I’ve been chasing frozen formations to climb for decades. I started making forays into the 49th state in the ’90s. Ropes were fat, and ice climbers tethered straight-shafted axes to their wrists. Since then, the gear used to scratch lines up the ephemeral routes has changed immensely. As the GearJunkie climbing editor, I’ve been fortunate enough to sample much of it.
Alaska is home to big, tall, multipitch routes I target on my yearly pilgrimage to the northernmost state. Some trips resulted in first ascents for my team. Others produced second ascents or success on rarely forming and climbed ice falls. On each trip, I’m armed with the newest gear. Some ice climbing gear was a definite improvement, while others were failures that sometimes produced stressful results.
Here’s my favorite ice climbing gear for big, backcountry routes. Hopefully, this list will be updated yearly as the gear undoubtedly changes, and my short memory keeps me returning to Alaska’s cold and rugged landscapes.
Ice tools, along with crampons, are crucial to success on Alaska’s bounty of ice. They are the points of contact with the frozen medium of ice climbing.
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Ice tools have morphed from shorter versions of glacier travel axes to highly specialized tools for ice and mixed climbing. Shafts have gone from straight to all forms of permutations with ergonomic handles. Picks have concurrently changed and become specialized for ice and mixed routes. Finally, material advancements, like carbon fiber, have entered the ice-scaling game.
Favorite Ice Tool for Alaska: Trango Kestrel ($500 Each)
The Trango Kestrel had the best attributes for Alaskan ice climbing; (photo/Seiji Ishii)
Over the last decade, I’ve schlepped two models of ice axes on each of my trips into the Alaskan backcountry, and this one tool stood above the rest. The Trango Kestrel possessed the right combination of total weight, head weight, pick effectiveness, and ergonomics, never leaving me wanting anything else.
At a verified 1 pound, 3 ounces per tool with the included 2.3-ounce head weights, the Kestrel was in the Goldilocks zone for big, backcountry ice. They were lighter than more aggressive, steel-shafted tools like the Black Diamond Reactor (1 pound, 6 ounces without head weights).
This saved precious energy on long, steep approaches and impossibly big formations. But they had more heft than superlight ice tools like the Grivel Dark Machine (17.2 ounces per tool without head weight). This made swings feel better and require less oomph for a solid stick, and the heads resisted rotating much better than lighter tools.
I found the shaft bend to save my knuckles from getting bashed, even on lower-angled ice, which has proven rare. I also preferred the identical feeling main grip and choke grip, which were perfectly sized for gloves usable in the 0-20-degree range. The gritty shaft texture also proved effective with winter gloves.
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And, as a bonus, the carbon fiber/Kevlar shafts damped harsh vibrations from smashing the hardest, coldest ice, which saved my hands, arms, and wrists over long routes on consecutive days. The included ice picks also performed remarkably well on hard-water ice; that is, I never noticed them. They just worked.
The glaring downside is the price of the Trango Kestrel — $1,000 for a pair of ice tools adds to the financial burden of an already expensive endeavor. But, Trango offers a respite.
Trango Raptor: A great value in ice tools; (photo/Seiji Ishii)
Trango keeps Kestrel ergonomics, head, and pick but replaces the carbon/Kevlar shaft with aluminum, resulting in the Raptor. With all the similarities with the Kestrel, it’s no surprise that I loved the Raptor during my last ice-climbing foray in Alaska. They felt remarkably like the Kestrels. I noticed the different grip textures (the Raptor uses rubber) and vibration damping of the aluminum shafts.
However, the value proposition is difficult to argue at less than half the cost of the Kestrel. It’s one of the best deals on ice-climbing gear I’ve seen.
Favorite Crampons for Alaska Ice Climbing: Grivel G20 Plus ($250)
I found the “snaggletooth” frontpoint configuration of the Grivel G20 Plus ideal in Alaska; (photo/Mirna Estrada)
Next to ice tools, crampons are the most crucial ice-climbing gear for performance and safety. I have used so many crampons over the decades. From terrible versions that balled up snow to no avail to ones that didn’t allow secondary points ever to touch the ice, I’ve suffered more due to lousy crampon design than any other gear-related issue.
