Little Switzerland Alpine Climbing

The Pika Glacier, also known as Little Switzerland, is one of the best alpine rock climbing venues in Alaska during the summer months. With several classic routes close to basecamp, the Pika provides easy access to absolutely stellar granite rock from moderate to advanced difficulty, making this an excellent first expedition into the AK Range.

The transition from Peak Mountain Guides to Mountain Trip has happened! Please contact Mountain Trip’s Telluride, CO office at 970-369-1153 for more information.

Little Switzerland is a must-visit destination for alpine rock climbers. Little Switzerland boasts clean and quality granite from bottom to top that typically doesn’t require aid climbing/big wall techniques, not always a given in other areas.. Most all of the classic climbs are done in a single day from basecamp, keeping packs light and the fun factor high! For the cherry on-top, the Pika’s location within the mountain range makes for easier access with a bush plane in variable weather.

The Introductory Classics

A few classic routes include The South Face on Middle Troll (III, 5.8), the Lost Marsupial on The Throne (III, 5.8), Gargoyle Buttress (IV, 5.10-) or The Jester (IV, 5.10), both on the Royal Tower.

Season

Conditions are generally good for alpine climbing in the Alaska Range from April to July. Exact dates depend greatly on the objective.

Group Size

This is a private program, no one else will be paired with your party. If your group is larger than 2, we apply a group discount and additional guides are added to keep the guest to guide ratio at 2:1 or lower.

Time and Place

This is a custom program. Each expedition will depart from Talkeetna, AK in a bush plane and will spend generally 8-12 days on the glacier depending on the goals and abilities of the climber.

Equipment List

All the technical climbing equipment and group expedition camping equipment required for this outing is included.