The final course of the 2024 season snuck out of the mountains last evening. Big thanks to Talkeetna Air Taxi for the ride! Watermelon never looked so good to this happy group of women who spent an extra day in the field.  The team all headed home with new friends, skills, and an appreciation for the big mountains of the Alaska Range. Instructors Sara Olbright, Mary Gianotti and Claire Bicknell spent the morning sorting and storing gear ..read more

The Women's Mountaineering Course remains on a weather delay. The team reports some brightening in the sky and they are in touch with the air taxi. We are keeping our fingers crossed that they return to Talkeetna later this evening. Photo from our archives on the Pika glacier looking down glacier to the Kahiltna. This photo is from our most recent 12-Day course on the Pika Glacier ..read more

 All Women 6-Day Mountaineering- Olbright   Delayed, but feeling just fine. Today, the course and students were scheduled to fly out of the Alaska Range, but the weather wasn't cooperating. AMS hires Talkeetna Air Taxi to access our course locations on Denali National Parks and Preserves glaciers. Flights to most locations within the Alaska Range and where this course took place fly using Visual Flight Rules (VFR), which means the pilot must have sufficient visuals of the areas where they are flying, as opposed to relying on instruments for their flying routes.  Despite ..read more

We knew we would be welcoming the 12-Day back from the Pika Glacier this morning.  But at the last minute, the 6-Day course also decided to fly out of the Alaska Range, as the weather was turning and the extended forecast was not sounding favorable for flights.  We were happy to see everyone upon their return- even as the yard at AMS exploded into a colorful display of drying gear, in all directions. 12-Day Mountaineering-Condon Fred, Elburz, Zvi, Ed, Robin, Instructor Meredith, Wally, Eliot, Rachel, Instructors Tate and Peter Class "Graduation Ceremony" 6-Day Mou ..read more

 Upon their return to town, the 6 Day MTC- Hoeschen group shared some photos from yesterday's course work: Crevasse Rescue Practice on the Kahiltna Glacier ..read more

AMS Mountaineering Course camp on the Kahiltna Glacier (2023)  Guide Updates from Yesterday (July 10) Evening: 6-Day Mountaineering-Hoeschen  "Everyone is doing great! We moved to our new camp about a mile further down the glacier. We'll cover a full day of crevasse rescue tomorrow." Returning to Camp after a Tour of the Pika Glacier (AMS 2023) 12-Day Mountaineering-Condon   "We had a great weather day today. Small groups climbed Guard Tower, finished the Icefall, and we all traversed down to the main flow of the Kahiltna Glacier"  ..read more

Instructors Mary and Claire, Bre, Zoe, Carson, Instructor Sara, Abigail, Jade, Amanda, Katie, Marissa and Hao After a rainy day yesterday, the All Women 6-Day course awoke to clear skies and a beautiful day to fly onto the Pika Glacier.  Excitement was high as they packed up the van, laced up their mountaineering boots and headed off to the airport.  We can't wait to hear the reports from this great group of ladies! Lacing up their mountaineering boots before heading out. The floor plan from yesterday's cook tent demo. Luna (the AMS summer dog) say ..read more

MTC6-Hoeschen team landed at 7,200 feet on the Kahiltna Glacier yesterday afternoon. They had a long day before arriving and then spent 2-3 hours setting up a bomber camp. After that, there was a cooking lesson. Mac 'n Cheese was on the menu for dinner. The temperature is 30 degrees and mostly cloudy.  Yummy food on the glacier. (AMS archives ..read more

The Women's 6-Day Course moved through the day, checking all the boxes before heading to the airport. Unfortunately, it is not currently flyable. They will spend the night in Talkeetna and continue classes tomorrow. Instructor Mary Gianotti (center) explains roping up for fixed line ascension. When the weather doesn't allow us to fly, the course simply continues with teaching and learning right at our headquarters. This is the kitchen tent and requires snow dut out beneath it before setting on the "lid." It can be quite cosy in there and a good place to hang out a ..read more

Our final scheduled course of the 2024 season started this morning at 0800. Sara Olbright, Mary Gianotti, and Claire Bicknell are teaching the 6-Day All Women's Mountaineering Course. They will introduce nine women from across the United States to mountaineering in glaciated environments. AMS is proud to be hosting this group with AK Mountain Women. AK Mountain Women's goal is to cultivate a strong community of women dedicated to challenging and educating ourselves and others about glacial mountaineering and big, remote mountains. The AMS Headquarters is the start of their adventure ..read more