TERRAIN
Massive views, glaciers pouring down over cliffs the size of the Grand Canyon, glaciers calving into rivers.
PLACE
Wrangell St. Elias National Park | The ancestral and unceded territory of the Upper Tanana, Ahtna Nenn, and Denendeh.
EXPLORE
10 Days, 9 nights
Guest to guide ratio : 6:1, Max 8 guests, min 5
Into the heart of the largest protected wilderness on earth. This trip is straight out of a Nat Geo centerfold.
With two separate basecamps in two geographically unique parts of the park, a bush plane transfer between the two, and included flights right from downtown Anchorage — this trip is unparalleled in it’s ease of access to this wild place. Without the effort of carrying overnight packs or the effort of moving camp each morning we simply have time to enjoy this massive place with long day hikes and excellent meals. We’re the only ones out there offering a trip like this with fast plane access from Anchorage saving you an 9 - 10 hour drive on either side of the trip.
Over 10 days…
Wrangell St. Elias National Park is the largest protected wilderness on earth. It’s arguably the most striking park in Alaska. And we’re headed right into the middle of it. Perhaps no itinerary has ever endeavored to take in the park so in depth in so little time. On this expedition we’ll traverse the park by foot and by plane, taking in the macro views from the sky and noticing the smallest flowers on foot.
Each day we’ll go out for beautiful long hikes and each evening return to a warm meal in camp. Our basecamp will be well outfitted with good food, excellent tents, and a basecamp dome tent and chairs to keep us protected and comfortable during any rough weather.
Each year we change our basecamps to minimize impact — but you can be sure we’ve chosen a place you’ll never forget. Whether we’re right next to a massive glacier, or on a wide plateau overlooking 16,000 ft peaks, you’ll have plenty to take in. We choose our spots based on beauty and accessibility to long exciting hikes.
MOMENT BY MOMENT, DAY BY DAY
DAY 1
DAY 1
WELCOME TO ANCHORAGE
where the mountains and oceans meet and (this time of year) the sun never sets. This is the hub of Alaska and where many a wild adventure have started!
Join us at our gorgeous Air Bnb anytime after 3pm and make yourself at home. We’re staying at one of the most beautiful places in the heart of Anchorage away from the hotel and cruise ship crowds. We’ll meet up at 5:30 to get to know each other, talk about our upcoming adventure, share goals for the trip, go over gear, and share a great meal complete with local Alaskan beer.
DAY 2
DAY 2
In the morning we’ll have a delicious breakfast before a short 15 minute drive to Merrill Field. As the Alaskan saying goes, walk a month or fly an hour. In this case, flying turns an 8 hour drive into a 2 hour stunning flight across the Chugach mountains. If you’ve never flown in a bush plane you’re missing out on one of the greatest experiences in life, really. There’s nothing quite like seeing Alaska from the sky — breezing over tundra; spotting moose and grizzly; floating through massive glacial gorges with mile high walls of granite; watching the sun glint off rivers braided like lungs; seeing the tallest mountains in North America at eye level — it’s truly special.
Our skilled pilots will put us down in the small historic town of McCarthy where we’ll change to smaller planes and head deeper into the mountains. The pilots will fly off, leaving us in the bewildering silence and the awe of remoteness. We’ll hike a mile or less to our chosen basecamp and setup for our next 3 nights. That evening we’ll just rest and absorb the magnitude of the place. It may be sunny or pouring rain… but it’s always beautiful.
DAY 3 - 5
DAY 3 - 5
Basecamp hikes, delicious shared meals, relaxing evenings, cards, and campfires. When people ask me to explain the Wrangells I tell them this: imagine a valley where the lower 3,000 feet are like the rich green Scottish hills blooming with wildflowers, the middle 10,000 feet rivals the Grand Canyon with deep red towering cliffs, and the upper 3,000 feet is these massive snow capped mountains pouring glaciers down over the walls of the Grand Canyon. Each day will be an opportunity to explore a new place. Our hikes won’t be pre-planned and they’ll all be off trail. The alpine nature of the place means we’ll be able to avoid most bugs and bushwhacking, but not all. This is true adventure. If our group is bigger than six, we’ll have two guides and can hike in two groups each day. Some might chose a slow meditative saunter near camp while others may chose to go as far as their legs can take them. Each day will be a new co-creation with each other, the terrain, and the weather.
DAY 6
DAY 6
BASECAMP TRANSFER
After lunch, bush planes with bulbous tundra tires will come to pick us up from our remote basecamp and whisk us to our next home. We’ll set up again and settle in for a relaxing evening taking in our new view. The flights spook some and exhilarate others. But everyone remembers them as a highlight. Not to mention that AK bush pilots are some of the wildest and most competent characters you’ll ever meet.
DAY 7 - 9
DAY 7 - 9
We’ll spend our days on long hikes exploring our new surrounding, sharing hot meals around a fire and possibly in the tents on a weather day. If you find yourself exhausted, you’ll have the option to spend some time in camp resting, reading, making art, playing the camp guitar — whatever suits you. On basecamping trips we have a giant dome tent and camp chairs, so even if its a torrential downpour outside you can be cozy and laughing under the protection of the dome drinking a delicious hot drink. Because planes bring us in and out of these mountains, we still have to be very weight conscious. So other than the dome tent, chairs, and plenty of fuel for endless hot drinks, we still pack light like we’re out for backpacking.
