1 day

About this activity

This Juneau shore excursion will impress everyone back on your cruise ship – you’ll regale your fellow passengers with tales of your Alaskan glacier adventure for the rest of your trip. The trip begins with a 4 mile (6km) trail hike through the rainforest along Mendenhall Lake. The first mile of the trail is well maintained and goes through forests with a few switchbacks, while the next 3 miles (4km) of the trail is hiking on bedrock with rock scrambling in some steep sections. This rocky terrain is challenging and off the beaten path.

Once reaching the glacier, you will be outfitted in trekking gear. With the use of traction devices, enjoy trekking on moderate glacial terrain overlooking Mendenhall Lake. This trip could feature close-up views of ice caves, streams, crevasses and other unique glacial formations! Everyday is different as the glacier is in constant flux and change. Professional expert guides will provide training to ensure a safe and fun adventure on Mendenhall Glacier.

The Mendenhall Glacier Trek and Climb caters to all ages and abilities, however, clients must be in good enough shape to hike for up to

6-6.5-hours, covering about 9 miles (13.8km) roundtrip. The hike to the glacier is challenging and hiking with a backpack is required. The backpack is provided, weighs approximately 10-15 pounds and holds mountaineering gear, snacks/water, and any extra clothing that you would like to bring.

Worry-free Shore Excursion:

We will ensure your timely return back to the ship in Juneau for this activity. If your ship is delayed and you are unable attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.

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Included

Professional guide
Port pickup and drop off
Hearty snack
Mountaineering gear, backpack, rain jacket and pants -- please advise supplier of sizing
Roundtrip transportation from designated meeting point
National Park fees
Bottled water
Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
Pickup and drop-off from designated meeting points

Not included

Gratuities

Additional

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
You must include the following in the comments section when booking: raingear & shoe sizes for each passenger, (for adult men and women, S-XXL and youth, S-L) and any pertinent medical information
This small group adventure has a minimum of 2 and maximum of 12 participants
Minimum age is 10 years
WAIVER FORM: Every participant on the trip must sign a waiver form at the start of the trip. Alterations and/or deletions to the waiver is not permitted
Clients must be in good enough shape and conditioned to hike for up to 6-6.5 hours, covering about 8 miles roundtrip. The hike is challenging and clients need to bring sturdy hiking boots that provide good ankle support while hiking on rocky terrain. All clients will need to hike with a backpack the entire way on this trip. The backpack (provided) weighs approximately 10-15 pounds and holds mountaineering gear, snacks/water, etc.
Visiting specific features such as ice caves, moulins, etc. cannot be guaranteed due to the constantly changing nature of the Mendenhall glacier. Your guide will assess the hazards the day of the trip and determine if a particular area is safe enough to trek upon or enter
Hiking boots with with good stability and traction
Comfortable hiking pants
Warm sweater or fleece pullover
Warm hat
Fleece gloves
Sunglasses and sunscreen

Features

Tourism

95%

Cultural

55%

Aquatic

40%

Original

20%

Reviews

4.9

22

D

David M

5 | 2017-08-23

My boyfriend and I got incredibly lucky and this trek turned out to be the highlight of our trip to Alaska, though our experience was a bit unique. We were originally set to hike with 5 other travelers, but when we met the guides in the morning they informed everyone that due to very poor weather conditions, we likely wouldn't make it to the glacier they offered everyone the option to cancel with a full refund. After a pretty convincing you-should-probably-cancel pitch from one of the guides, who we think may have been exaggerating a bit the other 5 travelers canceled and we ended up with a de-facto private tour with another guide Madisyn, who was awesome and just as gung-ho as we were to attempt the climb despite the torrential rain. Madisyn did so much to make our trip great and get us onto the glacier despite the earlier warnings that it was perhaps inaccessible. She thought to bring waterproof boots, which made it possible for us to hike through the flooded terrain. We never would have made it in sneakers or even hiking boots... we were literally hiking through 8-9 inches of flowing water at times. She was friendly and helpful, and really made the extra-wet adventure fun. She even brought hot chocolate for us, which was a fantastic touch. After a couple of hours spent hopping across quick-running streams and scampering up slick rocky terrain, we reached the glacier and ice caves underneath, both of which were stunning. Madisyn plus other guides from the company who had hiked earlier to scout the area worked to find an alternative way for us to get onto the glacier, since the river between the trail and the access point was flooded. We were eventually able to explore the ice caves and climb the glacier itself, and while the micro-spikes we strapped onto our boots took a little getting used to, the gear all worked fantastically on top of the ice. We really couldn't believe how lucky we got -- not only were we able to complete the whole hike in surreal and wild conditions and walk on the glacier itself, but we practically got the whole mountain to ourselves because so many other tours were cancelled due to the weather. Madisyn was instrumental in making this happen, and she was super fun to hike with. Our trip may not have been 100 representative of the larger group tour that it should have been, but we definitely got the impression that Above and Beyond Alaska works hard to make their treks fantastic for their clients, and we were so glad we didn't miss this.

C

Carolyn G

5 | 2017-06-11

The hike was amazing!! Our guides (Katie and Emma) did a wonderful job and very informative! Would highly recommend this.

s

stevieg2077

5 | 2016-06-06

This excursion was probably the best I have ever done on any cruise and I completed it with my wife on our honeymoon. Our tour guides were Kit and Casey and they were awesome! We really got to experience everything throughout the 8 mile hike including the rainforest, the Mendenhall glacier, and even got to go inside of an ice cave. My only recommendation is that you definitely have to be in pretty good shape as you truly do scale walls, climb down rough terrain, and scale the glacier throughout the advanced hike. You get all of the necessary equipment provided i.e. raingear, backpack, harness, walking stick, and spikes for your shoes and they give you plenty of snacks and water. I would recommend this excursion highly as it is WELL worth the price! Thanks so much for an awesome time and memorable experience!

Z

ZAHRA I

4 | 2015-10-15

Fantastic experience as we hiked, trekked and climbed on all 4! Day was approx. 8 hours and lunch/snacks were provided along the way. I would recommend wearing layers as you cross various terrains and are presented with different weather conditions. Good hiking shoes is definite! I had a blast and took with me my sportif brother and 60 year old uncle who is in reasonable shape - he had a walking stick to assist him.

s

saraekingsley

5 | 2015-09-01

This hiking tour was fantastic. Our guide Brad was so knowledgeable and helpful for this difficult hike. The company gives you snacks for the trip and gets you rain gear and equipment so all you need is good hiking boots and maybe some gloves if its cold. The ice cave was truly a surreal experience and won't be open for many more years because the glacier is receding. Book this trip while you still can!

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