American Alpine Institute offers a wide array of instructional programs, peak ascents, expeditions, and private programs. Browse the different program types here.
Intensive mountain skills instruction and summit climbs
Group Summit Climbs
Programs (7)
Introductory summit climbs with some skills instruction
Expeditions
Programs (35)
Longer trips in remote locations to ascend major peaks, including the Seven Summits
Private & Custom Trips
Programs (42)
Custom adventures for individuals or groups – with the best-trained guides in the industry
Treks, Tours, & Backpacking
Programs (11)
Full-service, non-technical adventures for all outdoor enthusiasts
Government, Military, & Veterans
Programs (3)
Training for government personnel and vocational programs for veterans under the GI Bill
Youth Climbing Programs
Programs (3)
Our youth programs inspire young adventurers to explore the outdoors, build confidence, and develop climbing and leadership skills in a fun and supportive environment.
Mountain Center
Programs (4)
Short classroom and outdoor courses, films, lectures, and other low-cost programming for the local outdoor community
American Alpine Institute offers mountain activities of all kinds, including rock-climbing, ice-climbing, mountaineering, and more. Browse activities here.
This is mountain climbing in its most classic form – over rock, snow, alpine ice, and glaciers, in pursuit of major summits.
Rock Climbing
Programs (36)
Once mere skill-practice for mountaineers, rock climbing is now a highly developed sport, with numerous sub-disciplines such as trad, sport, and aid.
Ice Climbing
Programs (11)
One of the most fundamental skills of mountaineering, ice climbing comprises skills for tackling both waterfall ice and alpine ice/glacier ice.
High Altitude Climbing & Seven Summits
Programs (30)
Climbing the highest mountains in the world is a special discipline of mountaineering, with unique challenges and rewards.
Backcountry Skiing & Boarding
Programs (22)
Guided skiing in world-famous backcountry, and skills instruction for skiers, split-boarders, and ski mountaineers
Avalanche Training
Programs (14)
Avalanche safety training is a must for anyone who ventures into the backcountry in winter, and we offer the gold standard in avalanche education.
Hiking And Backpacking
Programs (15)
Living and moving in the mountains is a reward in itself, and provides the fundamental skills that underlie all mountaineering.
Wilderness Skills
Programs (8)
Those who venture into the wilderness must draw from a deep skill base, including navigation, outdoor cooking, water purification, and countless others.
Outdoor Educator & Guide Training
Programs (14)
Technical and non-technical leadership courses from the AMGA's longest-accredited guide service
Technical Rescue & Medical
Programs (8)
Industry standard technical rescue and wilderness medicine instruction
Begin your Alaskan adventure in Anchorage, where you and your guides gather for a pre-trip meeting and gear check before a scenic 2.5-hour drive to Talkeetna. In Talkeetna, you’ll prepare for your glacier flight with an orientation at the Ranger Station and a chance to soak in your first views of the Alaska Range.
Orientation, Gear Check, and Departure for the Glacier
The port city of Anchorage is the meeting place for all of our expeditions in Alaska. Guides and climbers meet at a hotel in Anchorage the day before their expedition is to begin for a pre-trip meeting and gear check. There is time on this day to pick up any last minute gear items and to shop for fresh food before heading to the small town of Talkeetna the next morning.
Anchorage is at sea level and Talkeetna is at approximately 350 feet of elevation, so climbers travel nearly the full height of the mountain enroute from the city to the summit. Denali has the greatest vertical relief of any mountain in the world, rising literally from sea level to 20,320 feet.
The drive from Anchorage to Talkeetna takes about 2.5 hours and we stop for a brief leg stretch and photo opportunity on the way into town.
After arriving in Talkeetna by mid-morning, the group lays out gear in preparation for the glacier flight and checks in with the Ranger Station for an orientation talk and slideshow. We typically do a group lunch mid-day and hope to catch a flight onto the glacier that afternoon.
Just before we get to Talkeetna we stop for a quick stretch and our first view of the Alaska Range.Talkeetna melts out of the winter snow.The sign says it all. An AAI group takes their first scenic tour of Talkeetna on the way to the Ranger Station.The Talkeetna Airport and our flight service, K2 Aviation, at the end of the tarmac.Guides packing the expedition food at AAI’s base in Talkeetna.AAI guide Seth Hobby at our gear shed preparing for an early morning departure.Climbers sort gear on the airstrip in preparation for their flight onto the glacier.AAI guide Erik Johnson kills time waiting for a flight out of Talkeetna.Depending on the size of our group, we will fly in one of K2’s Cessna 185’s, De Havilland Beavers, or an Otter. An AAI guide loads a Cessna 185 with group gear.A K2 Beaver prepares to taxi onto the main landing strip behind a Piper Navajo.Taxiing out on the main landing strip and cleared for take-off.Packed and ready for the flight. A Denali group about to board the plane and get underway.Aboard a K2 Otter and headed for Base Camp.The Susitna River just outside of Talkeetna after take-off.Views of the Alaskan tundra outside of Talkeetna headed towards Base Camp.Our last glimpse of green for three weeks on the way to the glacier.Approaching the foothills at the base of the Alaska range 50 air miles from Talkeetna and 25 air miles from Base Camp.Views of Foraker, Hunter, and Denali from the banks of the Talkeetna River.Sunset on the Alaska Range from the Talkeetna River.After a Denali expedition, climbers can hang around and take a boat ride or tour the Park for a nice wind-down after being on the mountain for nearly a month. Here a jetboat cruises up the Talkeetna River after a day out.A Mahay’s Tour boat on the Talkeetna River.AAI climbers on a horseback tour after having returned from the mountain.Wildlife is abundant in all parts of Alaska and especially within Denali National Park and Preserve.An early spring sunset over the foothills of the Alaska Range.Evening over the Alaska tundra.
AAI’s Denali program was designed to provide the safest and most successful guided expeditions on the mountain. We accomplish this goal through a process of continuous improvement, subjecting our expedition practices … Read more
Descending the West Buttress on Denali. AAI Collection. Denali is high, cold and physically demanding. The mountain is home to some of the most severe weather and climbing conditions on … Read more
AAI Guide Hali Scroggins high on Radio Control Tower in the Alaska Range. Kevin McGarity. This action packed ten-day program, provides a complete training in the foundational skills of alpine … Read more
Alpinism 1 is our most popular entry-level mountaineering course, designed for anyone ready to step into glaciated peaks and alpine environments. Whether you’re dreaming of climbing Mount Baker, aiming for … Read more
Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership Part 1 (AMTL 1) is the foundation of AAI’s renowned four-part Alpine Mountaineering & Technical Leadership progression. It is the ultimate introduction to the world … Read more
We do it all on this trip: Learn or refresh mountaineering skills with local expert instructors, climb Cayambe and Cotopaxi, immerse yourself in a rich culture, take rest days in … Read more
Chimborazo stands out as not only the tallest mountain in Ecuador, but as the the tallest mountain in the world when measured from the center of the earth. This is … Read more
