Packing and Prepping for Courses

Guides are busy today getting ready for the final two courses of the 2012 season. Our 12 Day Mountaineering Course is full with 9 students showing up tomorrow at 8:00 AM. Guide Melis Coady along with interns, Josh Murphey and Jeremiah Phleps have been going over the gear, packing food and route planning. On Sunday we have a custom Mountaineering Course guided by Nick D'Alessio.

Guide Nick D'Alessio makes sure the tents are in good order.

Interns Jeremiah and Josh along with Guide Melis are packing their lunch food; tomorrow it is the students turn.

2013 EXPEDITION AVAILABILITY

Aconcagua

January 13 - 31, 4 spaces available
19 days, $5500, 6 climbers: 2 guides

Denali West Buttress

May 10 - May 30
May 13 - June 2,   5 spaces available

May 20 - June 9
May 25 - June 14 

May 27 - June 16 - Guide Mark Postle
June 3 - June 23,  5 spaces available, Guide Todd Passey

June 10 - June 30,  2 spaces available, Guide Mike Hamill
June 14 - July 4
June 17 - July 7
June 23 - July 13 

June 27 - July 17 - Guide Rob Gowler

21 days, $6800, 6 climbers: 2-3 guides 

Denali Upper West Rib 

June 7 - June 27, 3 spaces available
21 days, $7900, 4 climbers: 2 guides

Custom Denali Expeditions

Start dates: April 16 - July 2
A very limited number of dates are available for Private West Buttress Denali Expeditions, contact AMS for details.

Mt. Foraker

May 17 - June 2, 2 spaces available
17 days, $6800, 4 climbers: 2 guides

Another Successful Photo Workshop

The Denali Photography Workshop ended on Sunday, spending the day at the Matanuska Glacier––they were incredibly lucky with the weather and by all accounts it was a fantastic time with lots of learning and lots of fun. Students were up until midnight every night taking pictures and reviewing their images.

Here's some photos that Colby took of the students. We'll post some of the students' work soon.

Hard to take a bad picture with this scenery-- Peters Hills field trip.

AMS intern, Jeremiah shows off his cooking magic.

Student Stacey captures some river beauty.

Matanuska Valley flower display makes for some macro photography lessons.

Instructor Tom Bol on the ice with students.

Photo Workshop off to the Hills

The day dawned beautifully for participants in the Denali Photography Workshop. Yesterday they worked into the night photographing the Talkeetna area. This morning, they geared up and headed out to the Peters Hills for two nights of tundra camping. If their luck stays with them they might be photographing the Northern Lights. When they return in two days time they will have a critique session and then head south to the Matanuska Glacier.

If you or someone you know is interested in photography this is an excellent class. We scheduled our Denali Photo course for the same week next year, August 18 -24, 2013. We take eight students and have two instructors; 7 days, $2300. The class filled early this year and we expect the same next year so apply early.

A student captures the clouds at a nearby lake. (photo by Colby Coombs)

There is a multitude of images to be taken in the surrounding woods. (photo by Colby Coombs)

Photo Workshop participants are loving this weather! (photo by Laura Wright- I'm sure they would have a critique on the lighting for this image!)

Another New Addition to the AMS Family

AMS guide and new mom, Leighan Falley and husband Tucker are proud parents of a new baby girl. Leighan, who usually guides on Denali, taught some Denali Skills Workshops for us this summer. In addition to starting a family, Leighan, who is also a private pilot, received her Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) rating only a couple weeks prior to giving birth. Congratulations!

Leighan teaching a Skills Workshop in May.

Leighan and Baby Skye

Denali Photography Workshop in Action

The Photo Workshop began on a rainy Monday but today the clouds lifted, the sun came out and we have beautiful blue skies! Today, the group led by National Geographic photographer, Tom Bol is teaching lighting techniques.

Iditarod sled dog Trixie was the model along with her best friend and AMS officer worker, Laura Wright.

Tomorrow they are off to the Peters Hill for two nights in the field. More pictures to follow.

On location in east Talkeetna.

Laura and Trixie

Awwwww!

And They're Off!

The Beyer Family got off on their Wilderness Hike in style...

Guides Josh Murphey, Tara, Guide Deb Ajango, Soraya, Tom, Roland and Robert

Office of the Alaska Bush Planes

Hope it all fits!

Off of Fish Lake and onto Tsisi Lake

Going On at AMS...

Another program starts today...a custom Wilderness Hike for the Beyer clan. They depart from Fish Lake for a 2:00 PM flight and land on a lake in the Talkeetna Mountains for a six day backcountry experience. On this custom hike they will set up a base camp and spend each day exploring the surrounding tundra and alpine lakes. Tomorrow Guide Larry Holmgren and hikers return from their  7-Day Wilderness Hike. They flew Shadow Lake and are hiking out to the train tracks to take the Alaska Railroad Whistle Stop train back to town...very cool! We look forward to hearing of their adventures.

The Alaska Railroad Whistle Stop train stops along the tracks for passengers...one of the last of its kind in the country.

Wilderness Hike Gear Checking and Packing

Guide Deb Ajango advises Tom about his gear choices.

