Skiing and Camping on Alaska's Pika Glacier
A first-person account of a week on the Pika Glacier in Denali National Park — crevasse travel, steep couloirs, base camp life, and what it's really like to ski the Alaska Range with ITCOG.
Is Alaska at the Top of Your Backcountry Bucket List?
After decades of coverage in ski films and magazines, Alaska's steeps carry near-mythological status. It's no exaggeration to say Alaska is to the backcountry skier what the Himalaya are to the mountaineer — both ultimate playground and proving ground. The interminable ranges, complex glaciated terrain, and bountiful snowfall simply don't exist anywhere in the lower 48.
For first-timers (and even fifth-timers), Alaska raises real questions: Where to go among 30 mountain ranges and 17 of America's 20 highest peaks? How to navigate crevasses, bergschrunds, and seracs? The answer, as with most serious mountain objectives, is to go with a guide who knows the terrain.
About the Pika Glacier
Located in Denali National Park, the Pika Glacier branches off the massive Kahiltna Glacier — which begins on Denali's slopes and is the longest glacier in the Alaska Range. The Pika sits in the heart of a zone called "Little Switzerland," known for granite spires, aesthetic rock routes, and increasingly popular ski couloirs. It offers terrain for every ability level while still delivering the Alaska experience: glacial travel, dramatic exposure, and skiing you simply cannot find anywhere else.
Getting There: Talkeetna and the Bush Plane
After linking up in Anchorage, our small group — Todd Passey, myself, and three other clients — took a two-hour shuttle to Talkeetna, the funky riverside town that serves as the gateway to Denali National Park. From there, we boarded a DHC-3 Otter bush plane operated by Talkeetna Air Taxi and buzzed north into the range.
The flight was cinematic. Denali, Foraker, and Hunter commanded attention, but even the smaller peaks were jaw-dropping for anyone with an eye for ski lines. I shot photos of couloirs from the plane window — and within two days, we'd be skiing one of them.
Base Camp Life
One of the great joys of a glacier ski trip is the luxury of a fly-in approach. Unlike a human-powered traverse, each person gets roughly 140 pounds of gear allowance. We had individual tents, a communal cook tent, and critically — two pairs of skis each, a wise hedge against equipment failure deep in the wilderness.
After landing, we stomped out platforms, erected camp, dug snow pathways, and established a latrine (pee in a designated hole; solid waste goes in Park-supplied Clean Mountain Cans that you fly out). Then Passey cooked the first of many legitimately excellent meals — salmon burritos, shrimp curry, steak and fries — fuel for days averaging 3,000–4,000 vertical feet of touring.
Crevasse Training Before You Ski
Before anyone dropped a first turn, Passey ran us through an abridged crevasse rescue clinic: anchor building, ascension for a self-rescue scenario, and hauling dead weight with a pulley system. It's sobering material. It's also essential — and knowing your partners have practiced it creates genuine confidence on the glacier.
The Skiing
Passey is a truffle pig in crowded terrain. We arrived during a high-pressure window, so competition for lines was real. But he consistently found fresh tracks and quality objectives throughout the week — reading north aspects for cold powder while south-facing slopes went through their corn cycle.
The terrain ranged from mellow glacier laps (excellent for building comfort with glacial travel) to serious couloirs in the 45–55 degree range. One client — a former professional triathlete who had only been skiing a couple of seasons — voiced legitimate concerns below a steep, icy couloir. Passey's response was unhurried and matter-of-fact: assess what you see, not what you expected. We regrouped, found a better line, and he skied one of the best runs of his life.
That's the value of going with a guide who has been on Denali 24 times (22 successful summits, well above the 50% average). He doesn't need the line. He needs you to have the right experience for your level.
Is It Right for You?
The Pika Glacier is appropriate for strong intermediate-to-expert backcountry skiers who are comfortable with avalanche terrain and willing to learn glacial travel. You don't need technical climbing experience — Passey provides all the instruction — but solid fitness and a genuine respect for the mountains are required.
Interested? View the Pika Glacier trip details or contact us to discuss whether it's the right objective for your goals and experience level.