Valdez Ski
Mountaineering

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.