MATANUSKA GLACIER: BACKCOUNTRY ICE CLIMB – Anchorage, Alaska

EXPERIENCE

The Matanuska Glacier is a massive 26-mile long advancing valley glacier located in Chugach Mountains just 100 miles north of Anchorage. It is a gorgeous yet conducive setting to give ice climbing a try. With easily accessible, shallow vertical ice walls perfectly suited to your abilities. This is strictly an introduction and is rudimentary climbing with all lower angle and lower heights of 50+ feet, for beginner to intermediate climbing. The systems are all top anchor set-ups which can take the guides a few minutes to set up. Once the anchors and ropes are in place, guides harness you up and inform you about safety and fundamentals of the sport and then let you climb on! Accessing the glacier s climbing areas involves a challenging trek starting from the vehicle parking lot. This trek travels over the rocky glacial moraine, past the white glacial face to the rarely explored backcountry. The glacier is alive with unique features coming and going including the climbing walls. With this geology being very active around the glacier its character changes weekly. The guides have to keep up and find features and walls as the glacier molds and melts throughout the season. You never know what you re going to get to see with this ever evolving, constantly moving marvel of mother nature. Every day and every tour is a little different out on the ice and climbing into the vertical world is a true sensory experience.

This is a great learning opportunity for people to try something new and push their limits in a safe setting with guided instruction, this is just for fun and not official instruction or certificated course. We do not recommend people glacier trek or ice climb without proper guides, experience, supervision and training.

If you want more technical instruction or you re an experienced private climber wanting something more, please call the main office in advance of your booking and inquire about challenging private tour options with NOVA.

Our 1:4 guide to guest ratio means everyone gets plenty of opportunity. NOVA provides all the required equipment for this high adventure clinic. All glacier gear including hiking boots, ice crampons, helmets, ice axes, harnesses, climbing rope and hardware is supplied by our guides. We recommend bringing along a small pack for storing jackets, snacks, sunglasses, cameras etc.

HIGHLIGHTS

An intense and intimate day with the Matanuska Glacier.
A great introduction clinic to beginner ice-climbing.
Learn to scale vertical ice in the warm summer months.
Personal hands on instruction.
No experience necessary!

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