Alaska 8 Day Intermediate Mountaineering Course

Alaska Range

The Alaska Range is home to Denali (20,310 ft.), the highest mountain in North America. Denali has numerous vast glaciers that flow down to an altitude of 2,000 ft., creating over 18,000 ft. of glaciated terrain and the highest relief from top to bottom of any mountain in the world. Surrounding Denali are hundreds of peaks, many of which represent the most sought-after climbs in the world. Most noteworthy are the vertical rock walls and narrow corniced ridges of Mount Huntington and the endless ice routes of Mount Hunter.

Climbers reach the Alaska Range via ski-equipped planes. En route to the glacier air strip we fly through the Alaska range, scanning breathtaking views of some of the most beautiful mountains in the world. Instruction takes place on the glaciers surrounding these mountains and we complete our course by climbing one or two of the smaller but equally magnificent peaks in the area.

To complete a series of climbs designed to improve and increase existing mountaineering skills and knowledge. And to further develop experienced climbers and facilitate increasing the experienced climber’s existing technical skills:

• Climbing techniques
• Lead climbing
• Crevasse rescue review
• Route finding
• Rope and belay techniques
• Protection placement
• Wilderness navigation

Overview

Upon registration, we will send you detailed information about your course, such as the menu plan below.

Food is one of the basic pleasures of wilderness travel. There are countless options for putting together healthy and delicious meals for long wilderness trips, depending on how much time, effort and money you have to spend on preparation before and cooking during the trip. Thorough meal planning and preparation is a must!

While all of our expeditions do include meals, our courses serve a broader function of teaching sustainability and self-sufficiency in the mountains. For this course, you will be responsible for bringing and cooking your own food. Guides will review all food items at the gear check.

The shuttle bus from Anchorage “usually” stops at a grocery store in Wassila for about 20 minutes. This is a great time to purchase heavy, bulky or fresh food items like canned goods, sauces, breads, blocks of cheese, meats, etc. We still recommend you bring a majority or your food from home to reduce both cost and time/ stress involved in packing for 8-days in the Alaska Range

For the Alaska 8-day Intermediate Mountaineering Course you will need:
7 Breakfasts
8 Lunches
7 Dinners

Emergency Rations: we recommend you bring 2 additional days of food in the event our return flight from the Alaska Range to Talkeetna is delayed by poor weather.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF WILDERNESS EATING

Nourishment and mountaineering are inseparable for those who wish to successfully enjoy mountaineering. Climbing requires higher daily energy expenditure than most other strenuous activities. Eating well and frequently sustains energy levels and keeps us happy as well as helps us to combat the cold conditions and inclement weather we will likely encounter in Alaska. One of the most challenging parts of a mountain guide’s job is discussing and advising our climbers on the types and quantities of food to bring on a mountaineering expedition. Unlike clothing or sleeping gear where climbers simply have or don’t have an adequate item, food is somewhat subjective.

Some climbers eat large quantities of food, some don’t. Some love dehydrated meals while others have digestion issues from eating too many. As guides, we can’t tell you exactly what you are going to like or how much you are going to eat and there is no way for us to tell you if you’re going to want 2500 or 3500 calories per day. With that in mind, here are some general thoughts on food planning:

Too little food is terrible, but too much food is not the answer
Going hungry and/or having to live off the extra food of other climbers and guides is not fun. Consider the weight and volume of what foods you are bring.

All food selection is a compromise between taste, weight, and volume (the space needed to pack an item in your backpack)
A block of cheese is easier to pack than a similar amount weight of shredded cheese because it is denser. Dehydrated meals are the lightest meals to pack and easiest to prepare, but if you don’t’ like them it doesn’t really matter how light and easy they are.

Bring food that you like
Six days is a long time to be unhappy with your food choices. If you don’t like a particular food in your home, it is unlikely you are going to start enjoying it in the mountains.

It’s your responsibility to check food preferences and amounts prior to your trip
Is 1 cup dry cereal with 3 tablespoons of powdered milk enough for one breakfast or will you be happier with 1.5 cups? How much pasta should you bring for one dinner…2 packets of instant oatmeal or 3? Trying out a few mountain meals at home will give you a much better sense of what to bring. Test out snack/lunch options before your course.

Condiments
Salt, pepper, mustard, hot sauce, sugar, etc. are all great additions to any meal plan, especially if you are not using dehydrated meals (as they are already very high in sodium). The lightest option is to pick up individual serving packets from the deli section at the grocery and store them in a Ziploc bag. Also, very, very small (1 oz.) plastic storage containers with screw-on caps can be purchased at most outdoor stores for condiment storage.

Hot Drinks
An essential part of breakfast and dinner for both hydration and well-being. Coffee drinkers take heart – there can be decent coffee in the mountains! Starbuck’s VIA’s have become the new standard on mountaineering expeditions. A small portion of powdered milk and sugar can be added to preference. Black tea, yerba mate, herbal teas, hot chocolate and powdered chai are other options. Plan on bringing enough for 2 to 5 hot drinks per day!

Food Storage
Meats and cheeses are great foods for this course as they will not spoil due to cold temperatures. Reduce excess packaging. Get rid of boxes, extra wrapping, etc. Ziplocks are great for repackaging food. A few medium sized stuff sacks are great to help organize food while in camp.

Good luck and have fun experimenting with your menu plan. See you in the mountains, Bon Appetit!

DRINKING WATER

You may want to consider bringing Nuun active hydration tablets or other cold drink mix to add into drinking water for electrolyte replacement during your course ****Please note the emphasis on hot drinks and other liquids in the menu. Staying hydrated while climbing is very important, and this issue is addressed in-depth while on the course.

BREAKFAST

(~300–600 calories) x 7
Having a hot breakfast is important, especially in cold weather environments. Most climbers go with instant or quick cooking hot cereals like oatmeal or Cream of Wheat, or dry cereals and powdered milk mixed with hot water. All of these meals taste better and provide more calories when fortified with dried fruits, nuts, honey, butter, even chocolate chips! Tastier (and heavier!) breakfast ideas are included below. For your course you should have 5 breakfasts. About half of these should be basic meals to carry higher on the mountain and the remaining can be more luxurious meals at the beginning if the trip when we are lower. Don’t forget your Hot Drinks!

Breakfast Meal Ideas x 7
– 1 cup of dry cereal + 3 tablespoons of powdered milk mixed with hot water
– 2 packs of instant oatmeal + 1 tablespoon of powdered milk
– Dehydrated breakfast meal (check serving size and calories)
– 2 packs of instant Cream of Wheat with butter and brown sugar
– 2-4 powdered eggs + 4-6 strips precooked bacon + tortilla
– Sweet rolls from The Roadhouse in Talkeetna (can buy on day of flight – “World Class Sweetrolls!” says AAI guide Seth Timpano)