The Kahiltna Peaks expedition’s sample day-to-day itinerary is designed to get the most out of the number of days available to climb.

Guide Briefing and Packing Days
Your guides dedicate two days before the start date to prepare by briefing, checking equipment, and packing food. Stoves are fired up, tents are set up, radios are checked, and ropes are inspected. We adhere to the motto, “Prior planning prevents poor performance.”

Day 1
8:00 am: Meet at AMS for expedition orientation and overview of the day. Check equipment and issue gear. Pack lunches. Calculate weights. This is a busy day, so please be on time.

12:00 pm: Lunch provided at AMS

1:00 pm: Review fixed-line ascension, knots, use of waist and chest harness and helmet, ascending techniques, and releasing the backpack.

3:30 pm: Load van. 3-minute drive to the airport. Organize loads for fixed-wing flights.

4:00 pm: Fly onto the glacier and set up the first camp

7:00 pm: Have dinner and head to bed

Day 2
Meet with day packs ready for a full day of travel out of our base camp. You and your guides will assess snow conditions and review snow climbing techniques, self-arrest, belaying, running protection, and anchor building.

Day 3
Warm up on a shorter climb near your base camp and practice climbing techniques. Peak Options include east ridge of Mt. Frances or Radio Tower Peak.

Day 4
Pack up and move camp towards climbing objective. Example: East Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier to climb the south ridge of East Kahiltna Peak.

Day 5
Climb part way up the route and make high camp. East Kahiltna Peak.

Day 6
Climb to the summit and return to high camp.

Day 7
Descend to Kahiltna Glacier, rest and re-organize.

Day 8
Climb multi-pitch route on south side of West Kahiltna Peak

Day 9
Travel across the East Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier and climb a multi-pitch ice route on Denali’s Southeast Buttress.

Day 10
Pack up and move back to the airstrip, SE Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. Meet our air taxi flight and return to Talkeetna; enjoy welcome-back watermelon. De-issue equipment and rental gear.

This expedition requires excellent mental and physical condition. You must be comfortable climbing and camping in exposed and steep locations, be able to carry a 50lb pack while pulling a 40lb sled and be comfortable camping in a remote wilderness mountain environment. This expedition requires a good understanding of the material covered in the Illustrated Guide to Crevasse Rescue, which will be sent to you upon enrollment. You must arrive with a prior knowledge of climbing knots, roped belaying, and rappelling techniques. Please contact us if you need clarification.

Fitness: Mountaineering in Alaska is more like a marathon than a sprint. You need stamina to carry you through multiple days of activity. Be prepared to be physically active every day for 8-12 hours of climbing, glacier travel, and building camp.

“I have had two consecutive fantastic experiences with AMS. I can’t say enough about how hard our guides worked from start to finish. Not just with day-to-day tasks but with engagement and support.”
—Tom Loftus, 2023

The Kahiltna Dome Expedition’s day-to-day itinerary is designed to maximize the chance to summit this unique mountain and give you the experience required to climb Denali’s West Buttress Route. Your guides teach and model wilderness ethic, leadership, and expedition climbing skills in a progression that develops competent and self-reliant climbers and team members.

Guide Briefing and Packing Days
Your Guides dedicate two days before the start date to prepare by briefing, checking equipment, and packing food. Stoves are fired up, tents are set up, radios are checked, and ropes are inspected. We adhere to the motto, “Prior planning prevents poor performance.”

Day 1: Talkeetna- Kahiltna Glacier, SE Fork
8:00 am: Meet at AMS for course orientation and overview of the day. Check equipment and issue gear. Pack lunches. Calculate weights. This is a busy day, so please be on time. Noon: A hot and hearty lunch is provided at AMS.

1:00 pm: Fixed line ascension at AMS’ crevasse rescue classroom. Classes: Knots, waist and chest harness and helmet use, rope ascending techniques.

3:30 pm: Load van. 3-minute drive to the airport. Organize loads for fixed-wing flights.

