Climb with AMS in 2024

Barry and Guide Greg Barry is back, for a second year, to explore the Alaska Range with Guide Greg Runyan.   These two worked well together last year, and it was a relaxed morning as they prepped and packed.  They were both looking forward to climbing Radio Tower and Mt Francis on the Kahiltna Glacier!  

Lots going on out there with two courses and two custom climbs. The weather is fine and everyone is climbing and learning. Emerson - Ski Mountaineering Course They are camped on the Buckskin Glacier. This area is known for some great ski lines. They have been taking advantage of the bluebird conditions.  Everyone is pumped the great weather and they have done some ski touring as well as classes.  To quote Instructor Nate Emerson, "We had a long ski run on "Hot Pow." Today, they are moving camp up the glacier. Here are some photos from last year's ski course. MTC12- Holmgren They landed at 7,200 ft. Kahiltna Base Camp on Saturday and set up a camp. This entails building a snow kitchen. Yesterday, they practiced glacier travel and crevasses rescue skills, rope skills, and anchor building. Everybody is psyched and enthusiastic about being in there. They will be moving camp down glacier in the next few days. Their plan is to descend the main Kahiltna glacier to an area k

Our weekend class is enjoying cold and sunny weather. Instructor Curtis Green is teaching rigging for glacier travel and crevasse rescue. This is a great workshop to brush up your skills before heading onto glaciated terrain. We have found that learning in a safe environment, such as the AMS Headquarters, allows for greater retention and also allows the time to ask questions and review material while not being on a glacier. It helps that we still have plenty of snow but we can do these classes at any time. This is our final scheduled workshop of the season; however, we can always offer a custom Crevasse Rescue course that works for your schedule.

Students Jaime, Brandon, Tim, Matt, Instructors Claire and Nate and Student Josh. After an extra evening in Talkeetna, due to weather, our Ski Mountaineering Course was all smiles this morning- as they headed to the Talkeetna airport, with the sun on their faces!  This is a great group, with an easy rapport amongst them.  Nate and Claire are a great Instructor team that works well together and is organized and thorough.    

 We've added a new July, 6-Day Mountaineering Course for women. Mountaineering has traditionally been a predominantly male space. But dig a little and you'll find stories of women such as,  Dora Keen ,  Betty Ivano Menard ,  Ada Blackjack ,  Barbara Washburn ,  Arlene Blum ,  Sophia Danenberg ,  Lhakpa Sherpa , and so many more who have been accomplishing impressive feats throughout the decades. Yet, women can face small, but accumulating nudges that make them less confident in their ability to thrive in challenging mountain environments. We know that all-women courses and expeditions offer a uniquely empowering and equalizing space that allows us to challenge ourselves in ways that transform us for the better. In this group, we hope there is less impulse to assume we can’t do something and more ease and opportunity to learn what seems intimidating. The AMS 6-Day Mountaineering Course is designed for anyone who wishes to travel and climb on a multi-day expedition in a glaciated

Denali's West Buttress, photo by Mountaineering Ranger, Chris Erickson Guided Denali, West Buttress Expeditions:                                    Expedition price includes a small team size: max of 6 climbers with 3 AMS Mountain Guides, NPS climber fees, 2 nights pre-climb Talkeetna lodging, ground transport between Anchorage and Talkeetna, and more. $12,100.00 per person,  22 days  Maximum team size:  6 climbers, 3 guides  May 9 – May 30:    Full   May 13 –June 3:    Full  May 16 – June 6:    2  places available  May 23 – June 13:    3  places available  May 27 – June 17:   places available  May 30  –  June 20:   Full   June 3 – June 24 (All Women):   Full  June 6 – June 27:   places available June 10  –  July 1:   places available   June 13   –  July 4:  4   places available  Guided Denali, West Buttress Expedition: Small Team                                This expedition is for those who seek to have a smaller footprint on the mountain and to move with the efficiency of a sma