DAY 10
DAY 10
Today is a bittersweet day. You’ll likely be really ready for showers. And you’ll be sad to say goodbye to the wild land that you’ve begun to call home. After breakfast the distant sound of engines will filter in. We’ll pack up camp and fly to McCarthy — a small mining town about 40 minutes away. Then we’ll have either two more flights or a flight a drive to get us back to Anchorage by mid to late afternoon. From our drop off spot, you’re on your own to Uber back to wherever you’ve chosen to stay for the night. That night (after showers and clean clothes and hopefully not checking your email) we’ll have a group celebratory dinner at one of Anchorage’s coolest restaurants and say our goodbyes.
NOTE
The Alaska Factor
Any expedition in Alaska requires flexibility, patience, and a big sense of adventure. We always try our best to follow our itineraries as written, but rarely do. That’s part of the fun of it! Alaska weather is always changing and shifting and we will always respectfully honor what the weather allows or doesn’t allow us to do. We get the incredible luxury of flying into these beautiful places, but with flying also comes a need to defer to the conditions. Sometimes flights may be delayed for a day or more as we wait for an appropriate weather window. Trip itineraries may also shift due to group skill, pilot availability, or any number of unforeseen circumstances. Please come with an open mind, a spirit of enthusiastic adventure, and a willingness to see where the trip takes you.
WHERE WE SLEEP
““To adventure is to find yourself whole.””
Beautiful AirBnbs
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We'll share one of the most beautiful Air Bnbs in Anchorage to start our trip. Our Air Bnb provides a great place for trip prep and a cozy spot to hang out before entering the backcountry.
We’ll gather, meet, and get everything sorted for our morning departure.
Note:
We do sometimes switch up AirBnbs so it may not look exactly like the photos shown.
We love using AirBnbs for the homeyness over most Anchorage hotels. But it's hard to nearly impossible to find AirBnbs that have 8 beds. We aim to have each person get their own bed. It's possible depending on trip size that 1 - 2 people may need to sleep on their camping mattress. This will be done on a first come first served basis. Anyone who needs to sleep on their camp mattress will get $100 back from us.
Backcountry Camping
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Backcountry camping can be cozy and comfy.
We like to bring some creature comforts like desert and umbrellas and our favorite coffee press for the mornings. And the best part is opening your tent door to the pinks, purples, and oranges shining on snow capped peaks (or feel super cozy in your tent when it’s raining outside).
And you’ll have the most exquisite bathroom views you’ve ever had in your life.
Basecamp trips afford us some more luxuries than usual like a giant dome tent, camp chairs, and a few fresh food items. The dome tent is a complete game changer for the Alaska backcountry! it could be raining sideways and you'd hardly know it inside the dome. In the words of someone last season: "this thing is a literal godsend."
That being said, other then the dome tent, camp chairs, and some fresh veggies, we pack for these trips the same as for backpacking trips!
That's for two reasons.
Sometimes we need to be able to walk up to a mile away from the landing area to make camp. If our bags are ridiculously heavy this walk become uncomfortable or dangerous.
We access these mountains by small bush planes. These planes have limited pretty carrying capacity. But also the more stuff we bring the more fuel they have to burn (which we want to avoid!)
We ask people to limit their personal gear to 30lbs per person maximum.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“The food was excellent! I’ve never been in such a remote place and eaten so well. And the views from camp were truly astounding. ”
“Being in a place like that without having to cary heavy packs was an incredible treat. I was so impressed by how seamless the logistics were! Jack truly went above and beyond at every turn to make this trip special. ”
“I recommend this trip to all my friends. Hands down the greatest wilderness experience of my life! Oh and the food was beyond awesome! ”
BOOK THIS ADVENTURE
Step 1. Send us a quick note with what you’re interested in. Step 2. We’ll get back to you to discuss your trip.
Step 3. Fill out some info and send a trip deposit. Step 4. Adventure :)
JOIN A GROUP TRIP
Fill out the form below and we’ll make it happen!
$6,950 Per Person | $2,000 deposit to hold your spot
BOOK A PRIVATE TRIP
Have questions? Reach out below or text / call us.
Custom pricing | Currently booking a year out
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Check out the FAQ’s below, or text or call us at 845-661-3008 to talk it through! Or send us an email. We love hearing from folks.
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Our basecamping trips are the least-demanding trips we offer. If you want to experience Alaska, but don't want to cary a heavy pack every day, this one is for you!
That being said, any remote trip in Alaska comes with challenges. At minimum, you must be able to walk 2 miles off trail with a 30 pound pack. We will have to cary our gear to and from our remote air strips three times on this trip. These hikes will be off trail and may be up steep inclines.
To get the most out of the trip we recomedn you're comfortable hiking 8-10 miles on trail. That will set you up well to be able to go on some of the longer day hikes.
