Guided Eklutna Ski Traverse, Chugach Mountains

The Classic Chugach Ski Tour

The Eklutna Traverse is Anchorage's favorite ski mountaineering traverse. While not technically difficult - the glaciers are benign and rarely require a rope - this traverse is long and requires stamina and proficiency with your system.

The traverse is a 35-mile route on a glacial corridor from Eklutna Reservoir to Girdwood through the Western Chugach Mountains. The traverse is mostly low angle touring on smooth glaciers between dramatically perched huts, but there are two long descents totalling 7,000 feet. Along the way, we will review ski mountaineering skills to prepare us for the technical cruxes of the traverse: getting onto the Eklutna Glacier and descending the Raven Headwall. If time and energy allow, we’ll make ski runs above the huts.

Read posts from the Eklutna area: 

Return to Skiing Overview. 

Skill Level

Intermediate to advanced alpine skiing skills and endurance for consecutive long days in the mountains.

Dates

March - May (1 to 6 days)

Includes

  • Guide
  • Cook gear (stoves, fuel, pots)
  • Rope
  • Repair, first aid and navigation kits
  • Emergency communication

Does Not Include

  • Travel to Anchorage and trailhead
  • Food
  • Personal ski mountaineering gear (see Ski Mountaineering Gear List)
  • Available for rent: beacon, shovel, probe, ice axe, crampons, harness, backpack, tent

Cost

  • 1 customer: $400 per day
  • 2 customers: $275 per person per day
  • 3+ customers: $200 per person per day. 
  • Note: Does not include membership to the Mountaineering Club of Alaska.

Itinerary

Note: Below is the typical six-day Eklutna schedule. If you are very fit, we can skip huts and stay several nights at the same hut to ski peaks in the area. Another option is day-touring the Eklutna, but we must have done previous trips together. 

Day 1: From Anchorage, we'll drive 45 minutes to Eklutna Reservoir and spend the day touring past the reservoir to the log and glass Serenity Falls Hut.

Day 2: The next day we ski up a constricted rock canyon lined with frozen waterfalls to the Eklutna Glacier. Here glacier ice is exposed from drainage winds and there is a short section of cramponing to get onto the Eklutna Glacier. Once onto the snowy glacier, it’s and easy tour to Pitchler's Perch hut.

Day 3: Day three is a steady and scenic climb to Hans' Hut, high on the Whiteout Glacier.

Day 4: This is an extra day for weather issues or skiing. If the weather cooperates, we can ski around Hans Hut for a day with possible ski descents of Whiteout and Insignificant Peaks, two of the highest summits in the Western Chugach.

Day 5: From Hans’ Hut we have an easy day of skiing down the Eagle Glacier to Rosie's Roost.

Day 6: Beyond Rosie's is the tour's second crux-the Raven Headwall, a 40-degree slope that drops down to the Raven Glacier. Once past the Raven Headwall it's a fast descent to the trail-head near the town of Girdwood were we'll re-nourish at Chair Five restaurant. If you’d like to finish the trip in luxury, then let us make reservations for you at Alyeska Resort.

Touring across Eklutna Reservoir toward the Eklutna Glacier. Notice the fata morgana mirage above the lake from cold air sitting on the lake ice.

 

Skinning above the Eklutna Glacier. Peril Peak (7,040') in background.

 

Climbing up the Eagle Glacier toward Hans Hut.

 

Near the summit of Goat Mountain before descending Goat Ridge. This 5,000-foot descent is one of the biggest in the Western Chugach. An alternative to Goat Ridge is skiing the Raven Headwall to the Raven Glacier and Crow Pass to the Crow Pass Trailhead.