Custom Climbs
Custom Climbs
AMS arranges custom climbing expeditions for climbers from all around the world. Whether you’re looking to climb solo or with a group, we have the logistics, equipment, and expertise to make your expedition rewarding and unforgettable. Most importantly, we have strong guides to make it happen. Tell us your goals, group size, and time frame and we’ll provide the guides, climbing routes, and class list to make your expedition complete.
AMS currently leads custom climbs to:
- Alaska Range
- Denali, West Buttress
- Denali, Upper West Rib
- Moose’s Tooth
- Mt Hunter: Mini-Moonflower
- Kahiltna Peaks
- Kahiltna Dome
- Mt Dickey
- Kahiltna Glacier Traverse
Contact us anytime for more information about your custom climb
The best alpine climbing service around… would like to see more companies copy the focused alpine goals AMS has! — Orhun and Kejal Kantarci,
Another great trip! From planning to execution — perfect. See you next season. — Steve Gabbert
Custom Mt. McKinley/Denali Expeditions
Custom Mt. McKinley/Denali Expeditions
Alaska Mountaineering School (AMS) arranges custom climbing expeditions for climbers from all around the world. Whether you’re looking to climb solo or with a group, we have the logistics, equipment, and expertise to make your Denali expedition rewarding and unforgettable. Most importantly, we have strong guides to make it happen. Tell us your goals, group size, and time frame, and we’ll provide the guides, climbing routes, and class list to make your expedition spectacular.
Contact us any time for more information about your custom Denali climb.
AMS customer service is the benchmark by which I shall now measure all other companies… a ‘trip of a lifetime’ in every sense. —David
From my initial email (from Everest Basecamp after my expedition was cancelled), I was very impressed… I’ll definitely be back. —Lucy Rivers
A well-organized, professional expedition, the best of my 10 expeditions! —Karl Waag
AMS Mt. McKinley/Denali West Buttress Expedition
Mt. McKinley/Denali West Buttress Expedition
Advanced (Alaska Grade II)
20,310′/6,190 m
22 days
6 climbers : 3 guides
Price: $12,700 per climber
Full disclosure: AMS believes that the West Buttress of Denali is the greatest climbing route in the world. Denali is a mountaineer’s mountain; it is serious and challenging. The West Buttress route is characterized by massive snow-covered glaciers, exposed ridges, and breathtaking views that change every day. As we gaze at the mountain from Talkeetna, we are constantly reminded of the many great experiences it has given our climbers and us over the years.
The West Buttress was first climbed by our close friend Dr. Bradford Washburn. He and AMS director Colby Coombs wrote the definitive guidebook on how to climb every step of the way (Denali’s West Buttress: A Climber’s Guide to Mt. McKinley’s Classic Route, Mountaineers Books). In choosing AMS for your guided climb of Denali, you will be joining the company known for being the best on the mountain. More importantly, our zero-tolerance policies regarding negligence have kept AMS climbers injury-free. These, and many other reasons, contribute to AMS having the highest success rate on Denali.
“I would advise anyone anywhere to use only AMS if they want to achieve any Alaskan target such as Denali. I normally work with a mountaineering outfit that is top in the UK and they are useless compared to AMS.” — Sir Ranulph Fiennes, British Explorer
Please check our blog for the most current climber position availability on our Denali Expeditions.
Advanced (Alaska Grade II)
20,310′/6,190 m
22 days
6 climbers : 3 guides
Price: $12,700 per climber
Schedule
May 7 – 28, 2026
May 14 – June 4, 2026
May 21 – June 11, 2026
May 25 – June 15, 2026
June 2 – 23, 2026
June 8 – 29, 2026
June 11 – July 2, 2026
June 15 – July 6, 2026
All Women’s Expedition
June 4 – June 25, 2026
What's Included
- AMS professional mountain guides
- Two nights Talkeetna lodging pre-climb
- Ground Transport one-way between Anchorage and Talkeetna
- National Park Service mountaineering special use and entrance fees
- Base camp fee
- Roundtrip glacier flight
- Expedition food, including lunches
- Group camping and climbing equipment (tents, ropes, snow/ice protection, kitchens)
- Emergency supplies (maps/ GPS, radios, satellite phone; repair, trauma and drug kits)
- Pre-rigged custom sleds
- 24/7 support during the expedition from AMS headquarters
- Knowledgeable advice for training, equipment, and travel
- Regular updates on social media during the expedition
- Copy of the books, Denali’s West Buttress: A Climber’s Guide, by Colby Coombs and Glacier Mountaineering by Tyson & Clelland
AMS Denali guides are talented mountain climbers and educators who meet our high standards for employment. The typical AMS Denali guide team consists of one lead guide, one assistant guide, and one training guide. AMS lead guides have logged an average of 12 years climbing Denali and other high-altitude peaks. They exhibit exceptional leadership skills and bring considerable, noteworthy expertise in mountain medicine and rescue experience to the expedition. Assistant guides have multiple years of personal and professional climbing experience, and many meet the qualifications to lead. Training guides are experienced climbers with a guiding background; they are hand-selected so that they can advance their careers with AMS. Anyone working for AMS has been carefully screened for their climbing ability, work ethic, trustworthiness, and passion for teaching. All incoming guides become part of an ongoing internal training program and are referred to AMS through a network of mountain professionals.
