Women’s Backpacking Expedition
Where we’re going…
The Talkeetna Mountains are composed of jagged peaks, talus fields, glaciers, sweeping valleys, and turquoise lakes. The craggy peaks and turquoise water converge to make a complex playground - one that moose, caribou, sheep, black and brown bears, fox, hare, marmots and lynx, and hordes of birds all romp around in.
Overview
How did you learn to do that? How do you know where to go? How do you not get lost? You get into a small plane and they drop you off in the wilderness? Those are the questions we asked relentlessly when diving into the deep end of wilderness travel. And, we want to share the answers with you.
Join us on a trip flying into the Talkeetna Mountains for five days of true wilderness, surrounding yourself with some badass women, expanding what you thought you could do, and have fun while doing it. It may be Type II fun, but fun nonetheless. We want to help you get to places that seemed inaccessible before - help you hone your skills for traveling in the outdoors and build a community to support your future pursuits.
What to Expect on your
Wild Women’s Expedition
This is a Level 2 trip. Strength and fitness are necessary to enjoy a trip at this level.
The terrain is uneven, may require crampons at times, rocky, and without trails. You should be prepared to carry a pack weighing 40+ lbs for 6+ hours per day.
6 days $3,150
*includes backcountry flight, professional guide, tents, all ‘kitchen'‘ equipment, meals in the backcountry and one night hotel accommodation, transportation between Anchorage and Talkeetna
2024 Dates
Currently Full for 2024
Backpacking Skills
Your expedition is crafted with growth in mind. It will challenge you to make decisions and become aware of your surroundings no matter how uncertain or uncomfortable you might be in an unfamiliar environment. We look to our surroundings and conditions to direct our choices and provide opportunities for growth.
Tap into your inner Wild Woman and join us learning how to plan and execute your own trips. Our goal isn’t just to take your blindly into these wild places, but to teach you how to do it on your own.
Topics Covered:
Navigation (GPS options and maps)
Reading terrain
Setting up/breaking down camp in storms
Leave No Trace Ethics
Bear protocol / Wildlife interactions
River crossings
Introductory glacier crossings
Cooking
Feminine Care
“Our goal isn’t just to get you into these wild places, but to teach you how to do it on your own. ”
Itinerary
Day 0: Your guide will meet with you before departure to double check your gear, go over the itinerary, and answer any lingering questions you may have regarding the trip.
Day 1: We will gather at the airport in Talkeetna and meet our pilot and prepare for departure. After packing our gear into the plane we will lift off and fly about 30 minutes east of Talkeetna into the mountains to start our adventure.
*lunch and dinner included
Day 2-4: We will work our way over mountain passes, scree slopes, play in alpine lakes, and enjoy the silence(and punctuate it with laughter). Our guides have years of experience in the wilderness of Alaska and want to help you develop your skill and understanding of the wilderness.
*all meals included
Day 5: After coffee and breakfast we will prepare for departure and soak up the last bit of wilderness. All too soon the drone of the airplane engine will prep us to re-enter the life we left and we will fly back to Talkeetna to celebrate our adventure.
*breakfast and hotel accommodations included
Day 6: Our trip has come to an end, likely too soon. You can take some time to explore Talkeetna or go off to your next adventure! Maybe with some of the women you met on your trip.
*As with all BA trips we strive to stick to our itinerary as best as possible but ask our clients to remain open to the possibility of change. The state is large, the weather is unpredictable, and the regions we endeavor to reach are remote. With that in mind please read the above itinerary as a rough outline of what to expect but be prepared for the unknown. More on this under Bush Flying 101.