But if you want to stay closer to camp and do shorter hikes that's up to you. We'll have the option to split the group each day depending on how far people want to go and at what pace.
Our longer (optional) hikes will be no joke. We'll leave camp in the morning and be gone all day off trail across scree slopes, over mountain passes, and through the occasional but notorious thick Alaskan alder. If you’re an expert backpacker you’ll still find this to be a rewarding and at times challenging trip.
Guests will be expected to practice excellent self-care, pack and unpack their own packs, setup and breakdown their own tents, and carry a portion of group equipment to and from the airstrip.
All the challenges of off-trail hiking are overwhelmingly worth it for the splendor, the views, and the deep knowing in your gut that you did something powerful and profound.
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The price includes accommodations on the first night in Anchorage, all bush flights in and out of the mountains, all breakfasts and dinners (except the final celebratory dinner in ANC) all group supplies—cooking equipment, water treatment options, group shelters, bear canisters, toilet supplies, emergency communication devices, maps, GPS, first aid kit, National Park entrance fees, and the support of your experienced and trained guides.
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The price does not include travel to Anchorage, transportation within Anchorage (Uber works great), travel insurance or rescue insurance (both recommended), or gratuity for your guide (10-20% of the trip cost suggested). The price doesn’t include personal gear— backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, layers, rain gear, personal bowl, personal eating utensils, headlamp, and personal toiletries. If needed some of this gear can be rented for an additional fee. The price also does not include the cost of lunches. On our trips lunches are really just extended snacking throughout the day. By not having long elaborate sit-down lunches we allow more time to experience new terrain. Guests are expected to provide their own snacks / lunches — we will provide you with guidance for how to plan for proper amounts and keep the weight low.
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We limit all our trips to 8 guests. If your trip has more than 6 people you will have 2 guides.
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Meals will be delicious backcountry cuisine. We’ve spent a lot of years in the backcountry and we like to eat well! That being said, we also don't love heavy packs. Our meals strike a balance between dehydrated backpacker food and gourmet fresh — in that balance are delicious meals without crazy weight. We can accommodate most dietary restrictions. Please reach out with questions. We will supply all the breakfasts, dinners, and occasional desserts for the trip. We ask guests to pack their own lunch snacks. On our trips lunch is between when breakfast ends and dinner begins — snack away!
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Any expedition in Alaska requires flexibility, patience, and a big sense of adventure. We always try our best to follow our itineraries as written, but rarely do. That’s part of the fun of it! Alaska weather is always changing and shifting and we will always respectfully honor what the weather allows or doesn’t allow us to do. We get the incredible luxury of flying into these beautiful places, but with flying also comes a need to defer to the conditions. Sometimes flights may be delayed for a day or more as we wait for an appropriate weather window. Trip itineraries may also shift due to group skill, pilot availability, or any number of unforeseen circumstances. Please come with an open mind, a spirit of enthusiastic adventure, and a willingness to see where the trip takes you. We do not offer refunds or cover incurred costs when trips have to be rerouted or itineraries changed due to weather or other circumstances out of our control.
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If arriving by plane you will want to fly in/out of Ted Stevens International Airport. Please plan to arrive in Anchorage no later than 5 pm on Day 1 and book your flights for no earlier than 8 pm on the final day.
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We have people come on our trips by themselves all the time! There’s nothing like travel through remote wilderness to build community. You'll most likely leave with lots of new friends.
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Indigo Alpine Guide trips are most often run by the owner Jack Bynum and his closest and most trusted friends. All the people who work for IAG have over a decade of experience guiding trips in the most remote places on earth, have wilderness medical training and advanced guiding certifications.
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You may cancel up to 120 days before the scheduled travel date and receive a full refund minus a $300 per-person service fee. If you cancel between 120 and 60 days of travel, there is a 50% cancellation fee. Within 60 days of travel, there is a 100% cancellation fee. We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance.
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We always encourage folks to purchase trip cancelation insurance in addition to the mandatory medical evacuation insurance. We require that you have at least $200,000 in medical evacuation insurance. Your insurance policy should cover hazardous sports and we recommend that your policy cover search and rescue. Since we cannot confirm each client’s policy individually, it is your responsibility to make sure your policy will cover you while you participate in your activities of choice on the expedition.
For US citizens, we recommend Global Rescue. You will have a choice of purchasing it with or without the cancellation coverage–so make sure to select the one that gives you the coverage that you need. Other commonly used companies include World Nomads and Squaremouth.
You are welcome to seek out other insurance options, as these are only recommendations. When selecting a policy, please make sure they insure all the activities you’ll be participating in (many don’t include roped climbing, skiing, mountaineering, etc).
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Backpacking in Alaska can be pretty tough. If you’re super athletic and up for adventure, coming out here for your first trip could work. But be prepared for a steep learning curve.
You’ll likely have a better time if you have at least 4-5 trips of any length under your belt before coming to Alaska. If you’re unsure, reach out!
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Let us know. We’re always happy to chat. No pressure to book.