Advanced (Alaska Grade II)
20,310′/6,190 m
22 days
6 climbers : 3 guides
Price: $12,700 per climber
We climb the West Buttress in traditional expedition style, ferrying loads up the mountain, climbing high and sleeping low in order for everyone to have ample time to acclimate to higher elevations. This itinerary is a typical schedule, but your expedition may deviate from it depending on weather and snow conditions.
Travel Day
Meet the provided shuttle at the south terminal taxi lane, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, at 5:00 pm for arrival in Talkeetna the evening before your start date. (An additional shuttle pickup will be made in downtown Anchorage, if needed.) Check into AMS-reserved Talkeetna lodging. Be sure to get dinner by 9:00 pm in downtownTalkeetna, an easy walk from the hotel.
Day 1
12:45 pm, AMS van pickup of team at reserved lodging. 1:00 pm, start at AMS: Orientation and gear check, with time to rent or purchase gear from the AMS Mountain Shop. Pack mountain lunches. You are free at 6:00 pm to enjoy the evening in Talkeetna.
Day 2
7:45 am, AMS van pickup of team at reserved lodging. 8:00 am, start at AMS: team moves to National Park Service for briefing. Denali skills review, lunch at AMS, final packing, weighing, and loading gear for a 3:00 pm flight to 7,200 ft. base camp. Distance: 60 miles, elevation gain: 6,850 ft.
Day 3
Base camp to 7,800 ft.: glacier travel and crevasse rescue drill, pack and single carry to 7,800 ft., Camp 1. Distance: 5.5 miles, elevation gain: 600 ft.
Day 4
Carry to 9,700 ft., Kahiltna Pass. Distance: 5 miles (RT), elevation gain: 1,900 ft.
Day 5
Move to 11,000 ft., Camp 2. Distance: 4 miles, elevation gain: 3,200 ft.
Day 6
Back carry to 9,700 ft. Distance: 2 miles (RT). Acclimatization/weather contingency day at 11,000 ft., Camp 2.
Day 7
Carry to 13,500 ft., around Windy Corner. Distance: 3.5 miles (RT), elevation gain: 2,500 ft.
Day 8
Move to 14,200 ft., Camp 3. Distance: 2.75 miles, elevation gain 3,200 ft.
Day 9
Back carry 13,500 ft. cache. Distance: 2 miles (RT), elevation gain: 700 ft.
Day 10
Carry to 16,200 ft. Distance: 2 miles (RT), elevation gain: 2,000 ft.
Day 11
Acclimatization/weather contingency day at 14,200 ft., Camp 3.
Day 12
Move to 17,200 ft., Camp 4. Distance: 1.75 miles, elevation gain: 3,000 ft.
Day 13
Rest day/acclimatization/weather contingency day at 17,200 ft., Camp 4.
Days 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
Summit day/weather contingency days, 20,310 ft. Distance: 5 miles (RT), elevation gain: 3,120 ft.
Day 20
Return to 14,200 ft. Distance: 1.5 miles, elevation loss: 3,000 ft.
Day 21
Return to base camp, 7,200 ft. Distance: 12.25 miles, elevation loss: 7,000 ft.
Day 22
Fly back to Talkeetna.
Advanced (Alaska Grade II)
20,310′/6,190 m
22 days
6 climbers : 3 guides
Price: $12,700 per climber
As an advanced climb, Denali’s West Buttress requires a significant amount of prior climbing experience and training. The better condition you are in, the more you will enjoy the climb, the safer it will be for you, and the better chance for reaching the summit. This 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:
- The minimum age for members of our expeditions is 18, with very occasional exceptions made on a case-by-case basis. Our maximum age for regularly scheduled Denali expeditions is 65. However, we can happily accommodate younger or older climbers by arranging a custom program tailored to your needs
- Mountaineering climbs that required roped glacier travel, winter snow camping, and the use of an ice axe and crampons. Winter camping and travel experience for extended periods. This is essential training, since cold temperatures on Denali are a daily challenge.
