Without a doubt, Alaska is my all time favorite place to ski as it has it all – huge terrain, the longest skiable lines on earth, three different snowpacks, massive glaciers and everything in between. Within Alaska, the Wrangell-St.Elias (WSE) National Park & Preserve tops the list of best-of-the-best and is one of those places that is hard to put into words as nothing really compares to it. If you have been heli skiing in the Valdez area, multiply that by 1,000, double (or even triple) the size of the peaks, erase all of the roads, eliminate 99% of the people and double down on the sense of commitment. As far as AK experiences go, it’s the real deal.
The downside of the WSE is that it is difficult to access, to say the least. There may be a few places where you can do day trips, but for the most part it is Expedition Central and to get anywhere beyond the fringes often involves winter camping, sled hauling and lots of shivering. With this in mind, I’ve teamed up with Wild Alpine and the Ultima Thule Lodge to put together the inaugural “Wilderness Ski Week” from April 1-7, 2012. This will be my forth time up to the Ultima Thule lodge and I’m sure it will be the highlight of the 2012 ski season.
Some photos from a previous trip – mouse over for captions, click to enlarge.
The idea behind the Wilderness Ski Week is to use the Ultima Thule Lodge as a basecamp and then do daily ski mountaineering excursions from there using the planes and superb piloting skills of Paul Claus. Paul’s Turbine Otter has an incredible range and carrying capacity, which means we will have excellent access to a variety of regions and elevations. A typical day might involve getting dropped off and skiing one zone, or if need be shuttling to a different area after a run or two and then flying back to the lodge for dinner and/or sauna. There are also endless peaks to be skied (see Solidarity video below) and backdrops such as the Bagley Icefield, Mount Saint Elias and University Peak.
The trip dates are April 1-7 and a second week may be added based on demand. Group size will be limited and the objectives will be adjusted based on conditions and skill levels of the group. It is recommended for skiers with solid touring skills and although we will be getting flown out to each area, once there, we will be ascending under our own power.
Prices vary according to the level of accommodations and range from deluxe to ultra deluxe. Suffering in a cold, wet tent and eating partially re-hydrated food is NOT included in this event.
For more information, visit the Wild Alpine website, or send an email directly to Aria Thomases who is the Programming Coordinator for the event.
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Nice write-up and photos, Andrew. Stoked!!! Our facebook page has a lot more eye-candy from the WSE zone too: http://www.facebook.com/alaska.wildalpine. Photo albums to look for: Ski Mountaineering, April 2010 Client Photos, Far Far Gnar Gnar, Experience Wild Alpine and more … Looking forward to seeing you in April!
I saw that ad in BC magazine. Looks very cool. Should be a great time.
Spent about 12 days on Mt. Bona years ago, and only two nights at the lodge. Amazing place. Those mountains make you feel VERY small in this world.
Gah! Need some more heads up! I set up a La Grave trip just two days before this got posted. Don’t think I can swing both. :(
WSL is all you say and more Andrew! I spend a couple weeks there last spring. What a treat to be flown in without the weight nazi’s, roll the bags out of the Otter and set up camp. We did some great probable first ascents and descents for a week then moved to another location for another week. Looking forward to going back again soon.