This trip is tailored for adventurous individuals looking for a full day ice climbing adventure


Exit Glacier Intermediate Ice Climbing

First time ice climbers are welcome on this trip, but you should have rock climbing (indoor included) experience or a good amount of outdoor adventure experience. This trip requires a 2 mile uphill hike to reach the glacier and participants should feel comfortable hiking on uneven terrain. We will stop at several vista points along the way to the glacier, but the approach hike will get you working hard and sweaty!

We offer a small client to guide ratio of 3:1 on this tour, which is led by experienced instructors who use carefully maintained equipment to lead you out onto the ice. Our tours are designed to not only expose you to the world of ice climbing, but also teach participants basic rope management and anchor building skills if they are interested in learning more about climbing. This trip will also spend longer on the glacier than our normal ice climbing trips, so we’ll have plenty of time to explore all the glacier has to offer.

We start our trip at our office in Seward, Alaska. From our facility, we outfit you with all the necessary equipment. Just bring the recommended clothing (warm layers, rain jacket/pants) and hiking boots and we’ll provide everything else including technical equipment, a backpack, and trekking poles. Our shuttle will transport us to Exit Glacier where an hour-and-a-half hike through a de-glaciated landscape brings us to the edge of the glacier. Donning our crampons we first find a gentle slope to teach the basics of climbing, crampon usage, and safety. Then it’s on to the crevasse fields where we will ascend bigger walls and explore some of the more remarkable physical features of the glacier.

This is one of our more challenging trips and the physical ability to be outside hiking, climbing, and pushing your athletic abilities is a must. We hike a total of about 6 miles and gain and lose about 2000 feet of elevation. The payoff is a secluded mountain experience and vistas that will be with you forever. We will provide all the necessary equipment including a backpack, climbing boots, ice tools, crampons and helmet.

Season: Early June through early September

 

Safety on the Ice

Our guides go through extensive training before they run their own trips

Glaciers are an inherently dangerous environment, and Exit Glacier is no exception. We've had a perfect safety record for 15 years, because of the care and attention we give to the training of each of our guides. We don't have novice glacier guides leading our trips, ever. We don't take kayak or rafting guides, and turn them into glacier guides overnight.

We are the only company guiding on Exit Glacier that does not have officially documented unsafe and negligent guiding practices. Our competitiors do not give the same level of careful training to their guides. We pride ourselves on investing in the safety of our clients.

When you go on a glacier with us, you know that your lead guide has undergone extensive training for glacier guiding, and that any assistant guide has undergone a rigorous training program and emergency skills assessment before they are allowed to work alongside our leads. No matter who you choose to take you on a glacier in Alaska, make sure that you ask that company about your guide's training on glaciers and their level of experience. When it comes to training and safety, not all glacier guiding companies are created equally. 

For more about our training program, check out this page.

Difficulty

Difficult & Challenging

 Expect to hike a lot and get sweaty and tired! We ascend 1800ft on the trail to get to the glacier. The act of climbing requires a lot of work, too!

Minimum Age: 15

Price

$299

Price is per person and does not include the 7% city sales tax

Tour Times

7:30am Daily

If our 7:30am trip fills up, we may be able to open another climb for the day. Please call for details.

This trip runs as soon as the snow safely melts (usually early June) to September 9th.

Please be at the office on time! 

Group Size

6

This trip has a maximum group size of 6 participants and 2 guides.

You Bring

Good Trail Shoes or Hiking Boots

warm layers (i.e. baselayer, fleece, puffy jacket)

Rain layers (pants and jacket)

Gloves (one thinner pair, one thicker pair)

Water bottle & extra snacks

WE PROVIDE

Crampons, Climbing Boots & Technical Gear

Backpack

Trekking Poles

Helmet

Snacks & Lunch

Explore Ice Hiking with our Interactive Map

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Kayak Packages

Our Sister Company Liquid Adventures Runs the most Innovative and Spectacular Kayaking trips in Seward. Save Money by Booking a Package!

Liquid Adventures has an excellent reputation running small-group, boutique kayaking trips out of Seward. Liquid Adventures has blazed its own path in the kayaking industry by building our own water taxis, pioneering new trips in new locations, and re-investing heavily in our equipment and guide training. It is said that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and we tend to set the bar for new adventures here in town.  Check out this page to see how you can save money on multiple adventures.

Explore our Kayaking Options

Exit Glacier Guides

1013 3rd Ave Seward Ak 99664

info@exitglacierguides.com

907-224-5569