- Familiarity with the figure-eight knot series, rope coiling, and belaying with a munter hitch
- Ability to arrest a fall on a steep snow slope
- Ability to use crampons with a 65-plus pound pack on slopes up to 30–35°. Some sections of the route require you to bend down and clip through running belays.
- Experience on smaller climbs such as smaller peaks in the Alaska Range, winter climbs of Mt. Washington, Colorado 14’ers, Mt. Rainier, the Tetons, or Mount Blanc.
A non-technical, high-altitude climb is a great way to train for the altitude. Our best-prepared expedition members have taken a mountaineering course and trained for a year or more before joining an expedition.
Courses & workshops to help you prepare for this expedition, depending on your level of experience and goals:
Advanced (Alaska Grade II)
20,310′/6,190 m
22 days
6 climbers : 3 guides
Price: $12,700 per climber
AMS should be considered THE Denali Guide Service. The Talkeetna location and facilities, excellent guides and long running Denali history set AMS ahead of the rest.—Jack Tolan
I just don’t think any other company can match AMS’s magic balance of deep, expert knowledge combined with profound love and respect for everything the Alaska Range has to offer and teach us. I love that while AMS can boast expert guides, it is not a “guide service,” but truly lives up to its name as a mountaineering school, genuinely committed to what we can learn in the mountains about climbing and about ourselves.—Jana Loeb
AMS has the right stuff—a logistical pyramid that is second-to-none, and phenomenal guides who are personally committed to your success. Nobody can give you a better high-altitude experience!—Tom Dougherty
AMS’ local presence in Talkeetna gives it a built-in edge over the other guiding companies on Denali—Darrel Koehling
AMS was rock solid from the pre-expedition planning and office staff, to food prep/pantry, store, transportation, etc. This is the most straightforwardly run operation I have encountered and I applaud all the hard work that AMS puts into making these expeditions ‘priceless’ to us as climbers! — Tom Moore
AMS Mt. McKinley/Denali West Rib Expedition
AMS Mt. McKinley/Denali West Rib Expedition
Advanced (Alaska Grade III)
20,310′ / 6190 m
22 days
4 climbers : 2 guides
Custom Pricing (Contact AMS)
The West Rib ascends a direct line of 13,000 vertical feet up the south face of Denali to the summit ridge. The West Rib’s rating is several degrees harder than the West Buttress. The approach to the base of the route up the Northeast Fork presents many hazards, and AMS will only use it after a thorough scouting. If the approach is in poor condition, the expedition reroutes to the West Buttress to rejoin the West Rib at 16,300 feet. The West Rib is steep and exposed and requires expert crampon skills and clipping of protection while roped. It is a true climber’s route on Denali, with exposed camps and phenomenal views. The West Rib is an outstanding mountaineering challenge and an advanced-level expedition-style mountaineering experience.
History: Denali’s West Rib was climbed first in 1959 by Jackson Hole climbers Jake Breitenbach, Barry Corbet, Pete Sinclair, and Bill Buckingham. Their first ascent was a major milestone in North American mountaineering written up in the 1960 American Alpine Club Journal. Pioneering mountaineer Bradford Washburn described the route as “so continually steep and difficult, and so exposed to the full force of the southwesterly storms that none but the most uniformly experienced and powerful team of climbers should even think of attempting it.”
Advanced (Alaska Grade III)
20,310′ / 6190 m
22 days
4 climbers : 2 guides
Custom Pricing (Contact AMS)
Schedule
Contact us about custom options for your Denali West Rib expedition.
What's Included
- AMS professional mountain guides
- National Park Service mountaineering special use and entrance fees
- Base camp fee
- Roundtrip glacier flight
- Field food and fuel
- Group camping and climbing equipment (tents, ropes, snow/ice protection, kitchens), emergency supplies (maps/ GPS, radios, satellite phone; repair, trauma, and drug kits)
- Pre-rigged custom sleds
- 24/7 support during the expedition from AMS headquarters
- Knowledgeable advice for training, equipment and travel
- Camp area at AMS in Talkeetna, regular updates on social media during the expedition
- Copy of the book, Denali’s West Buttress: A Climber’s Guide by Colby Coombs
Advanced (Alaska Grade III)
20,310′ / 6190 m
22 days
4 climbers : 2 guides
Custom Pricing (Contact AMS)
The climb starts at Kahiltna Base and travels up the Kahiltna Glacier to the base of Ski Hill and the intersection of the Northeast Fork. Our next camp is “Safe” Camp in the Northeast Fork. After negotiating an ice fall, we establish camp in the bergshrund at the base of the Chicken Couloir. Using fixed lines, we climb the couloir and cache. The following day, we climb to 12,900’ and establish the Apex Camp. Climbing along the ridge, we establish the next camp in a bergshrund. Continuing along the ridge, the next good camp location is in a bergshrund at 16,300’. When the team is well-rested, and the route is in suitable climbing condition, we leave for the summit. Otherwise, a higher camp is established. Picking our way through the rock bands high on the south face of Denali is an awesome mountaineering experience. The West Rib proper ends at 19,300’ when we exit onto a large plateau called the Football Field. A final climb along the summit ridge leads to the top. Summit day can take up to 16 hours by the time we return to Camp. From our High Camp, we descend onto the West Buttress route at Basin Camp and return to Kahiltna Base via the West Buttress Route.
