Heli Glacier Crevasse Ice Climbing- Summer

Five of us went ice climbing with Kate and Tom at Sundog Guiding. We flew in with Michael Brooks of Alaska Helicopter Tours; he gave us a spectacular flight tour. From the air we saw mountain goats by a waterfall, bears and a cub, and moose. He flew us over the very impressive Knick glacier and the surrounding mountains. The flight was lots of fun (want to be a bird?) but yet we always felt very safe. The ice climbing was beautiful. Our group included a total novice to climbing of any sort as well as more experienced individuals. Tom and Kate were fun and supportive and everyone in our party had a great time. We had ice climbed at Exit Glacier last year but found this to be a superior experience-- better guiding plus the flight seeing made it completely worth the higher price.

What an incredible adventure! Don't miss this experience! Your own private adventure. Alaska Sundog Guiding, Kate, Tom and Cory, will make this a day you will never forget. Kate called the day before to go over the things we would need and to answer any questions we may have - which greatly decreased my anxiety of being on a glacier for 4 hours. When we checked in, Kate, Tom and Cory met us and outfitted us with boots and harnesses, making sure they fit properly and were comfortable. Kate also assured me that she had extra gloves and layers in case we got cold, and extra snacks if we got hungry. Alaska Helicopter Tours provided great service getting us safely to and from the glacier - pilots Wyatt (to the glacier) and Michael (from the glacier) both gave us smooth, beautiful flights over the valley, angling to give us the best possibilities of seeing wildlife. Then Knik Glacier. Oh, my! Words can't describe how vast and beautiful it was. You can't possibly appreciate the beauty until you've seen it up close. We were fitted with crampons before exiting the helicopter and our guides made sure we were comfortable walking in them. We walked around, with Tom explaining the different types of ice and what to avoid stepping on. We were shown how to kick the toe of our crampons into the ice in order to walk up hills or climb, and how to hold the hand tools and the correct motions to use in order to allow them to catch in the ice. After a little practice, Tom showed us exactly how we'd be anchored in for our climb - explaining in detail the engineering involved in the A and V boring technique into the ice that allows the ropes to be anchored in such a way that they would support 6000 pounds without pulling out of the ice. All three of our guides were so calm and safety conscious that we never felt anxious about the climb. They told us that this was our day and we could do things at our own pace. Then the climb... AMAZING!!! We took turns being lowered into a moulin (deep hole in the ice) on our harness - the first time being lowered about 25-30 feet so that we could get the feel of climbing up. They coached us every step of the way and were the best cheerleaders ever as we made our climb out. Neither of us had ever done this before, but their clear instructions enabled us to both be successful in climbing up. The second time, we took times "walking" (being lowered on the pulley while having our feet on the ice wall) all the way to the bottom of this gorgeous moulin. It was the most incredible feeling! Walking around in what amounted to a vertical cave - I even broke off an icicle for a snack while I was there :) The walls of the moulin are very slick and solid in the bottom half - and an inexperienced climber can't really use the techniques needed to climb there, so when I was ready they pulled me back up again to where the ice became more coarse and I could use the C positions Tom described to climb back to the top. I think my smile almost broke my face. What an exhilarating experience!!! After our climbs (and our legs and arms were crying uncle), we ate lunch (provided by ASG) and they took us on a walk around to see a beautiful "river" in the glacier with the purest, cleanest aqua blue water I've ever seen. We filled our water bottles and took some more photos, and then - sadly - the helicopter returned to take us back to the lodge. I cannot recommend this trip enough. Kate, Tom and Cory were some of the best guides we've ever had on any excursion. They were safe, calm, kind, friendly, funny and encouraging - and I now consider them my friends. This was by far one of the most memorable experiences of my life. BELIEVE ME - even my husband (who can squeeze a dollar) said that it was worth every penny. You absolutely get your money's worth and a whole lot more. Don't miss this trip - even if you are not athletic and not in great shape (like me!)

We did the combo tour starting with an incredible helicopter flight over the glaciers with a landing on Troublesome Glacier. There are about 40 dogs (and pups) being housed and very well looked after on this remote outpost which we got to meet and we had an absolutely BRILLIANT sledging trip with only us and our guide (Sierra), on this snow covered glacier. This is the real deal in an absolutely pristine environment. Yet there was more to come ..... With two exceptional guides (Chad and Sierra) and three snowmobiles, we went off exploring over the snow clad glacier across the most incredible landscapes and after about half an hour we reached the edge of the glacier with a 2000' drop beyond. This is an absolute wilderness area with jaw dropping views and is totally off the beaten track. We explored the area and returned to the dog camp and jumped into our waiting helicopter for another amazing flight back to base camp. The total trip took about 4 1/2 hours and was the highlight of our Alaskan trip. Thanks for a wonderful trip. Martin and Julie.

What a BUCKET LIST experience! Everyone was so friendly, but professional - making for an incredible time. Jared, our helicopter pilot, gave us a plethora of info on the area, and flew low enough for us to see moose! We took the mind-blowing private snow machine tour (riding along part of the actual Iditarod Trail), although looking back, we should have added dog sledding to double the experience - an option they do provide. Rebecca was our guide and VERY experienced with snow machines ("snowmobiles") - even riding in the 2000 mile Iron Dog Race! Her husband, Justin, handles the dog sledding due to his years of experience riding in the Iditarod and was a great guy talk to (family-owned business). I should mention that they TOTALLY decked us out in VERY warm snow clothes - so no need to provide your own! Making sure everyone was warm was a prerogative with them - and even coming from Phoenix - we were very comfy in the very cold weather! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! 5+ Stars!!!!