4:00 pm: Fly onto the Kahiltna Glacier. Travel a short distance and establish camp: probe and wand the perimeter, build walls, make sleeping platforms, set up a group kitchen, and establish the bathroom.

7:00 pm: Dinner.

Practice: Site selection, tent spacing, shovel and snow saw use, wall building, tent pitching, hygiene and sanitation, group kitchen basics, stove use and care, cooking basics, bomb proong the camp, and staying warm at night. Evening discussion: Course Goals.

Day 2: Kahiltna Glacier SE Fork, 7,200′
9:00 am–12:00 pm: Practice more knots, rope identication and care, rope handling and coiling, snow protection and anchor systems, and belaying.

1:00 pm–6:00 pm: Discuss roping up for glacier travel, rope travel techniques, simple crevasse fall scenarios, transferring a load, snow climbing techniques, use of ice axe, and self-arrest. Group heads to crevasse for self-rescue practice: the site is secured, and anchors are built for lowering and raising systems. Practice: Lowering systems, raising systems, crevasse fall scenarios. Evening discussion: Expedition Behavior (EB).

Day 3: SE Fork – 7,800′ Camp
Pack up camp and move to 7,800 ft, Camp 2, at the base of Ski Hill; the distance is 5 miles, and the elevation gain is 600 ft. Practice: Breaking down camp, caches, sled rigging, navigation techniques, choosing a safe camp, and building a latrine. Evening discussion: Altitude-related Illnesses and Cold Injuries.

Day 4: 7,800′ camp – 10,000′: carry
Carry to 10,000′, probe out area, and cache supplies. Return to camp. Crevasse-fall scenarios. Evening discussion: Mountain Weather and Forecasting.

Day 5: 7,800′ camp – 10,000′ Camp: move
Climb to the Upper Kahiltna Glacier, up Ski Hill to Kahiltna Pass near 10,000 ft., and retrieve the cache. Set up a high camp. Evening discussion: Quarries and Building Walls.

Day 6: 10,000′ Camp
Meet with daypacks ready for a full day away from camp. Climb to slopes on Mt Capps for steep snow climbing and crampon use. Practice fixed lines on the headwall for up-and-down practice and running belays, snow climbing, and self-arrest techniques. Eat a big meal and rest for the upcoming climb. Evening discussion: Summit Day Planning.

Day 7: Summit Day: Kahiltna Dome: 12,525′
Climbing Kahiltna Dome from our high camp involves a 3,200-foot elevation gain and three miles of climbing a glaciated ridge with crevasses. We will assess snow conditions to reach the ridge on Kahiltna Dome. Snow conditions and weather need to be favorable for this climb. Alternative objectives may be chosen if required, such as Mt Capps, 10,752′ or Motorcycle Hill, 11,500′ on the West Buttress route of Denali. Evening discussion: Debrief the day.

Day 8: Possible Summit Day
Depending on weather and conditions, climb Kahiltna Dome, Mt. Capps, or to 11,500′ on the West Buttress route.

Day 9: 10,000′ camp – 7,800′ camp
Pack up camp and move back to 7,800 ft. at the base of Ski Hill. Probe a safe zone and set up camp. Eat a big dinner and rest for an early start the following day. Evening discussion: Expedition Planning.

Day 10: 7,800′ camp – SE Fork – Talkeetna
Alpine Start. Pack camp and travel back to the 7,200-foot Kahiltna airstrip. Fly back to Talkeetna, enjoy green grass, welcome back fruit platter, and de-issue equipment.

This expedition requires excellent mental and physical condition. You must be able to carry a 40-50 pound pack while pulling a 30-40 pound sled for 5 hours with breaks and be comfortable living and tent camping in a remote mountain environment without road access. This expedition requires having a basic understanding of the material covered in the Illustrated Guide to Crevasse Rescue, which will be sent to you upon enrollment.

