12 Day Mountaineering Course- D'Alessio- RETURNS!

AMS 12 Day Mountaineering Course returns from the Pika glacier after a full progression of skills and a variety of weather. Lots of gear to sort and fresh food to eat, but already headquarters looks neat and tidy. Many hands make light work, they are all enjoying a nice lunch in town today. Great group of people that enjoyed the grandness of the Alaska Range. More photos from the field to come!

AMS 12 Day Mountaineering Course- D'Alessio Update

AMS guide Nick D'Alessio just called in at 5:30 pm on July 29th, 2015 to say the group is having a great time out on the Pika glacier. They explored today practicing their glacier travel and crevasse skills near firn line, which is a line across the glacier, from edge to edge, that marks the transition between exposed glacier ice and the snow covered surface of a glacier. During the summer melt season, this line migrates up-glacier. At the end of the melt season, the firn line separates the accumulation zone from the ablation zone. (USGS reference)

This exposure is good, as the conditions are more mushy by the firn line and mountaineers can encounter this en route to their destination in the Alaska Range, depending on the time in the season. Great skill set to practice in a safe and monitored way.

Everyone is having a great time, just a bit of rain, but nothing keeping them from doing their scheduled classes and remaining active. Good group.

Jeff Pflueger, fellow adventurer, photo on the Ruth glacier near firn line. 

AMS/Patagonia Expedition Returns

Instructors John Sykes, Chris Welch and students returned to Talkeetna by raft today!   The team began their rafting adventure  on Monday at the East Fork of the Chulitna.    They put in at the end of Main Street in Talkeetna.  A short walk to AMS!. 

They are busy unpacking gear and enjoying being back in town.  They have lots to do!

They will have great stories about this adventure!

Great Job!

Instructor John Sykes moving gea

Unloading the gear

Sorting

Sorting

Instructors Chris and John explaining what to do

Chris instructing how to clean bags

Cleaning the tents

AMS 6 Day Mountaineering Course Returns, Stroud

Instructors Alex Stroud, Simon Frez-Albrecht and students returned from the Pika,  to the summer weather of Talkeetna today.   The group continued their teamwork unloading the van, sorting and hanging gear, washing dishes.  They munched on fresh fruit while they worked.

They were all smiles as the requested a team photo.

Instructor Alex Stroud, Khalial, Christie, Instructor Simon Frez-Albrecht,
Kellie and Nick

Teamwork 

Sorting gear

Drying gear

The Sockeye Salmon are in!

The Sockeye catch is going great the year.  The Alaska Department of Fish & Game predicts the harvest is up 33% from last year.

Director Colby Coombs picked up his salmon from a local Set Net fisherman.   The salmon arrived packed in ice and ready to clean.   He is keeping everyone busy today processing the salmon.

They made quick work of the project and are busy cleaning.

Everyone is looking forward to grilled salmon!

Mitchel, Tom, Owen and Nils getting started

Owen and Tom hard at work

Ariel vacuum sealing 

Clean up

AMS/Patagonia Alaska Expedition Update

The AMS/Patagonia Team led by Instructors John Sykes and Chris Welch received their re-ration and rafts on Monday. They were excited to began the final part of the adventure. The group put into the East Fork of the Chulitna River, Tuesday morning.

Intern Areil Svetlik-McCarthy delivered the rafts along with fresh fruits, vegetables, burgers and pizza.  The group was especially happy to have burgers for dinner.

Ariel camped near the group on Monday and got some great pictures.

We look forward to the team's return to Talkeetna on Saturday!

Cleaning up after dinner

Instructor Chris teaching about rafting

Preparing the raft

Launching the rafts

On their way

Lead Instructor John Sykes follows with supplies

AMS Mountaineering Course- 6 day: Alex Stroud- DEPARTS

AMS intern Simon Frez-Albrecht teaching glacier rigs in preparation for the 6 day course

AMS lunch spread for all participants

AMS lead guide Alex Stroud teaching Nick how to properly rig for glacier travel

AMS 6 Day mountaineering course all geared up and ready to live on the Pika glacier: snow camping, learning to travel safely, and have some fun! 

AMS 12 Day Mountaineering Course- D'Alessio DEPARTS!

AMS guides Nick D'Alessio, Jimmy Voorhis, and Fallon Connolly had a great time with the nine climbers signed up for the 12 day mountaineering course, gearing up, eating a home-cooked lunch, practicing glacier travel and crevasse skills, and getting psyched to get into the mountains today! Busy and sunny day. . .

AMS climbers Bri and Nicky spreading out gear to pack for 12 days on the Pika glacier

AMS climber Alan sorting gear in the green, preparing for the snow

AMS Mountaineering Course, 12 days, guides Jimmy and Fallon teaching rope skills

AMS Mountaineering Course, 12 days, guides Jimmy and Fallon teaching rope skills

AMS Mountaineering Course, 12 days, lead guide Nick D'Alessio grabbing gear to load up on the glacier plane

AMS 12 day Mountaineering Course stoked to be flying onto the Pika for one grand adventure! Lots of glacier travel skills, skiing, potential for rock climbing, etc. Good group of people with camaraderie forming already!

AMS/Patagonia Frontiers Alaska Expedition Update 7/19

The group called in today to check in about their re-ration and let us know they were on schedule. All is well. Tomorrow they will meet the van on the road and begin the transition to the rafting leg. They are looking forward to fresh foods and fruit!

 The first portion of this video is taken on the pass the students will be hiking on their way down to the road. The rafting shots descend the creek the students will be walking next too. Video and photo by Chris Erickson from different trips.

AMS photo by C.Erickson: Upper Honolulu Plateau terrain of tundra and small streams. Between Hurricane Creek and Honolulu Pass.

AMS photo looking to Honolulu Pass. Photo by C. Erickson

AMS photo by Amanda Erickson: views off the ATV track leading to the Denali Highway of Denali/Mt. McKinley

AMS/Patagonia Frontiers Alaska Expedition 7/12

The group has made good time. Last night they camped on the Jack River. Today they should be heading for the East Fork of the Chultina and after that towards their snow school location!

AMS/Patagonia Frontiers Alaska Expedition- 7/11 Update

Lead Instructor John Sykes messaged us this afternoon. The group is moving over from above the Soule River to the Jack River today. They have received their first resupply and have been staying high to avoid brushy areas. Everyone is doing well!

Below are a few pictures taken near the area they are traveling in today. These are from a little closer to falltime than we are now, but they give a good idea of what the country they are travelling through looks like. Beautiful place and beautiful weather today!

 Looking along the Jack River valley (photo from Google Earth by Gabriel Gersch)
http://www.panoramio.com/user/6908161

 Area just above the Jack River (photo from Google Earth by Gabriel Gersch)
http://www.panoramio.com/user/6908161

AMS Denali WB 6/25 Expedition Returns

The AMS 6/25 Denali Team  led by Rob Gowler, Curtis Green and Simon Frez-Albrech returned to Talkeetna! The team is happy to be back to the green grass and flowers.  They are enjoying fresh fruit and juice.  

This is our final expedition of the season!  Congratulations on a job well done!

 Unloading gear

Gear to be check

Guides Rob and Simon sort gear

A favorite mountain quote to keep nearby...

For all the excellent AMS climbers past, preset and future...

“You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.”

― René Daumal

Enjoy some of our favorite photos too...