Crampons must fit boots well and remain secure; popping a toe bail on lead makes for a harrowing experience. The front points must allow for a natural kick and a reassuring bite into the hardest ice.
They must also provide traction on snowy, icy, and rocky approaches. Finally, they must be super durable. Crampons suffer through so much abuse, and failure can be devastating.
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I’ve liked a few crampon models, but I’ve only loved one: the Grivel G20 Plus. The front point configuration won me over. The G20 has a big toe-oriented monopoint and a smaller and shorter secondary “snaggletooth.” This configuration provided the best of both monopoint and double-point crampons.
I got the versatility, accuracy, and athleticism of a monopoint with the added stability and security of double points. I could delicately stab a slim chandelier or place the monopoint on the smallest feature. Sometimes, I used rock climbing shenanigans since I could rotate around that point. But I also felt more secure and used less energy to hold the points still on sketchy terrain with the snaggletooth engaged.
The steel Grivel uses on the G20 Plus also proved incredibly robust, thwarting all attempts to grind them down. I climbed entire weeks without ever taking a file to them, even though I felt I had abused them. And they have never suffered a failure of any part over multiple seasons.
The G20 Plus isn’t the lightest crampon that I’ve tested. At a verified 1 pound, 15 ounces per pair, there are lighter contenders. But again, I’ve never loved a crampon other than the Grivel G20 Plus.
Favorite Ice Climbing Boots: LaSportiva G2 EVO ($999 per Pair)
The one word for the LaSportiva G2 EVO: warmth; (photo/Paul Guzenski)
My primary focus for ice-climbing boots in Alaska is warmth. Arguing the nuances of performance didn’t make sense to me if I suffered frostbite. And no other boot has kept my feet and toes warmer than the LaSportiva G2 EVO.
On my last trip to Alaska, the climbing temperatures rarely exceeded the single digits, and with wind chill, they were often below zero. Long belays in snow or on icy ledges in these conditions have gotten my toes cold enough to go numb, sometimes painfully.
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The metal crampons didn’t help as they sucked heat out of the boot as well. But not so with the La Sportiva G2 EVO; I never had my toes numb, and this past season was arguably the coldest I’ve experienced.
I dislike using “game changer,” but the dual BOA dials on the G2 proved to be just that in the ice climbing gear realm. The BOA dial on the inside of the gaiter cinched down on the ankle, while the one on the boot’s exterior did the same for the foot.
Adjusting these on the fly, even on route, was an advantage that cannot be overstated. I could keep them looser on approach, improving my comfort on skis or on foot. Then, I tightened them before climbing and often loosened the exterior dial at belays to improve vital blood circulation. A few turns tightened the boot down again to enhance climbing performance.
The boot is necessarily bulkier than others I’ve used, but none were as warm as the LaSportiva G2 EVO. And again, keeping my feet protected against cold injury was always the priority in Alaska.
The author enjoying the wind-blocking ability of the Arc’teryx Alpha SV; (photo/Austin Thayer)
I’ve destroyed shells in Alaska in as little as a single pitch. Ice climbing is notoriously hard on shells. From ice tool picks, crampon points, ice screws, rocks, and constant abrasion from climbing harnesses, even the most expensive, highly touted shell systems have succumbed to the hostile conditions in short order.
None have survived multiple seasons without at least some damage from other ice climbing gear or the environment. But the Arc’teryx Alpha SV Jacket and Bibs have only suffered a tiny puncture due to crampon-use error over a few seasons. This is incredible, as I have a closet full of shells with tears, delamination, large holes, and other damage from a single season.
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On this past trip to Alaska, I unexpectedly fell on loose, unconsolidated snow on the approach to a route. I slid over rocks and through alder branches. I felt crampons catch on my bibs and rocks grating across my back. Luckily, I stopped my rapid descent by grabbing an alder branch.
A climbing partner rushed down to check on me. I was amazingly unharmed. Although a side zip on the bibs got dragged open, hilariously exposing my rear, the shell remained undamaged for the rest of the week.
The Arc’teryx Alpha SV has been a go-to shell for hardcore alpinists for a while now. The GORE-TEX PRO with Most Rugged Technology has withstood everything I’ve thrown at it and has reliably protected me from all of Alaska’s fury. It may not be the lightest shell in the game and is very expensive, but it’s the most robust, making it my number one choice for ice climbing in Alaska.
