Exit Glacier Introduction to Ice Climbing Trip

This is THE opportunity to learn basic Ice Climbing and to spend hours exploring an ever-changing glacier!

Exit Glacier Ice Climbing

8–9 hours | No experience needed | June – Early September

This full-day glacier adventure is designed for travelers looking for a challenge with a big reward. You don’t need any climbing experience—just a sense of adventure and the ability to hike uphill for a couple of hours. If you're ready to step a little outside your comfort zone, this trip will take you someplace truly unforgettable.

We begin at our Seward office, where your guide outfits you with all necessary gear—including boots, crampons, harnesses, a backpack, trekking poles, and technical equipment. After a short shuttle to Exit Glacier, we start our approach on a well-maintained national park trail. Over the next two hours, we’ll gain about 1,400 feet in elevation before descending roughly 300 feet down a rocky slope to reach the edge of the glacier.

Once on the ice, we gear up and teach the basics of ice climbing—how to use crampons, swing an ice tool, and move safely on vertical ice. We'll start on moderate slopes and progress to more exciting glacier features like crevasses and ice walls, all tailored to your comfort and ability level. Along the way, we also take time to explore the surreal beauty of the glacier—rolling blue ice, meltwater channels, and formations you won’t find anywhere else.

After climbing and exploring, we make the ascent back to the trail and hike down to the valley below. It’s a full day of movement, discovery, and breathtaking scenery in one of Alaska’s most stunning landscapes.

Trip Stats:

• Total distance: 4+ miles round trip

• Elevation gain/loss: ~1,800 feet, including a 300-foot descent to the glacier

• Small group sizes (3:1 client-to-guide ratio)

• All gear, snacks, and lunch included

You bring: Weather-appropriate clothing, a camera, and a readiness for adventure—we’ll provide the rest.

This trip is for you if: You’re moderately fit, love being outside, and are curious to try something new and exciting in a truly wild setting.

Equal opportunity provider operating under permit from Chugach National Forest