“The East Ridge of Kahiltna Dome is an excellent training climb in preparation for Denali’s West Buttress route. In many ways the Kahiltna Dome climb mirrors a Denali climb: it is outfitted the same, flies to the same landing strip, and shares the lower portion of the West Buttress route.”
—Colby Coombs

We climb the Sultana Ridge of Mt. Foraker in a combination of expedition and alpine styles. We will ferry loads, expedition-style, until we establish ourselves at the base of the Sultana Ridge. We make the first camp on the ridge in a single move, and this will be our high camp. The extra time built into the schedule is to accommodate bad weather or conditions that might require a third camp on the ridge. AMS’s approach to guided climbs falls in line with our mission as a school of mountaineering. Mt. Foraker’s summit is a logical end goal, but we will focus on the means of getting there, pushing every day to increase our mountaineering skills and performance. We expect all members to share a goal of becoming better climbers on our expeditions.

Weather and snow conditions will ultimately determine our progress on the mountain. This itinerary is a rough guide and outlines the anticipated schedule. Our style on the mountain is flexible and will fluctuate on a 24-hour basis. With lucky weather, most expeditions return a day or two early. However, delays at the start with unflyable weather and storms at high camp may result in our running out of time. It is possible for us to extend the length of the expedition for those who have a flexible schedule and desire to tough it out for a few extra days at high camp. There is a cost associated with this to compensate the guides.

Day 1
1:00 p.m., meet at AMS: Orientation and gear check, with time to rent or purchase gear from the AMS store and to select and pack mountain lunches. 4:00 p.m. team NPS reg-istration and orientation. You are free at 6:00 p.m. to enjoy the evening in Talkeetna.

Day 2
8:00 a.m., meet at AMS: Denali skills review, lunch at AMS; final packing, weighing, and loading gear for a 2:00 p.m. flight to Kahiltna SE Fork Base Camp, 7,200 ft; distance: 60 miles, elevation gain: 6,850 ft.

Day 3
Move to Advanced Base Camp, 6,600 ft, at the base of Mt. Crosson’s Southeast Ridge, distance: 3.4 miles.

Day 4
Carry to Camp 1 on Crosson’s Southeast Ridge, distance: 1 mile, elevation gain: 1,800 ft.

Day 5
Move to Camp 1 (8,300 ft), distance: 0.5 mile, elevation gain: 1,700 ft.

Day 6
Carry to Camp 2 distance: 1.2 miles, elevation gain: 2,000 ft.

Day 7
Move to Camp 2 (10,400 ft), distance: 0.6 mile, elevation gain: 2,100 ft.

Day 8
Carry up and over Mt. Crosson to Camp 3, distance: 3 miles, elevation gain: 1,750 ft.

Day 9
Move up and over Mt. Crosson to Camp 3 (12,150’), distance: 1.5 miles, elevation gain: 1,750 ft.

Day 10
Carry up and around peak 12,472 ft to a ridge cache site, Technical and exposed terrain, distance: 3.3 miles, elevation gain: 900, elevation loss: 1,400 ft.

Day 11
Move up around peak 12,472 ft, to Camp 4 (halfway to Ridge Camp, 11,700 ft.), Technical and exposed terrain, 3.3 miles, elevation gain: 900 ft., elevation loss: 1,400 ft.

Day 12
Move across ridge to Camp 5 at the base of the Sultana Ridge (11,700’). Technical and exposed terrain, distance: 1.5 miles. Moderate elevation loss and gain throughout day.

Days 13, 14, 15, 16
Summit days, sustained, exposed terrain, distance: 1.25 miles, elevation gain: 5,900 ft.

Days 17, 18, 19
Return to Kahiltna SE Fork Base Camp, distance: 9.5 miles, elevation loss: 2,400 ft. Then fly to Talkeetna.

Days 20, 21, 22
Weather days.

