Valdez Ski Mountaineering - Baker Mountain Guides

Overview

Valdez, Alaska is a sleepy fishing village tucked between The Pacific Ocean and the legendary Chugach Mountains. The Richardson Highway cuts through the Chugach and connects Valdez to the outside world via Thompson Pass. From the road, glaciated mountains rise over 5000 feet. Fierce Pacific storms roll over the pass each winter and bury the range under 600 – 900 inches of snow. Welcome to the birthplace of big mountain skiing and riding.

Baker Mountain Guides’ Valdez Ski Mountaineering adventure samples some of the best objectives on the pass. When conditions allow, as they often do, we focus our efforts on steep skiing and riding in big, Alaskan terrain.

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ITINERARY

Baker Mountain Guides has crafted a scheduled 6-day Valdez Ski Mountaineering itinerary. Actual itinerary dependent on conditions. Custom programs available upon request.

Day 1: Cracked Ice

Welcome to Alaska. We’ll warm up the legs with a tour up to Cracked Ice. Cracked Ice offers moderate, glaciated skiing & riding with a short section of steep terrain near the summit. If time and conditions allow, we’ll attempt to ski & ride the famous Cherry Couloir on Python Peak.

Day 2: Stairway

It's time to put the “mountaineering” into ski mountaineering. On day two, we’ll tour up to the Stairway at the base of Mount Diamond, with the goal of skiing & riding the 2000 foot White Ice Couloir. The Stairway offers dozens of other couloirs to keep us occupied as well.

Day 3: Iguanabacks

“Iguanaback” is an accurate terrain descriptor. On day three, we’ll have the heli drop us off on top of Crudbusters (not an accurate descriptor) and we’ll ski & ride our way west to Mount Diamond via couloir ascents and descents of the East & West Iguanabacks, as well as the Karat Chute.

Day 4: Mount Diamond

Mount Diamond is the biggest mountain on Thompson Pass, offering over 5000 vertical feet of skiing & riding. If the crew is feeling ready and conditions allow, we’ll attempt a descent of the Gunbarrel Couloirs from the summit back down to the Stairway Glacier.

Day 5: Hoodoo

On day five, we’ll head deeper into the Chugach Range. The day will begin with a heli drop on top of Acapulco at the head of the Worthington Glacier. We’ll ski & ride Acapulco to the Ice Palace to the Hoodoo Glacier, & then run some big laps on the north face of Girls Mountain before exiting.

Day 6: Girls Mountain

After a big ole’ week, we’ll reward ourselves with a moderate tour up Girls Mountain. We’ll ski & ride a mellow lap or two in the Skate Park before climbing up & skiing Real Girls 3500 feet down to the Tsina River. After that, all that’s left is beer thirty & a slap on the back. You earned it.