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


Exit Glacier Ice Climbing

You don't need any experience or special equipment to come climb with us on this tour, just a sense of adventure and the physical ability to hike a steep trail. 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 to spend a large amount of time on the glacier just simply exploring and finding amazing features around every corner—or crevasse.

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 and a camera 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.

While this tour does not require climbing experience, 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 1800 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, technical equipment, snacks and lunch. All you need is the appropriate attire and things you will most likely already be travelling with.

Tap into that adventurer, explorer, thrill seeker and/or inner child and join us for some awesome glacier climbing!

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

 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

$249

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

Tour Times

8am Daily

If our 8am 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

Appropriate Hiking Clothes

Rain Jacket and Pants

Gloves

Camera!

WE PROVIDE

Crampons, Climbing Boots & Technical Gear

Backpack

Trekking Poles

Helmet

Snacks & Lunch

Explore Ice Climbing 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.