The Brooks Range in Alaska is the Northernmost extension of the Rocky Mountains spanning 700 miles.  It’s remote location draws the more adventurous of backcountry travelers to explore it’s rivers and mountains.  

In July of 2017 Iwan Eicher and Christian Schlappi from Switzerland stayed a few days at Base Camp Anchorage hostel to prepare for their journey.  

Over two weeks they hiked through mountains and packrafted through multiple rivers all the way out to the Arctic sea.  To document their trip they brought one of their drones along.  Take a look at some of their captivating footage.  

Iwan has come to Alaska several times to explore the backcountry.  We look forward to his next visit.  

Hiking and Packrafting in Alaska

Enjoyed This Article And Video?

Give our other articles a read. We are lucky and fortunate to attract some really great talent to our hostel. If you ever decide to visit Alaska, consider swinging by our way.

We are more than just a place to stay.

Kat Moore Performs at Base Camp Anchorage

Jake Schlapfer Performs at Base Camp Anchorage Hostel

Dan Bigley Performs at Base Camp Anchorage Hostel

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Two and a half years ago Andrew arrived in Alaska and his passion for the outdoors is mirrored through the lens of his camera.

Below is a video of some of his recent work.

You can also see Andrew’s photographs of Alaska at http://www.andrewholmanphoto.com

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Located in the northernmost portion of Alaska, these mountains extend into Canada and are estimated to be up to 126 million years old.  

To help preserve this remote wilderness, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1960 and is the largest wildlife refuge in the United States. 

Exploring the Arctic in the Brooks Range

In the summer of 2016 five of us made plans to explore the Brooks Range over 18 days. Our goal was to packraft the Kongakut river (a class 2-3 river) and bring paragliders to explore flying opportunities.  

This trip was considered a proof of concept idea as we had never attempted packrafting and paragliding simultaneously for 18 days.  Thorough planning and logistics were required as help would potentially not be available for days if something went wrong.

As we began our trip a small “bush” plane flew us to the headwaters of the Kongakut river. These famous Alaskan beaver bush planes are capable of landing on difficult terrain. Our pilot chose a gravel bar along the river as our drop off point.  Over the next few weeks we traversed over 40 miles towards the Beaufort sea in the Arctic.  

As a precaution we brought an electric fence, bear spray, and bear resistant food bags to protect from curious or aggressive bears. Grizzly and Polar bears are known to roam the northern edges of the Brooks range. With melting sea ice there are reports of polar bears breeding with grizzly bears in an effort to survive a changing climate.

Working our way down the Kongakut river we stopped along several mountains to hike its ridgelines.  Joe, Steve, and I paraglided from the top, while Sven and Kim explored the rest of the mountain by foot.  An exhilarating feeling overcomes you while flying through the air; an intensity beaming with joy in witnessing such a remote and majestic part of the world.

Exploring the Arctic in the Brooks Range

Throughout our time hiking, packrafting, and paragliding we encountered bears, dall sheep, and wolves.  We fished for Arctic Grayling to supplement meals, bathed in tributaries, and photographed beautiful flowers and migrating birds.

 The indigenous people of this area, the Gwich’in, learned to live in harmony with this sacred land.  Their relationship to this landscape has been vital and continue to teach us lessons.

After arriving to the Brooks Range Howard Zahniser once noted “Without the gadgets, the inventions, the contrivances whereby men have seemed to establish among themselves an independence of nature, without these distractions, to know the wilderness is to know a profound humility, to recognize one’s littleness, to sense dependence and interdependence, indebtedness and responsibility.” 

We are filled with appreciation for the opportunity to live in a land with so much beauty. Take a look at some of our pictures and a video of Joe Mclaughlin flying off one of the ridges. 

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A Taste Of Alaska

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Travelers come to Alaska to experience it’s majestic and breathtaking scenery.  Nature and wildlife inspire, and teach the importance of protecting such sacred land for future generations.

Every year a portion of our revenue is donated to worthy causes that invest in our communities and promote conservation of Alaska’s backcountry.  We are excited to share with you the programs supported this year by Base Camp Anchorage.

Community Engagement and Stewardship

Alaska Trails

Alaska Trails mission is to support world-renowned sustainable trails through advocacy, education and technical assistance.

Their new program, Alaska Trail Volunteers brings volunteers to the park to address maintenance backlog on trails.  This has saved the state money and trained citizens to be stewards of their public lands and trails. They are also collaborating with other organizations on mountain bike trails in the state.

We are excited to support Alaska Trails as they strive to make the wonders of Alaska accessible for all people without compromising Alaska’s beauty, natural history, cultural integrity or landownership interests.

