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Arrigetch-Alatna Pack Raft - Gates of the Arctic National Park

Multisport in Alaska with Alaska Alpine Adventures

Highlights

  • Experience spectacular alpine tundra speckled with beautiful lakes and laced with tumbling creeks
  • Abundant wildlife: wolves, grizzly bears, caribou, moose, dall sheep, and birds of prey
  • Explore the Brooks Range,  the Arrigetch Creek and the Alatna River

Full Description

Our exciting 12-day combination adventure will take us backpacking in Alaska's rugged Arrigetch range and rafting down the Alatna River.

Gates of the Arctic National Park, despite being the recipient of frequent media attention over the past 45 years, remains one of the most remote and unspoiled places on earth. Its 8.4 million acres cover an area twice the size of Connecticut and only slightly smaller than Switzerland. The park is essentially a road less wilderness area and, except for limited and difficult access along the Dalton highway; most recreational visitors choose to enter the park via chartered airplane. The aviators who make their livelihood flying this area know this remote and mountainous region better than anyone. They provide us with access to places like the Arrigetch Peaks! Arrigetch, which means "fingers of the hand extended" is an area comprised of a tilted intrusion of granite that has been hailed as the hallmark of Gates of the Arctic. Perhaps Bob Marshall described the area best when he called Arrigetch "...a series of sensational needlelike peaks extending in a horseshoe around a gushing creek which rose in the glacier."

The area of the park we will be visiting involves two separate bush flights. Our first takes us from Fairbanks to Bettles, a small gateway community and the field headquarters for the National Park Service. From Bettles, we'll then hop onto a float plane for the flight to Circle Lake and the start of our six day backpacking and hiking excursion into the Arrigetch region. This part of the park offers the full spectrum of Alaska hiking, from bushwhacking and talus hoping to tundra romping and creek crossing. After our exploration of this small portion of the Brooks Range, we'll hike down to the confluence of Arrigetch Creek and the Alatna River. Here at the union of these two watersheds, we'll set up camp on a gravel bar, inflate our boats and savor the Arctic midnight sun.

By noon the following day, we'll be drifting down the wild and scenic Alatna River directly through the heart of the Brooks Range. The Alatna's clear water, stunning vistas, good fishing and moderate whitewater (mostly class I & II) make it the perfect river for a novice floater. Not to mention the subdued nature of Alaska river life is always the perfect compliment and contrast to a hard backpacking trip. We'll spend the next four days floating and hiking along the Alatna until we reach our pick-up point at Help Me Jack Lake.

 

Includes:

  • All group gear (tents, inflatable canoes, stoves, fuel, dry bags, etc.) and safety equipment
  • Trekking poles
  • Roundtrip air transportation from Fairbanks to Bettles
  • Roundtrip air transportation from Bettles into the wilderness
  • Lodging on night one in Fairbanks
  • Professional guide service at a maximum 4:1 client to guide ratio
  • All meals from dinner on day one through lunch on the final day of the itinerary

Excludes:

  • Lodging in Fairbanks prior to and after your adventure
  • Personal gear (sleeping bags, packs, rain gear, etc.)
  • Trip cancellation insurance
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Guide gratuities

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1

Today you are free to arrive in Fairbanks on your own. We’ll be staying at Pikes Waterfront Lodge, which is located near the airport on the banks of the Chena River. After checking into the hotel, you’ll meet our guides by early afternoon in the hotel lobby. Tonight we’ll do an orientation dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant in Fairbanks and upon returning to our hotel, we’ll pour over maps and discuss the route. Dinner included.

Day 2

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll make our way back to the airport for our bush flight from Fairbanks to Bettles, the gateway community to Gates of the Arctic NP. We’ll transfer our gear to board a float-plane for the 1-hour flight to Circle Lake, a small oxbow lake near the banks of the Alatna River. We’ll set up camp along the lake, will cache our rafting gear, and get ready for our Alaska backpacking adventure into the Arrigetch Peaks. All meals included.

Day 3-7

We’ll spend the next 5-days backpacking and hiking in the high country among the Arrigetch Peaks. We’ll encounter some alder brush on the first day backpacking, but by the second morning, the country will open up and yield to spectacular alpine tundra speckled with beautiful lakes and laced with tumbling creeks. By the end of day 7, we’ll be making our way back to Circle Lake where the trip will turn from a backpacking trip to a rafting adventure! All meals included.

Day 8-11

We’ll spend the next 4-days rafting and exploring the Alatna River. The Alatna River flows south from the Brooks Range through canyons and past huge mountain peaks. Wildlife is abundant along the river and it’s not uncommon to see wolves, grizzly bears, caribou, moose, dall sheep, and birds of prey. The Alatna is a federally recognized Wild & Scenic River and is called one of the most beautiful rivers in Alaska. All meals included.

Day 12

Today we’ll break camp and await our pick-up. Once again, our bush pilot will use his skills to negotiate the terrain. If the weather conditions cooperate, we’ll return to Fairbanks by 7pm. If you are leaving Alaska on this day, please schedule flights home from Fairbanks for after 9pm. Breakfast & Lunch included.

About The Operator:

Alaska Alpine Adventures

Headquarters:

Anchorage, Alaska

Established:

January 1998

Alaska Alpine Adventures was conceptualized during many seasons of exploration throughout Lake Clark National Park by founders Dan Oberlatz and Derek Nelson. During this time, we held odd jobs and lived a life focused on climbing, skiing, and hiking as much of Lake Clark as we could possibly afford. Work simply meant the means to pay for our next flight into the wilderness, and time spent in the wild was the currency we preferred to earn. From first ascents and descents of remote peaks of the Alaska and Aleutian mountain ranges, to extended backpacking trips and speed hikes, our lives were rich with Alaska experience and the lifestyle was wealthy. Our explorations fostered a profound appreciation and respect for the Alaska wilderness, a remarkable skill-set, and a passion for pure wilderness travel. Furthermore, our collection of experiences became the seed for Alaska Alpine Adventures, which became a reality in 1998.

Since our early days on Lake Clark, it is the blend of "what we do" and "who we are" that has made AAA. We are quite simply a group of explorers and naturalists sharing with our guests the incredible beauty of Alaska—The Great Land. Our goal and passion is to give participants the opportunity to experience, through pure adventure travel, the exhilaration, the wonder, the grandeur, and the solitude of Alaska's magnificent national parks and wildlife refuges.

As guides, however, we are more than simply leaders into the areas we venture. Throughout the Alaska Alpine Adventures' experience, we endeavor not only to share these amazing landscapes on foot, raft, skis, or kayak, but also to help our clients develop a sense of commitment to and appreciation for the vast public lands we visit. We strive to be good stewards of the truly wild and intact ecosystems we explore, and are committed to educating ourselves and others to respect and protect the wilderness areas that make these wonderful experiences possible.

Because we promote the educational component of our expeditions, we tend to attract visitors bent on exploring and experiencing "real" Alaska - rather than simply "peak bagging" or "thrill seeking." We believe that this is also due in large part to the fact that we project conservation ethics, cultural awarness, and environmental commitment throughout all aspects of our enterprise.

Our impressive collection of experiences represents not only our history, but also the blueprint for the future of Alaska Alpine Adventures. When you choose to travel with us, you can rest assured that your trip has been meticulously planned and executed by real Alaskans with authentic Alaska know-how, skill, and ability.