The staple ice screw for the Alaskan crew; (photo/Paul Guzenski)
Placing ice screws on lead is the most involved and time-consuming protection placement in climbing. And nothing stresses me out more than fumbling an ice screw. From false starts to that unnerving feeling that it’s too easy to spin the screw, I’ve spent more mental and emotional energy on a few ice screw placements than all other climbing protection placements in my life combined.
And unlike quickdraws or trad gear, the cost of ice screws means sharing them on almost every outing. So, over the decades, I’ve been able to sample nearly every available ice screw. For long, multipitch routes in Alaska, the Petzl Laser Speed Light is the ice screw of choice for the crew.
They start reliably, the threads have the just right resistance to turning, and the handle works well with gloves. They also have the feeling of quality that Petzl climbing gear has delivered for as long as I’ve been climbing. And they are reasonably light at 100 g for the 17cm length.
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One caveat: In my experience, as well as other seasoned ice climbers, the aluminum threads can get “sticky” in wet ice compared to their steel-shafted counterparts (the Petzl Laser Speed). But this is a nick we’re willing to take for the lower weight, especially considering the dozen or more screws required on Alaskan routes.
The Alaska Senate Finance committee advanced a draft capital budget on Tuesday that would put nearly $250 million toward state facilities and maintenance projects next year.
The draft budget adds $88 million to Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed capital budget of $159 million, with the largest additions going toward K-12 schools and university facilities maintenance.
That was a focused effort by the finance committee, said co-chair Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, who called funding for education facilities maintenance a “heavy concentration” on Wednesday.
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Earlier this year, students and school officials testified to lawmakers that decades of deferred maintenance has reached crisis levels — with many rural school districts in particular grappling with deteriorating facilities, failing water and sewer systems — which they say is degrading student and staff morale. Lawmakers have expressed support and increased funding in recent years, but point to Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s history of vetoes as a roadblock for funding education.
The Senate draft includes $57.8 million in additional funding toward K-12 school maintenance through the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development and $17 million toward the University of Alaska. It also includes $5.7 million for the Alaska Court System’s facilities and $8 million for community infrastructure and workforce development programs through the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development.
The Legislature relies on state ranked lists to prioritize where to direct funding to capital projects for K-12 schools, the university system and the court system.
For K-12 schools, the state’s current major maintenance list totals over $400 million needed for 103 school projects and repairs. Stedman said he recognized this year’s capital budget will only fund a fraction of those.
“Hopefully we get a quarter of it done, or something like that, but it’d be nice to retire the entire list,” Stedman said.
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The draft budget would fund the top 15 school projects on the list, plus funds for three other schools in need of emergency fuel tank repairs. The top projects range from roof and boiler replacements to septic systems, fire suppression and safety upgrades in schools from Fairbanks to the Aleutian Islands.
In order to distribute funds more widely, members of the finance committee reduced funding for one project in Galena, in the Western Interior of Alaska, from roughly $35 million to $5 million for renovations to the Sydney C. Huntington Elementary and High Schools. They also allocated $17 million towards rebuilding the school in Stebbins in Western Alaska, after it burned down in 2024.
The Senate draft also adds nearly $14 million in funding for the state-run Mt. Edgecumbe High School, which has been the focus of public attention and concern after a quarter of students disenrolled this year. The additional facilities dollars include $10 million to remodel the dining hall, $3.1 million to replace dorm windows, $460,000 to replace dorm furniture, $50,000 to replace mattresses and $125,000 to replace aging laundry machines.
Finance members added $17 million to fund the top nine projects across the University of Alaska system — three projects each within the three major campuses.
Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, serves on the finance committee and his district includes University of Alaska Southeast. He described the proposed funds as a “nickel” compared to the “colossal” deferred maintenance needs of the university system.
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“That’s been built by Legislatures and Boards of Regents for 40 years,” he said on Wednesday, adding that it is a shared responsibility to put funding towards repairs and upgrades.
“The Constitution makes them a separate body within the executive branch that puts a lot of responsibility on them, too, more than the general state government,” he said “So university major maintenance is its own huge problem.”
