• No experience necessary!
• An intense and intimate day with the Matanuska Glacier.
• A great introduction clinic to beginner ice-climbing.
• Personal hands on instruction.
• Learn to scale vertical ice in the warm summer months.

Try Our Backcountry Ice Climb!

Learn something new and let NOVA introduce you to the world of glacier ice climbing. This is an introductory/clinical setting that requires no experience necessary to climb! The Matanuska Glacier is a massive 26-mile long advancing valley glacier located in Chugach Mountains just 100 miles north of Anchorage. It is a gorgeous yet conducive setting to give ice climbing a try. With easily accessible, shallow vertical ice walls perfectly suited to your abilities. This is strictly an introduction and is rudimentary climbing with all lower angle and lower heights of 50+ feet, for beginner to intermediate climbing. The systems are all top anchor set-ups which can take the guides a few minutes to set up. Once the anchors and ropes are in place, guides harness you up and inform you about safety and fundamentals of the sport and then let you climb on! Accessing the glacier’s climbing areas involves a challenging trek starting from the vehicle parking lot. This trek travels over the rocky glacial moraine, past the white glacial face to the rarely explored backcountry. The glacier is alive with unique features coming and going including the climbing walls. With this geology being very active around the glacier its character changes weekly. The guides have to keep up and find features and walls as the glacier molds and melts throughout the season. You never know what you’re going to get to see with this ever evolving, constantly moving marvel of mother nature. Every day and every tour is a little different out on the ice and climbing into the vertical world is a true sensory experience.

This is a great learning opportunity for people to try something new and push their limits in a safe setting with guided instruction, this is just for fun and not official instruction or certificated course. We do not recommend people glacier trek or ice climb without proper guides, experience, supervision and training.

If you want more technical instruction or you’re an experienced private climber wanting something more, please call the main office in advance of your booking and inquire about challenging private tour options with NOVA.

Our 1:4 guide to guest ratio means everyone gets plenty of opportunity. NOVA provides all the required equipment for this high adventure clinic. All glacier gear including hiking boots, ice crampons, helmets, ice axes, harnesses, climbing rope and hardware is supplied by our guides. We recommend bringing along a small pack for storing jackets, snacks, sunglasses, cameras etc.

*GLACIER PARK FEE

Matanuska Glacier Park is privately owned and charges per person every time you go through the gate; Alaska State passes do not apply. This outfit has a NO DRONE policy in place for the glacier.

• Regular entry fee at MGP gate is $45 per person.
  • Teens (13-16): $25
  • Adults (17+): $45
  • Alaska Residents, Military and Seniors (65+): $30

Please consider the fact that Nova Alaska Guides is a small company in remote Alaska with only 100 days in the year to make our living. It will simply be too late for us to fill the spaces that we have set aside for you. 

CANCELLATION POLICY:

Payment in full (excluding Glacier Park fee) is required at time of booking. Day trips receive a full refund for cancellations with 48 hours or more notice. If you cancel with 24-48 hours notice, you will receive a 50% refund. There is no refund for cancellations with less than 24 hours notice or no-shows. Multi-Day trips require a 7-day notice for a full refund. In the event NOVA cancels, you will receive a full refund of your payments. Unless Nova cancels your trip, for all cancellations by customers who booked using our online platform you will be required to cover the 1.9% booking fee cost.

Please arrive 15 minutes early to sign Nova's trip waiver. 

If you are late for your trip there is a chance we will have to leave without you. If so, we will do our best to reschedule your trip at no additional cost. If you are not interested in rescheduling then missing your trip is considered an absence, resulting in no refund.

This applies to but is not limited to unforeseen circumstances such as unexpected illness or emergencies. We pride ourselves on our professionalism, excellent customer service, and the best guided trips in Alaska. All we ask is that you show up on time for check-in.

Lastly, please make sure your party meets our trip limitations stated on our website. If anyone is outside these limitations, please email our office so we can evaluate the information provided since we know each person is their own unique individual. 

Thank you - Nova team

There are inherent risks associated with glacier travel and outdoor activities that everyone must accept and understand. Variable terrain, sharp rocks, slippery ice, and changing weather are common. Some safety hazards will always exist and are beyond human control. Such as major cleaving and shifting, falling ceracs, open crevasses and draining moulins can be dangerous and deadly. Rescue in these environments and features is not only technical and difficult but in some cases not possible at all. Safety standards are in place for these reasons and must be followed. Guides manage risk by interpreting terrain and recognizing hazards that average hikers and guests are unaware of. Many traveling on the ice have a false sense of security because of the friendly inviting nature of the glacier and its moraines. Individuals traveling on the glacier without guides should possess the proper knowledge, experience, and equipment.

**All participants on all our tours must follow our guidelines, procedures and sign a waiver. Only parents or legal guardians may sign for youth minors. We do not allow infants on our tours. We do not allow pets on our tours.

Local Alaskans with proof of State issued ID at tour check-in receive a 10% single discount off the individual tour price.

Make it a COMBO:  Book any two or more trips and enjoy a 10% discount on your entire adventure! Our popular Lions Head rafting and Matanuska Glacier Tour combo is a fantastic way to experience the best of both worlds in a single day.

• NOVA is an advocate and steward for keeping wild places in Alaska wild. Please follow responsible travel and ‘leave no trace’ ethics when visiting these amazing places.
• NOVA tours operate regardless of most weather conditions, we go rain or shine in Alaska.
  Glaciers and weather can sometimes be cold in Alaska. Please, dress appropriately or bring along a raincoat with warm synthetic layers and socks for your tour comfort. Cotton layers are not preferred in cold environments or when wet.
• NOVA does not offer any tours that travel through or under ice caves in the warm summer months.
• Glaciers are very active in summer and caves are unsafe and should be avoided for potential cave collapse. Caves are not always present or accessible and should only be approached with caution, preferably in winter when they are the most stable.
• Once you are traveling on the glacier, restroom breaks are difficult to accommodate so please consider facilities pre-trip.