To learn more about Alaska Trails visit them at http://www.alaska-trails.org/

Great Land Trust

Great Land Trust helps conserve valuable lands like wetlands and waterways, as well as salmon spawning streams.  Since 1995, GLT has conserved over 40 miles of wild salmon streams, 9,000 acres of land, 5,000 acres of wetlands, six historic homesteads, and an 80-acre farm in Trapper Creek home to hundreds of migratory cranes.  GLT also works in conjunction with private landowners to ensure the conservation of lands and waterways.  Their goal is to also enhance public access to the outdoors including parks, access points to the Chugach State Park, and trail building projects.  You can learn more about Great Land Trust at http://greatlandtrust.org/

Community Engagement and Stewardship

Beans cafe

Bean’s Cafe provides shelter, meals, and assistance for those in need.  When people are under difficult times, Beans Cafe has been a blessing to many.  They also recognizing that too many children were going hungry in the city of Anchorage.  As a result, they created the Children’s Lunchbox to help feed children in need throughout the city.  Beans Cafe was founded by Lynn Ballew, a pro- fessor and humanitarian.  She and her daughter, nicknamed ‘Bean’, moved to Alaska in 1978 and immediately began to seek the help of the community to start her shelter, which she named Bean’s Cafe.  To learn more, visit them at https://www.beanscafe.org/

Carpe Mundi

We strongly believe in the positive impact traveling has on our youth.  Every year Carpe Diem Education provides transformative experiential education to students throughout the United States.  Students take a semester to travel in a region of the world to learn about themselves and the world around them.

First generation college students often do not have the resources to take advantage of this opportunity.  In 2009, Carpe Mundi was established to provide scholarships and mentorship for first generation college students in the Portland area.  To date 100% of Carpe Mundi students have completed or are working towards college degrees.  To learn more about Carpe Mundi, visit them at https://www.carpemundi.org/

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Bicycling Around the World

Maud Scheid heeded life’s call and took one year off from work in France to ride her bicycle around North and South America.  

She begins her journey in Alaska and will be bicycling down to San Francisco over the next 5 months.  She will then fly to Peru and continue her trip in South America.  It was a joy to have Maud stay at our hostel during her travels.  

Carrying all your possessions on a bike for one year takes organization and endurance.  We wish Maud a safe journey filled with friendship and adventure bicycling around the world.

                                                                                          “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”  Mark Twain

Read More Of Our Base Camp Family Stories

BASE CAMP ANCHORAGE HOSTEL: 2016 SUMMER SEASON

The Green Tortoise Makes It’s Triumphant Return to Base Camp Anchorage!

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Last winter, he and some friends traversed 150 miles from Thompson Pass to Palmer near Anchorage.

Below is a video produced with Fairweather Ski Works showing a close look at back country skiing in Alaska.  Fair-weather Ski Works harvests and handcrafts their skis in Haines, Alaska.

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We send Neal enormous appreciation for capturing and sharing this gorgeous display.

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The outer physical journey is often only a vehicle for the spiritual growth of the soul.  Thank you James for staying with us at Base Camp Anchorage and becoming part of our family.

Below are some of his reflections of his experiences in Alaska.

A Travelers Reflections in Alaska

“… I want you all to know I carry your love with me and it keeps me pushing forward to chase new adventures, to continue to dream out loud.  I could tell you about how I do not feel any older, or some other cliche.

The truth is I am older, but I have never felt more alive and free. Some of you may know I have been salmon fishing all summer in Kodiak, Alaska. This summer in Alaska has opened up my eyes, my mind, and my heart.

I have seen things I have only seen in photos. I have seen the sun shine for 24 hours and the grace and beauty of the northern lights. I have learned that the mind can push the human body farther then you could ever imagine.

I have learned another new way of living. I have opened my heart up and let me tell you it feels liberating. Experiencing a love that is body and mind numbing. And that same love to be the source of a pain so fierce it purifies your soul.

If I had to give my past self some brief advice I would say :

Breathe it all in. Dive into your surroundings and appreciate its unique beauty. Let love in. Let it all the way in. Let it burn. Feel it to the depths of your being. Let it take you for a wild ride. And just when you feel the need to hold on for dear life, let go and put your hands in the air. Chase your day dream. The dreamers of the day are dangerous, they act on their dreams with open eyes to make it possible.

I will leave you with this. One of my closest friends, a beautiful human, once said, “Why grow up when you can grow in so many other directions.” “

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White water Kayakers and commercial rafters regularly paddle this river to appreciate its beauty and power.  Packrafting is also an Alaskan activity gaining popularity on this river.

These rafting boats weigh about 6-8 pounds and can handle up to class 5 rapids by skilled packrafters.  Packrafts are often taken with hikers on multi day backcountry trips requiring multiple river crossings.  It is also an excellent option when it’s raining in Anchorage and other outdoor options are limited.

Packrafting on Six Mile River in Alaska

On a rainy Saturday a few friends and I ventured down six mile River.  Appreciation to Eric Chandler for photographing our whitewater rafting trip.  We had packrafters, kayakers, and whitewater canoes on this adventure.

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The climbing season generally starts from late April to mid July when the weather permits most climbers to summit the peak. Nonetheless, conditions change quickly on the mountain. In rough conditions, temperatures can reach up to -22 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and -75.5 F (-59.7 Celcius) in the winter.

It is considered one of the coldest mountains in the world with wind chill temperatures dropping to -148 F. Wind speeds routinely go past 100 mph in the winter. We were privileged to have many of the climbers stay at our hostel this year as they prepared for their climb of Denali (the great one in Athabaskan).

Calvin Harmann stayed with us in the summer of 2014 and summited Denali in 17 days.

Here is a video of his ascent and gives a good insiders look of climbing Denali.

Thank you Calvin !!!

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