included:

        • Flights to Alaska and travel to Talkeetna
        • In-town meals
        • Airport transfers
        • Personal gear (backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, layers, rain gear, personal bowl, personal eating utensils, headlamp, personal toiletries)
        • Lunches and snacks
        • Travel and medical insurance — recommended
        • Guide gratuities — optional, 10-20% of the trip cost recommended

    • Backpacking trip on Whale’s Tail can be quite challenging. You’ll be hiking 4-7 miles (6-11 km) per day off-trail across scree slopes, over mountain passes, and through the occasional thick Alaskan Alder, all while carrying a loaded backpack. That said, if you have previous backpacking experience and are in good physical shape, you’ll do fine. Keep in mind that you’ll also be expected to manage your pack, set up and break down your own tent, and carry a portion of the group equipment.

    • Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:

        • Backpack large enough to carry all the items listed
        • Sleeping bag
        • Sleeping pad
        • Hiking poles — optional
        • Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
        • Warm backpacking clothes
        • Spare clothes for layering
        • Waterproof rain gear
        • Sunhat
        • Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, toilet paper, etc.)
        • Sleeping bag and sleeping pad
        • Personal bowl
        • Eating utensils
        • Headlamp
        • Lunches you can eat on-the-go
        • Sunglasses
        • Camera — optional (but recommended)

      Group supplies, such as first-aid kits, cooking equipment, emergency communication devices, and others will be provided by your guide.

    • Group sizes and prices:

        • For this adventure, the max client-to-guide ratio is 6:1.
        • It takes a minimum of 3 people for this tour to run. If there are more than 6 participants, a second guide will join the party.
        • Solo travelers are welcome, people come on these trips by themselves all the time! There’s nothing like travel through remote wilderness to build community.

      Backpacking tour of Whale’s Tail 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 younger than 18 may be permitted to join the backpacking trip on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.

      If your group has backpackers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

    • To get to Talkeetna, the starting point of your Denali adventure, it’s best to fly into Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage. Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage is the closest major airport. From Anchorage it’s about a 2.5 hours drive to Talkeetna. You can also take the bus, or the Alaska Railroad.

      You’ll meet your guide and your team in Talkeetna (near the downtown) at 9am to go through gear. It’s strongly suggested that you arrive in Talkeetna the day before the trip starts in case you experience any travel delays.

    • We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!

      Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.

      Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!

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