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About
1,200 mountaineers attempt to climb
Mt. McKinley, North America's tallest
peak, each year, and only half that
number ever reaches the summit. While
you may never join the ranks of these
intrepid climbers, an up-close view
of McKinley and the alpine glaciers
and rugged peaks of the Alaska Range
can still be yours. K2 Aviation offers
a number of once-in-a-lifetime flightseeing
tours among and above these spectacular
mountains. Add a glacier landing (weather
permitting) to step out on the snow
where only climbers go, and you'll
really get a gut sense of how immense
these peaks are.
On the McKinley ExperienceTour,
you'll enter a world of jagged mountains
and wide, glacier-filled valleys within
minutes of departing Talkeetna. Your
pilot will narrate via headset how
the last ice age shaped the land. From
your window seat, you'll see a collection
of superlative sights: Ruth Glacier
and its Great Gorge, whose depth and
height combine for an abyss that is
deeper than the Grand Canyon; and the
Don Sheldon Amphitheater, where a pioneering
bush pilot built a mountain shelter
surrounded by ice and granite, just
a few feet from the edge of a steep
cliff. Opt for a glacier landing here
if you can afford it (and if weather
allows). The tour takes you within
six miles of McKinley's summit.
The McKinley Flyer Tour extends
your trip onward to the remote
western end of Denali National
Park. Explore the south side
of McKinley, Mt. Foraker, and
Mt. Hunter. Fly over winding
Kahiltna Glacier, the longest
in the park (45 miles), and
above base camp, where climbers traverse
the glacier and make their
way to the West Buttress, the classic
route up The Mountain.
For the
most-inclusive and most-popular
McKinley flightseeing tour, choose K2's Denali
Grand Tour. After covering the McKinley Flyer route, your
pilot will head to Wickersham Wall, a 14,000-foot
continuous rise of rock and ice, and make a complete
circle around the mountain itself.
For a unique view of the Alaska
Range, select the McKinley
Climber/Summit Tour.
Your oxygen-equipped aircraft will climb to 20,000
feet for a breathtaking, bird's-eye view. On a
clear day, you'll see all of the highlights
included on the other three tours—but
from above the peaks instead of among
them. Only those mountaineers who've
summited Mt. McKinley have ever experienced
a view like this.
Note: Weather
plays a big role on a daily
basis. Glacier landings and a
flight over the pass (for the
Denali Grand Tour) are not always
safe, and sometimes clouds obscure
the view. K2 will give a pre-flight
weather briefing and adjust
the tours (and prices) to fit
the day's conditions
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