This itinerary is a rough guide. Our style on the mountain is flexible and will fluctuate on a 24 hour basis depending on conditions. With lucky weather, most expeditions return a day or two early. Un-flyable weather and/or storms at high camp may result in delays. It is possible at high camp for us to extend the length of the expedition and allow more time for those who wish to tough it out and who have a flexible schedule.
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 registration 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 7,200 ft, Base Camp; distance: 60 miles, elevation gain: 6,850 ft.
Day 3
Base Camp to Ski Hill, 7,800 ft: Glacier travel and crevasse rescue drill, pack and single to 7,800 ft, Camp 1; distance: 5.5 miles, elevation gain: 600 ft.
Day 4
Carry to “Safe” Camp, 9,500 ft, distance: 6 miles, elevation gain: 1,700 ft.
Day 5
Move to “Safe” Camp, 9,500 ft, Camp 2, distance: 3 miles, elevation gain: 1,700 ft.
Day 6
Carry to Couloir Camp, 11,000 feet, distance: 3 miles, elevation gain: 1500 ft.
Day 7
Move to Couloir Camp, 11,000 feet, Camp 3, distance: 1.5 miles, elevation gain: 1,500 ft. Fix lines up the Chicken Cou-loir in the evening.
Day 8
Carry to 12,900 ft, distance: 1 mile, elevation gain: 1,900 ft.
Day 9
Move to the Rib, 13,900 ft, Camp 4, distance: 0.75 mile, ele-vation gain: 2,900 ft. Pick up cache, distance: .5 mile, elevation gain: 1,000 ft.
Day 10
Rest day / acclimatization / weather contingency day at 13,900 ft camp, Camp 4.
Day 11
Carry to the West Rib cut-off at 15,800 ft, distance: 1 mile, elevation gain: 1,900 ft.
Day 12
Move to Upper Ridge Camp, 16,300 ft, Camp 5, distance: 0.75 mile, elevation gain: 2,400 ft.
Days 13, 14, 15, 16,17,18,19
Summit days, weather contingency days, 20,310 ft, distance: 2.5+ miles, elevation gain: 4,000 feet.
Day 20
Descend to 14,200 ft, distance: 1 mile.
Day 21
Descend to Base Camp, 7,200 ft, distance: 11.25 miles.
Day 22
Fly back to Talkeetna.
Advanced (Alaska Grade III)
20,310′ / 6190 m
22 days
4 climbers : 2 guides
Custom Pricing (Contact AMS)
As an advanced climb, the Rib requires a dedicated training regime and a significant amount of prior climbing experience. 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:
- Steep mountaineering climbs that required roped glacier travel, winter snow camping, and the extensive use of an ice axe and crampons.
- Experience at altitudes above 15,000′
- Technical winter climbing and winter travel experience for extended periods of time. This is essential training, since cold on Denali is a daily challenge.
- Familiarity with knots, rope coiling, and belaying with gloves and mittens
- Ability to arrest a fall on a steep icy snow slope with a pack
- Ability to use crampons with a 60-plus pound pack on slopes up to 40°. Some sections of the route require you to bend down and clip through running belays.
- Ability to clip through running belays efficiently
- Ability to move to high camp with a single load
A non-technical, high-altitude climb is a great way to train for the altitude. Our most prepared expedition members have taken a mountaineering course, climbed Denali’s West Buttress, and trained for a year or more before joining our West Rib expedition.
Advanced (Alaska Grade III)
20,310′ / 6190 m
22 days
4 climbers : 2 guides
Custom Pricing (Contact AMS)
Perfect trip, professionally guided, good organization and sense of humor!
— Elisabetta Pallavicini, Upper West Rib Expedition
The guides MADE the trip. The route was great, but the guides made it spectacular.
— Steve Gabbert, Denali Upper West Rib
Given the weather window, our guides put us on the summit perfectly. It would not have been possible without them.
— Fred McGuinness, Denali Upper West Rib
A first class operation — run locally by people who know the mountain.
— Si Matthies, Denali Upper West Rib