The draft budget also includes $5.7 million for upgrades to state court facilities, mostly targeted to Anchorage and Sitka. It contains nearly $10 million for workforce development programs geared at the construction and oil and gas sectors, including for the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center and Alaska Vocational Technical Center in Seward.
An amendment to add $25 million to the draft budget for the Port of Anchorage, sponsored by Sen. Kelly Merrick, R-Eagle River, was voted down on Tuesday by a 5 to 2 vote.
Before voting against the proposal, finance co-chair Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, said during committee deliberations the priority this year is to fund as many school maintenance projects on the list as possible, saying “schools are falling apart” and must be maintained to prevent further deterioration.
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“Students that are trying to learn deserve better,” Hoffman said. “And if we are not able to provide this major maintenance, we are going to see these schools continue to crumble, and the financial burden to the state of Alaska will be hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild schools.”
More funding for school maintenance and other capital projects could be added by the Alaska House of Representatives, who will take up the draft budget bill after it’s approved by the Senate in the coming weeks.
Two US soldiers were wounded by a brown bear during a training exercise in Alaska on Thursday, the US Army stated.
Anchorage Daily News reported that the soldiers were from the 11th Airborne Division, and that the exercise had been a “land navigation training event” near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
State wildlife officials said that the bear attack seemed to be a defensive one, from a bear which had recently emerged from its den. Staff members from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game collected evidence at the scene in an attempt to learn more about the bear, such as its species and gender.
“The incident is currently under investigation, and we are working closely with installation authorities and local wildlife officials to gather all relevant information and ensure the safety of all personnel in the area,” the 11th Airborne Division said in a statement, reported ABC News.
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ABC News also cited an 11th Airborne Division spokesperson, Lt.-Col. Jo Nederhoed, who said that the two soldiers had been seriously wounded, but were receiving care at a hospital in Anchorage, and had shown improvement by Saturday morning.
“We hope both individuals have a full and quick recovery, and our thoughts are with them during this time,” Fish and Game Regional Supervisor Cyndi Wardlow said in a statement reported by Anchorage Daily News. “In this case, having bear spray with them in the field may have saved their lives.”
Both of the soldiers reportedly had and used bear spray during the attack.
The bear’s condition and whereabouts are currently unknown.
Up, up and away … that’s where most travel prices are going.
It’s true. Not only are our nation’s geopolitical thrusts in the Mideast affecting the cost of your fill-ups, every component of your trip from airfares to car rentals and hotel stays are subject to price hikes.
Imagine filling up a jetliner with jet fuel that’s doubled in price. It’s enough to melt your credit card, regardless of the number of points you get for every dollar spent!
Because the price of oil affects everything, higher prices are eating away at your travel budget in many ways.
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Bag fees
There’s lots of press on this. All airlines are increasing their checked-bag fees because of the jump in fuel prices.
Back in 2009, Alaska Airlines instituted a $15 fee for the first checked bag and $25 for the second bag. At the time, there was no charge for the first bag and a second bag was $25.
Last week, Alaska Airlines, along with other major airlines, increased its fees to $45 for the first checked bag and $55 for the second bag. Delta Air Lines charges the same.
Even if the cost of oil comes down, I don’t expect bag fees will ever be reduced.
Travelers who live in Alaska are somewhat insulated from the new hikes because both Delta and Alaska Airlines offer two free checked bags, with conditions:
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1. Alaska offers two free checked bags for travelers flying to or from Alaska who are enrolled in Club 49. This does not affect other flights on Alaska. Separately, ATMOS credit card holders can get a free checked bag. Also, elite members of the ATMOS scheme get one or two free checked bags systemwide.
2. Delta offers two free checked bags for travelers flying to or from Alaska who are SkyMiles members who live in Alaska. Again, this does not apply to other Delta flights. Separately, Delta American Express cardholders can get a free checked bag.
3. Elite-level travelers with the oneworld airline cartel, including Alaska Airlines, can get one or two checked bags on American, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Qantas or other oneworld carriers.
[Anchorage’s international airport rolls out self-driving wheelchairs]
Main Cabin vs. Basic Economy
The spread between the lowest available price, Basic Economy, and a more flexible ticket, Main Cabin, has increased. While the difference used to be $20-$30 each way when the Basic Economy scheme was introduced in 2018, the round-trip upcharge now can exceed $100.
