Ice Climbing in Juneau: Helicopter & Mendenhall Glacier

Gear up with expert guides and scale shimmering blue ice fields above Juneau

An ice climbing class on the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, reached by helicopter from the airport. You learn climbing fundamentals from an expert guide over roughly four hours, including the flight, a trek across the glacier, and the climb itself. Jackets, pants, crampons, helmet, harness and ice tools are provided; you must be at least 12 years old and in moderate physical fitness, and your departure time should be at least one hour after your cruise ship arrives.

Step-by-step itinerary

Helicopter glacier ice climbing adventure

• Van transport to NorthStar Helicopter base
• Gear up, restroom break, safety briefing
• Helicopter tour over Juneau Icefield
• Trek and ice climb on Mendenhall Glacier
• Helicopter flight back to Heliport
• Van transfer from Heliport to dock

The Experience

A van picks you up at Juneau Airport and takes you to the NorthStar Helicopter base. After you gear up—jacket, pants, crampons, helmet, harness, ice tools—and get a safety briefing, you board an A-Star helicopter and fly over the Juneau Icefield. The flight itself is the first part of the instruction: from the air you see how the ice changes color from white to brilliant blue, and you get a sense of the terrain you're about to climb.

Once the helicopter lands on the Mendenhall Glacier, the climbing starts. Your guide leads you across the glacier and teaches you ice climbing fundamentals as you go—how to use the crampons, how to swing the ice tools, how to read the ice. This is not a sightseeing walk with climbing on the side; the climbing is the point. You're on the glacier for the hands-on part of the day, learning technique from someone who does this every day.

After you've climbed, you reboard the helicopter for the flight back to the heliport, then a van takes you to the dock. The whole thing—flight out, gear, trek, climb, flight back, transfers—takes about four hours. You need to be in moderate physical fitness and at least 12 years old. Shoe size matters: provide it at checkout so the crampons fit.

What’s included

• Van pickup from Juneau Airport and return to the dock.
• helicopter flight over the Juneau Icefield to and from the Mendenhall Glacier.
• jacket, pants, crampons, helmet, climbing harness, and ice tools.
• expert guide instruction in ice climbing fundamentals.
• safety briefing.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by NorthStar Trekking

Is this one for you?The van pickup from the airport and return to the dock means you don't need a rental car or a way to get from the cruise terminal to the heliport—the logistics are handled, so you can focus on the climbing itself. Book this if you're staying in Juneau without a car or arriving by ship and want to climb the same day you land.

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Top questions

What is the Mendenhall Glacier like when you get there?

The Mendenhall Glacier is a massive expanse of ice on the Juneau Icefield that changes color from white to brilliant shades of blue. You land by helicopter on the glacier itself and climb on it with your guide, so you're on the ice the whole time you're learning.

Do I need ice climbing experience to book this?

No. The guide teaches you the fundamentals of ice climbing during the day—how to use the crampons and ice tools, how to move on the ice. You need to be in moderate physical fitness and at least 12 years old, but no prior climbing experience is required.

How do I get from the airport to the helicopter base?

A van picks you up at Juneau Airport and drives you to the NorthStar Helicopter base. The pickup is included, so you don't arrange your own transport. Make sure your departure time is at least one hour after your cruise ship arrives, so you have time to disembark and get to the meeting point.

What gear do I need to bring?

You don't bring climbing gear. Jackets, pants, crampons, a helmet, climbing harness, and ice tools are all provided. You do need to tell us your shoe size at checkout so the crampons fit properly.

How long is the whole experience?

The experience takes about four hours total, including the van transfer to the helicopter base, the flight to the glacier, the trek and climbing on the ice, the flight back, and the van transfer to the dock.

Is there a weight limit for the helicopter?

Guests weighing 250 pounds or over are subject to a surcharge, which is charged at the helicopter base in Juneau when you arrive.