Alaskan Alpine Treks on Video
Guided Alaska backpacking trips
The experience of a backpacking trip into the backcountry of Alaska is an unforgettable adventure; the soaring, jagged peaks, the primordial feel of a true wilderness, its rolling tundra, teeming wildlife and majestic terrains.
For 15 years I've been guiding small, customized backpacking trips into remote Alaska, where our knowledge and experience allow us to provide clients with an unparalleled adventure. I offer guided backpacking, hiking, camping and nature photography trips in Alaska, specifically Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Gates of the Arctic National Park and the Kenai Peninsula.
Browse the site to find the trip that's right for you. I also provide custom backpacking trips for you and your group, so please contact me to discuss making arrangements.
Alaskan Alpine Treks offer a diversity of adventures, from the perfect family basecamping vacation, to more adventurous rugged backpacking trips in the heart of Wrangell - St. Elias National Park. Regardless of your skill and experience, what kind of trip you seek, from basecamping and dayhiking, to more strenuous remote backpacking, to glacial traverses, to rafting, photography trips and more, I'm absolutely positive that I can accommodate you. Here are a few reasons why:
Owner-Operated - Alaskan Alpine Treks is an owner-operated business. By me. Carl. You won't be backpacking with an intern or other inexperienced guide who'se not hiked the route before. Experience counts in the backcountry; I am Wilderness First Responder certified, and have spent an inordinate number of years exploring, backpacking and photographing the backcountry of Alaska.
Local Knowledge - Years of experience on these routes mean I can provide you with a real expertise on the landscape here. Few people, if any, have hiked and backpacked most of these routes more than I have.
AWRTA Member - Alaskan Alpine Treks is a member of the professional organizations Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association. Also member of Sustainable Travel International.
Flexibility - 5 day to 2 weeks trip options, basecamping to backpacking. Customizable trips for the novice to the experienced backpacker.
Small Groups - Maximum number of participants on trips is 5. Seriously folks, neither of us want groups of 10 and more in the backcountry together. Less is more.
Complete Tours - Door to door service! I pick you up in Anchorage, drive to the Park, and provide 2 nights accomodations. No hassling with rental cars or shuttles, plus a great night's sleep before and after your backpacking trip.
Alaska wide - Though concentrating in the Wrangell - St. Elias National Park area, Alaskan Alpine Treks run trips throughout the state, from the Kenai Peninsula in the south to the arctic coastal plains in the north.
Campsite near Iceberg lake, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.
Select Trips:
1) The Bremner Mines to Tebay Trip is a 14 day backpacking adventure for the hardy soul. I'm the only operator to guide this trip, and the route rarely sees anyone else. This backpacking trip is great for intermediate to experienced hikers.
2) Another backcountry photo tour to Skolai Pass, in Wrangell - St. Elias National Park. 6 nights in the backcountry, basecamping and hiking in some of the most spectacular mountain country in North America. Photography is the primary aim of this trip. We concentrate on catching the great light of the Alaskan summer, shooting incredible scenery at the peak of the wildflower bloom.
3) Upper Sanford to Dadina River Trip One of the few commercial trips available on the rarely visited north side of Wrangell St. Elias National Park, this one passes through some absolutely SPECTACULAR country in the heart of the Wrangell Mountains. Few people have hiked in this area, yet the views from the Sanford Plateau are absolutely the equal of any. It's also one of the very few places in Alaska that backpackers might see bison.
4) The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a classic trip. Rafting and hiking 3 different rivers, the Marsh Fork, the Canning and the Staines Rivers, to the Beaufort Sea and the arctic ocean! This is a fantastic trip that will book quickly, so plan ahead.
5) Steamboat Hills: A great trip for the family. Easier terrain, wide open spaces with enormous views and rarely visited.
6) Grizzly Bear Photo tour: An amazing experience. One week of concentrated grizzly bear photography, in that most of beautiful of settings, Katmai National Park. There's simply no other bear photo tour like it.
Photo Galleries:
I'm an accomplished and well-published professional nature photographer. If you read Backpacker Magazine, you've probably already seen my photos, and I'm a regular credited contributor to other national and international publications. Be sure to browse the various stock photo galleries on this site for a look at selections of my work and the places where I guide. I'm currently working on a photograph book on Alaska's Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve. For a complete look at my wildlife and landscape photos visit the stock photography website, Skolai Images; an ever-growing portfolio of bears, bison, pronghorn, moose, foxes, coyotes, wolves and birds, along with landscapes from North America, including the Canadian Rockies, Glacier National Park in Montana and various parks and wild places in Alaska.