The more climbing experience you have prior to climbing Foraker, the more comfortable and safe you will be, and the better chance you will have of summiting. This is an advanced climb that requires a dedicated training regime. The mountain is too severe to be learning some skills for the first time. Applicants should be in excellent physical condition at the start of the expedition and should have the following experience:

• Steep mountaineering climbs that required roped glacier travel, winter snow camping, and the extensive use of an ice axe and crampons in exposed locations
• Winter camping and winter travel experience
• Climbing knots, rope handling, and belaying should be second nature
• Ability to arrest a fall on a steep, icy snow slope

Climbing with AMS was and still is one of the best experiences of my life! From the moment I arrived until the moment I left, I was treated like part of the AMS family. I’ve climbed with a couple other outfitters, but NOTHING compares to the family environment that AMS has. The professionalism is second to none and the skills and resources that the guides have are unbelievable. They are not just “guiding” but they are also committed and involved in the climb and want to summit as much as the clients. Even when returning to Talkeetna on my own to climb AMS welcomed me back opened theirs doors and STILL treated me like part of their family. —Nick Miller

I would rate this trip 10 out of 10. I would eagerly do another trip with your fine outfit in the future. — John Fox

I’ve learned more in two short trips with AMS than I learned in 6 trips with another well known guide service. I will only use AMS for my trips to the Alaska Range! — Brian Beyerl

It’s difficult to judge the grade and schedule of this climb as so much depends on current snow conditions. Expect mostly fourth class terrain with the occasional fifth class section and fixed lines in the access couloir to the ridge. Our style on the mountain will be flexible so that we’re adaptable to conditions. We’ll climb expedition style, ferrying loads and placing fixed line, before establishing ourselves on the crest of the West Ridge. We’ll make the second camp on the ridge in a single move and this will serve as our high camp. Extra time is built into the itinerary to accommodate for bad weather or conditions that might require a third camp on the ridge.

AMS’s approach to guided climbs is aligned with our mission as a school of mountaineering: Mt. Hunter’s summit is our projected destination, but our focus will be on the means of getting there, pushing every day to increase our mountaineering skills and performance. We expect all members to share the ultimate goal of becoming better climbers on our expeditions.

This itinerary is a rough guide and outlines a possible schedule. With clear weather, most expeditions return a day or two early. Unflyable weather and storms at high camp may mean extending the climb by a few days.

Day 1

8:00 a.m., meet for orientation, gear check, NPS registration, pack lunches, fixed lines; 3:30 p.m., fly to Base Camp, 7,200 ft, distance: 60 miles, elevation gain: 6,850 ft.

Day 2

Move to 7,000 ft, Camp 1, at the entrance to the Northwest Fork of the West Ridge. Distance: 3 miles, elevation loss 200 ft.

Day 3

Move to 8,600 ft, Camp 2. Distance: 0.5 mile, elevation gain: 1,600 ft.

Day 4

Carry to the West Ridge, 10,200 ft. Establish fixed lines. Distance: 1 mile, elevation gain: 1,600 ft.

Day 5

Move to 10,200 ft, Camp 3. Distance: 0.5 mile, elevation gain: 1,600 ft.

Day 6

Move to 10,800 ft, Camp 4. Distance: 0.75 mile, elevation gain: 200 ft.

Day 7

Rest day.

Day 8

Summit attempt. Distance: 4 miles roundtrip, elevation gain: 3,770 ft.

Days 9, 10, 11, 12

Weather days or move high camp to 12,900 ft.

Days 13, 14

Return to Base Camp, fly back to Talkeetna.

As an advanced climb, Mt. Hunter requires a significant amount of prior climbing experience and training. Don’t let the lower elevation of this climb fool you; it’s a mountain with all the challenges that give Alaskan climbs the reputation they deserve.The mountain is too severe to be learning some skills for the first time. Applicants should be in excellent physical condition and should have the following experience:

• Mountaineering climbs that required roped glacier travel, winter snow camping, fixed lines, and the extensive use of an ice axe and crampons.
Winter camping and travel experience for extended periods of time. This is essential training, since cold on Denali is a daily challenge.
• The figure-eight knot series, rope coiling, and belaying with a munter hitch should be second nature
• Ability to arrest a fall on a steep snow slope with a pack

A fantastic and challenging trip run by knowledgeable and hard working guides. — Ken Seavey

AMS has their act together — extremely knowledgeable and flexible. Everyone within AMS went out of their way to make sure we had a fun, safe, and successful expedition. I will definitely recommend them to others. — Matt Barbour