Glacier Walking

[dentoncruiser]

My wife and I are booked on RCCL Radiance of the Seas, sailing 5/27 from Vancouver BC. In reading the boards, I find lots of chances to see several glaciers. My question is, can we walk on a glacier without doing an expensive flight excursion? Is there a glacier close enough to hike up to it and walk on it?

Thanks in advance for your input.

[Yukon]

Cathy & I are on the same sailing of the Radiance. There are glaciers that are walkable in our ports, but they take some work and preparation. In Skagway you can train/hike to the Denver and Laughton Glaciers, if you have some extra time in Seward you can walk on the Exit Glacier (though the lower portion is dangerous so you have to climb around it), and on the way to Anchorage you can take a side trip to Portage and walk on the Byron Glacier. All require transport, but none of it aerial. Look for me on the ship for details (I'll be really easy to find :D )

 

Murray

[OutdoorsPro]

If you hike up the Denver Glacier trail, you won't be able to get to the glacier. At its terminus, it's a "hanging" glacier, well above you. You'll be able to see it, but unless you're am impressive climber, you won't be able to touch it.

 

You CAN get onto the Laughton Glacier if you hike up past the end of the trail (go up the creek bed). That trail is also one of the prettiest you'll ever see.

 

At the Exit Glacier, the Park People strongly discourage hiking on the glacier, but there is a great, moderate to difficult, trail that goes up alongside it all the way to the Harding Icefield, which is very impressive.

 

As with ALL glacier travel, remember that glaciers are incredibly dangerous places. Make sure you have good traction (crampons usually advised) and never, EVER walk on snow (unless you are a real, trained mountaineer and are carrying proper gear); always stay on ICE.

[dentoncruiser]

Murray, OutdoorsPro,

Thanks for the replies. I'll try to be prepared.

Happy cruising

Dennis

[Skylarr29]

outdoorsPro can you comment on this excursion I found online?? I dont think we will have enough time to take the train both ways and do the hike so we were considoring this option.

 

 

"Option 2: Helicopter - Hike - Train (5.5 hours)

This is our ultimate day trip! Guests will enjoy a spectacular helicopter flight along the Lynn Canal, up over waterfalls, glaciers and icefields to a landing at Glacier Station on the historic White Pass. A highlight of this four mile, round trip hike is a visit to the Laughton Glacier view point, before returning to meet the train at Glacier Station for the one hour trip back to Skagway.

We recommend this hike only for those who are in good Physical condition."

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

[OutdoorsPro]

That is one of the very coolest trips you can do in Skagway. As a guide in that town, i've always envied the guides who did that trip. As you can probably imagine, i can highly recommend it.

 

The only possible downside (i could very well be wrong on this) is that i don't think you'll get up on the ice. It's a pretty good distance from the viewpoint they refer to. Twice i've hiked up there when those groups were there and never saw them hike significantly past that viewpoint.

 

You might try contacting the company directly to find out, if you're really into walking on dirty ice.

 

http://www.packerexpeditions.com/DAY.htm

 

BTW, they have the best hiking guides IN Southeast Alaska.

[Skylarr29]

Thanks thats what I was looking for. we are also doing a glacier trek in Juneau so its not really about the ice ... more the scenery and the hike etc. Thanks for your help. It is nice to have a first hand opinion as these tours are EXPENSIVE lol!! Thanks again.