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For example, the lowest Basic fare to Portland is $337 round-trip on Alaska Airlines. The upcharge to Main Cabin, with full loyalty points, pre-assigned seats and more flexibility on changes and cancellations, is $447, a 33% upcharge.
This trend is not specifically attributable to the new Iran War. It’s just a cost that continues to rise.
New fees
I’m impressed at the creativity of airline people who dream up new fees. Here are some of my favorites from Alaska Airlines:
1. Phone reservations: $15
2. Partner award booking fee: $12.50
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3. Pet travel fee: $100 in the cabin, $200 in the baggage compartment with a kennel
4. Left on board item return fee: $20
On Condor Airlines, operating the only nonstop service from Anchorage to Europe, travelers can choose from four different bundles in economy class. The least-expensive, Economy Zero, from $840 round-trip, features fees for travelers:
1. Carry-on bag fee, up to 8kg: $35; a small bag like a purse always is included for free
2. Checked bag: $75
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3. Airport check-in: $30
All three of these fees are included in the next-highest fare bucket, Economy Classic, from $900 round-trip. It’s cheaper to buy the bundle than it is to buy the components a la carte. Seat assignments are additional, from $25 for economy.
Airfares on the rise
There are a few good deals available for travel to select West Coast/Intermountain destinations in May, including:
1. Anchorage-San Francisco on Alaska Airlines, from $307 round-trip. Fly May 15-28 only. Add $90 round-trip for Main cabin.
2. Anchorage-Los Angeles on Alaska Airlines, from $317 round-trip. May 15-25 only. Add $90 round-trip for Main.
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3. Anchorage-Phoenix on United, Delta or Alaska, from $267-$287 round-trip. Fly May 8-June 9 only. Add $90-$100 for Main.
4. Anchorage-Denver $357 round-trip on Delta. Fly May 8-June 9 only. Add $90 round-trip for Main.
For travel to other destinations, or later in the summer, be prepared to pay more.
Flying to Hawaii? Alaska Air’s nonstop prices out at $706 round-trip between May 30 and June 6. Add $110 round-trip for Main.
Nonstop flights from Anchorage to Salt Lake City start at $669 round-trip with Delta on May 17. That’s $100 more than the cost for the same flights last month. Add $90 more for Main.
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Hotel costs continue to rise, accompanied by pesky resort fees.
The Outrigger on the Beach in Waikiki is a very nice beachfront hotel. It’s not plush, or the nicest property. But it’s solid. The cost is $334 per night.
But there’s more: a $50 per night resort fee, plus a variety of taxes and charges, totaling $112.55 per night.
Down in Seattle, the Sound Hotel in the Belltown neighborhood is marketed by Hilton. The discounted rate for “Honors” members — it’s free to join — is $313.34 per night for a king room in late May. Taxes and fees add an extra $56.40 per night.
There’s no appreciable bump yet for hotel rates as a result of the oil price surge. Yet. But if these hotel rates seem high, they’re in line with hotel rates in Anchorage this summer. At the Sheraton in Anchorage in June, it’s $450 per night, plus $54 in taxes and fees, when booked at Expedia.
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Car rentals are not cheap
My go-to site for car rentals is the Costco site, which compares major brands and automatically includes Costco discounts.
In Las Vegas, for a one-day rental in May, Budget charges $67 per day, which includes taxes and fees of $22.77. In Anchorage, the same kind of car, medium SUV, costs $92.97 with Alamo.
The biggest differences so far in car rental rates seems to be the bill you’ll pay when you fill up the tank before returning. There’s no appreciable jump in prices because of the new war.
When it comes to making travel arrangements for the spring and summer, it’s more risky making completely non-refundable arrangements.
I made the decision to purchase most of my summer travel plans in advance, but only after determining I would not need to change the dates. Particularly with airline tickets, it’s expensive to change your dates.
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There’s lots of uncertainty regarding travel arrangements, particularly international travel. As fuel prices go up due to oil shortages, travel companies will look for ways to recoup the increased costs. In most cases, those higher costs will be borne by travelers.
