Overview
The Seven Pass route takes us through a wide swath of terrain. From the low silty landing zone to talus fields to rolling tundra hills to rivers of ice this route has it all. Challenging and rocky at time it provides excellent vistas, opportunity for wildlife viewing, and even some remnants of the mining activity of last century. This is a great trip for geology lovers - Wrangell St.-Elias is a wonderland of glaciology and geology.
What to Expect
This is a Level 3 trip. Strength, endurance, and experience are essential to enjoy a trip at this level.
The terrain is uneven, requires crampons at times, bushy, rocky, and without trails. You should be prepared to carry a pack weighing 35-45 lbs for 8+ hours per day.
8 days $3,100
Includes all meals in the backcountry, professional guide, group gear, and scenic backcountry flight
(*all inclusive price available upon request)
2024 Dates
Currently Full
Sample Itinerary
Day 0: We will depart from Anchorage and make the 8 hour journey to McCarthy. 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.
*sample itinerary - transport and accommodations included with ‘all inclusive package’
Day 1: We will board a bush plane in McCarthy and take off towards the kicking horse ice fall. After a scenic commute of about 25 minutes we will touch down on the silty plateaus of Iceberg Lake. Surrounded by ice, the introduction to the trek is cold, and monochromatic. From the frigid beginnings we will cross a glacier fed river and make our way across an unnamed glacier. After boulder hopping and a little scrambling we will make camp just beyond the reaches of the first glacier crossing.
*all meals included
Day 2-7: We will make our way over mountain passes and scree slopes and convoluted moraine, through dense bushes and rivers, past jagged peaks and house size boulders. Our trip takes us through wide tundra padded valleys home to bears, moose, foxes, marmot, and a host of birds. We will crunch over ice and peer into the depths of glaciers witnessing first hand their unparalleled ability to sculpt a landscape. Our trip culminates at the Yellow Band Mine Ruins where mining pioneers will shock you with their uncanny ability to get equipment into the wilderness.
*all meals included
Day 8: After coffee and breakfast we will prepare for departure and play the ‘Hurry Up and Wait” game at the airstrip. All too soon the drone of the airplane engine will compete with the rushing river and we will fly back to McCarthy and celebrate our adventure.
*breakfast and lunch included
*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.
