Alaska Helicopter Tours offering unique experiences

Alaska Helicopter Tours offers a unique opportunity to experience an Alaskan winter like most travelers never have before. From taking in the breathtaking vistas from the air, to landing on the Knik Glacier and feeling the frozen ground underfoot, Alaska Helicopter Tours provides guests with the opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime trip in Southcentral Alaska.

“Alaska, as beautiful as it is during the summer, it’s also one of the most beautiful places to go to for the winter time,” Communications and Creative Director for Alaska Helicopter Tours Sage Dudick said. “It’s just another opportunity to share the beauty of Alaska.”

Their most popular adventure package, the Grand Knik Tour, provides travellers with essential views and experiences surrounding the Knik Glacier. Small groups will enjoy a two hour trip with three different landings to explore on the glacier, from an alpine viewpoint and a destination of the pilot’s choice. Shorter, one-hour long trips with a focus of on-glacier landings can be scheduled for those looking to experience the glacier on a limited schedule.

Ice climbing adventures are also offered during the winter time. These fully-guided, four hour trips will fly climbers to the glacier for fully instructed ice climbing on frozen waterfalls and terrain features. All technical gear is provided, including boots, crampons, a harness, a helmet, ice tools and ropes. A lunch and hot beverage is also available.

A winter glacier exploration tour is designed for those looking to spend more time on the glacier, but at a far less strenuous level than the ice climbing. The two-hour trip incorporates a flight to the glacier and a chance to walk around and explore all the glacier has to offer. A guide will share information about the terrain and will have microspikes and trekking poles available depending on conditions.

Being able to not only land on, but truly experience the Knik Glacier and learn about the area’s natural history, is what makes these trips so enjoyable.

“It’s a very unique experience that gets you up close to the glacier,” Dudick said.

Guests on the tours are encouraged to dress appropriately for the winter weather. Dressing in layers is encouraged and wearing warm boots, a heavy winter jacket, sunglasses and gloves are all important for staying comfortable.

“You don't want one of the best experiences of your life to be ruined by the potential of being cold,” Dudick said.

Those looking to book a trip should schedule their tours as early as possible. Weather delays may postpone flights and cause rescheduling issues. To minimize the impact these may have on trips, Dudick encourages people to have a little flexibility in their schedule to accommodate an unexpected last-minute change.

While some people can be a bit hesitant to take their first flight in a helicopter and land in a remote portion of Alaska, they generally return with a smile on their face and a memory to share for years to come.

“Everybody comes back, and they say, ‘that was the best experience of my life, I’ve never seen anything like this, I’ve been waiting my whole life to see something that cool,’” Dudick said.

Alaska Helicopter Tours offer services 365 days per year. Their adventure packages change with the seasons. Dudick said that the company has experienced an uptick in winter tourism in recent years. More visitors are realizing that there is more to do during the winter besides only viewing the northern lights. Adventures like these help promote new ways for people to get out and explore.

“There’s a lot to do in the wintertime that people don’t know about, so we want to help continue to offer those things,” Dudick said.

For those looking to experience Alaska in wintertime from both the air and from the frozen expanse of an expansive glacier, Alaska Helicopter Tours has something for every level of adventure seeker that makes their way to the Last Frontier.

“Sharing that experience and the beauty of Alaska is really important to our company,” Dudick said.