Expedition Overview
Explore the untracked terrain of the Chugach.
Ice Axe Expeditions is partnering with Pulseline Adventures Inc to offer an affordable and human-powered way to experience the famous Chugach Mountains of Alaska.
Access truly remote backcountry terrain in Alaska’s Chugach Mountains, and enjoy authentic alpine touring and splitboarding on our guided, heli-assisted backcountry touring program. Alaska terrain is bigger, badder and has a much deeper snowpack than popular touring areas like Teton Pass and Little Cottonwood Canyon – without the crowds. You’ll access incredible remote terrain, while sleeping in a comfortable bed each night!
Each day your guides will determine the best objectives based upon weather, snow conditions and group dynamics. Some days will be entirely human-powered – for example touring off of Thompson Pass. Other days, we fly your group and guide deep into the Chugach. In each case, you’ll ski some of the most stunning, glaciated mountains on the planet in complete solitude amongst towering peaks, sprawling glacial valleys, and legendary Chugach snow.
“Helicopter assisted” means that you enjoy a scenic flight into the mountains then use your energy for skinning and shredding instead of burning it on the approach. Plus, we access remote terrain that would be nearly impossible to access on foot, far beyond crowds.
This program is for those who seek pristine, challenging terrain and desire to take their backcountry touring skills to higher levels. You’ll ski and ride terrain that few humans will ever see, deep within the mostly unexplored and untouched Chugach Mountains.
No place on Earth compares to the Chugach Mountains surrounding Valdez, Alaska. The vast network of sub-ranges, ridgelines, peaks, and glaciers that comprises the Chugach Range makes it a skier’s paradise.
The range stretches more than 250 miles in a crescent shape, from Anchorage in the west to the Copper River in the east with Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska to the south. From Valdez we can access thousands of square miles of rugged mountains in every direction.