Expedition Overview
Explore the untracked terrain of the Chugach.
Ice Axe Expeditions is partnering with Pulseline Adventure to offer an affordable and human-powered way to experience the famous Chugach Mountains of Alaska.
Our guided backcountry touring program with heli-assist enables you to access remote backcountry terrain in the Chugach Mountains to enjoy authentic alpine touring and splitboarding with and without a helicopter. Each day, your guide will determine the best terrain and routes based on weather and snow conditions, group objectives, plus overall group ability, fitness, and experience. Some days will be human powered after a drop off via ground shuttle. Other days, you may access terrain by helicopter and then throw on skins for the ascent and earn your turns. You may exit the mountains by helicopter or ski to a road for shuttle pick up. In all cases, you’ll be alpine touring or splitboarding amongst towering peaks, glaciers, and the world’s deepest snowpack – nothing compares for intrepid AT and splitboard enthusiasts.
This program is ideal for those who seek pristine, challenging terrain and desire to take their backcountry touring skills to the next level. Those who book this trip must be experienced backcountry skiers or snowboarders who are proficient in skinning, transitioning, and gear management. A high level of fitness is also mandatory. The amount of Hobbs hours used to access terrain and/or depart the field depends on the daily zone of operations. We have numerous zones within a short flight from our base of operations; or we may need to fly a bit deeper to find the best snow and terrain. As mentioned, some zones also allow us to get dropped off on a peak by helicopter and then ski to a road for a pickup via shuttle to maximize Hobbs usage.
No place on Earth compares to the Chugach Mountains surrounding Valdez, Alaska. The vast network of sub-ranges, ridgelines, peaks, and glaciers that comprises the Chugach Range makes it a skier’s paradise.
The range stretches more than 250 miles in a crescent shape, from Anchorage in the west to the Copper River in the east with Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska to the south. From Valdez we can access thousands of square miles of rugged mountains in every direction.