The black cylinders are bear proof food containers.

Elsewhere on the the AMS compound...work continues on the new Gearport. Resident carpenter, Chip Faurot with our interns Josh and Jeremiah about putting the finishing touches on the building.

2013 SCHEDULE - Now Booking!

Check out the line up of great programs for 2013.

We've added a 15-day mountaineering course. This course will cover all the same great skills taught in our 12 day course but will differ in that you'll hike out! It is wonderful to experience the change from white ice and snow to green tundra and rivers. In addition, you'll also learn camping and traveling skills for backcountry Alaska.

SKI and STAY at the Mountain House! For the first time ever, AMS is offering guided backcountry ski tours based from the Mountain House on the Ruth Glacier. You will stay at the unique Mountain House built by pioneer aviator, Don Sheldon and ski in one of the most beautiful places on earth. These ski and stay tours are being offered early and late season. We expect demand to be high for this one of a kind experience! Contact us for dates and prices and bookings. Not a skier? Don't worry, will take you snowshoeing instead.

View of Denali from the Mountain House on a March morning.

ALASKA MOUNTAINEERING SCHOOL

2013  SCHEDULE

Workshops

Denali Skills Workshop, 1 day, $150 April 28 May 5, 9, 12, 19, 24, 26, 31 June 2, 9, 16, 22, 26 Denali Photography Workshop, 7 days, $2300 August 18 - 24 Glacier Travel & Crevasse Rescue, 2 days, $425 April 6 - 7 July 20 - 21 August 17 - 18

 Wilderness    medicine

Wilderness First Responder (WFR), 9 days, $730 March 23 - 31 WFR Recertification, 3 days, $345 April 5 - 7 April 8 - 10

mountaineering  COURSES

Twelve Day Mountaineering, $2950 April 22 - May 3 May 7 - 18 June 4 - 15 July 9 - 20 August 3 - 14 September 1 - 12 Fifteen Day Mountaineering, $3300.00 July 9 - 23 Advanced Mountaineering, 12 days, $3500 May 1 - 12 Six Day Mountaineering, $2150 April 28 - May 3 May 14 - 19 June 18 - 23 July 21 - 26 August 18 - 23 September 2 - 7 Denali Prep, 10 days, $3100 June 2 - 11

Guided  Expeditions  

Denali, West Buttress, 21 days, $6800, 6 climbers:  2-3 guides.    April29 - May 19 May 6 - May 26 May 10 - May 30 May 13 - June 2 May 20 - June 9 May 25 - June 14 May 27 - June 16 June 1  - June 21 June 3 - June 23 June 10 - June 30 June 17 - July 7 June 23 - July 13 June 27 - July 17 Denali, Upper West Rib, 21 days, $7900, 4 climbers: 2 guides June 7 - June 27 Foraker, Sultana Ridge, 17 days, $6800, 4 climbers: 2 guides May 17 - June 2 Alaska Range Expeditions, contact AMS for custom pricing. Moose’s Tooth Little Switzerland, multiple peaks Mt. Hunter Mt. Huntington Mt. Russell Custom climbs and expeditions are available on peaks throughout the Alaska Range, March through September. Aconcagua, Normal Route, 19 Days, $5500, 6 climbers: 2 guides January 13-31, 2013

Wilderness  BacKpacking

Wilderness Backpacking Trek, 4 days, $850 July 6 - 9  August 3 - 6 Wilderness Backpacking Hike, 7 days, $1950 June 29 - July 5   July 21 - 27 August 10 - 16

CUSTOM Programs 

contact AMS for custom pricing and availability

Glacier Trek, Denali National Park, Alaska Range, March-September, 1 - 3 days, 1-9 participants: 2-3 guides, Mountain House Backcountry Skiing, Denali National Park, Alaska Range, 1 - 4 days, 1-8 skiers: 2-3 guides March 1 - 15 and  June 1 -September 15

Glacier Trekkers off to the Alaska Range

The Zhang family...all twelve of them along with four AMS guides were here at 7:30 this morning gearing up for their 8:30 AM flight. We have had solid rain almost all week but the skies cleared this morning and they were able to fly in for a one day Glacier Trek! Colby is along with them and we look forward to seeing some great pictures of the day.

The Web Cam taken today...that is Mount Foraker out on the left.

Water bottle: check

Daypack: check

Time to load up and go to the airport.

NEW AMS Boot Rental Zone Now Open

The new Gear Port was put to use this afternoon as we fitted folks with mountaineering boots. They are headed out on a Glacier Trek tomorrow!

Lots of sizes to choose.

Guide Larry Holmgren explains gaitors.

Rainy Day in T-Town

I guess summer is over in the far north! We still have six more programs before our 2012 season officially ends. Four guides are getting ready for a Glacier Trek tomorrow for 12 people. We are moving into our new Gear Weatherport...havent' come up with a name for it yet; how 'bout, GearPort?
Always projects to be done around HQ that's for sure.

Damp Day at HQ; had to turn the furnace on.

Josh moves rental boots to their new home.

The Gear Port!