Fly-In Norris Glacier Hike & Packraft
Experience a World Class Trip to the Norris Glacier
Duration
Day Trip
About 5 Hours
Activity
Glacier Trekking, Sightseeing, Floatplane Flight
Highlight
Glacier Hike & Packraft paddle, Float Plane flight
Price From $789 per person + tax
Difficulty Moderate to Strenuous
Transportation Meet at "C" Sign by the Mount Roberts Tramway
Experience The Trip
Experience 3 iconic Alaskan adventures—flightseeing, glacier hiking, and packrafting—all in just 5 hours! This is Juneau’s first multi-sport adventure of this kind. Packrafting is one of the fastest growing sports in Alaska.
This Packraft adventure begins with boarding a six-passenger floatplane and taking off from the water. The scenic flight will head towards the mouth of the Taku Inlet, a gateway to flowing glaciers of the Juneau icefield. Keep an eye out for mountain goats, black bears and moose along the way. After landing on the Norris Glacier fed lake, hike over the glacially carved terrain to a cove where your packraft awaits. From here, you will be outfitted in single person packrafts and introduced paddling techniques by your guides. Once you launch your packraft, your paddle to the glacier will take you past icebergs, all while taking in the stunning mountain and glacier landscapes around you.
As you approach the glacier, prepare to beach your boat right on the Norris Glacier, your guide will assist you in getting out of your packraft and into micro-spikes. Explore the moonscape-like area of the glacier all by foot and get panoramic views of Norris and Taku glaciers. Look for crevasses, glacier pools, moulins, and other incredible ice features. Glacier features come and go throughout the season, just like the ebb and flow of our glaciers. Upon completion of your glacier hike, slide back into your packraft and paddle back to shore. Your floatplane awaits to take you back to Juneau.
A world class adventure awaits you at the Norris!
See What It’s Like!
The Trip Itinerary
About 5 hours
Van transport to ABAK office for outfitting
Van transport to Juneau’s floatplane base for check-in and outfitting
Gear outfitting & orientation, transport to the float pond
Get the run down, the safety check, and acquainted with your guide.
Floatplane flight to Norris Glacier
A view of Juneau and surrounding majestic wilderness like no other. Buckle up and enjoy your flight.
Pack Rafting & Glacier Trekking
Hike to pack raft cove to start your glacier adventure!
Scenic Floatplane flight back to Juneau
Your Floatplane Pilot will meet you at the beach.
Transport to ABAK office, change out of gear
Return van transport to downtown, major hotels
Your van transport will be waiting to return you to the main office – Thanks for joining us!
Practical Info
Client Pickup Information
Located at the base of the Mt. Roberts Tramway, the C-Sign is ABAK’s primary downtown meeting location for cruise passengers and clients staying in the downtown area.
Clients arriving at AJ Dock:
Clients who dock at the AJ Dock within 30 minutes of the ABAK pick-up time will be picked up directly from AJ DOCK.
Clients Staying Locally:
Clients can be picked up from any major hotel in the Mendenhall Valley.
Clients staying at major hotels in the Downtown area will meet at our Downtown meeting location.
ABAK is unable to provide pick-up in residential neighborhoods. Clients staying at private residences, Air BnB’s, VRBO’s, or have own transportation please contact our office for meeting location information at 907-364-2333 or info@beyondak.com.
Price
From $789 per person
Group Size:Â Minimum of 4, Maximum of 6;Â 6 to 1 client to guide ratio
Minimum Age Public Tour: 10 years old
Minimum Age Private Tour: 8 years old – Requires a minimum of 6 guests to book to make Private.
Children between the ages of 10-14 will be outfitted in a tandem packraft with an adult. Children must be able to swim and confidently paddle a double packraft with an adult.
Size Restrictions: Weight limit of 250 pounds per person due to float-plane weight capacity. The smallest shoe size we can accommodate is youth 2 size. Largest shoe size we can accommodate is men’s size 14.
A packraft is a portable, lightweight inflatable boat that you can hike or backpack with. Never been in a packraft before? No problem. Our skilled guides will teach you how to operate the packrafts, which are lighter and easier to navigate than kayaks, but also more fun to paddle!
Included In The Price
- Professional Guides
- Roundtrip van transport from meeting location
- All paddling equipment & glacier gear
- US Forest Service permits
- Rain gear (hooded jacket, rubber boots, and pants)
- Hearty and healthy snacks
- Souvenir water bottle (we strongly encourage you to bring a reusable water bottle to help minimize waste)
- All glacier safety gear including helmet, micro-spikes, harness, and trekking poles if needed
Not Included In Price
- Hot shower at the end of the day, but you can book your unique stay here.
- Professional Photography
- Gratuity for your Guide: If you feel that your guide went Above and Beyond to facilitate an exceptional experience, a gratuity is a welcomed way to show your appreciation.
Important Notes
- Clients will be outfitted in single or double passenger pack rafts.
- A specific amount of time on the ice cannot be guaranteed. The amount of time on the glacier is dependent on the group’s pace and weather conditions.
- Visiting specific features such as ice caves, moulins, etc. cannot be guaranteed. Your guide will assess potential hazards on the trip to determine if a particular area is safe to trek upon or enter.
- Clients must be able and conditioned to paddle 1 hour roundtrip and hike on uneven terrain up to 2 miles.
- This trip operates in all weather conditions (barring unsafe conditions, to be determined by ABAK) – it is very important to dress to get wet.
- Due to the inherent risks involved in this type of tour, pregnant guests are not permitted to participate.
- Due to aircraft restrictions, there is a 250 lbs per person weight limit on this tour. All passenger weights need to be provided at time of booking. Passengers may be weighed by float plane operator – those over 250 lbs may be subject to an additional fee.
- Clients must disclose information regarding pertinent medical conditions/history, allergies and any type of restriction or limitation that might introduce a higher degree of challenge on this trip.
- Every participant must sign a Release of Liability/Assumption of Risk Form at the start of the trip. Alterations and/or deletions to the form are not permitted.
- Due to various fitness abilities and weather variables, we prefer clients not schedule other excursions directly before or after our trip. Please let us know if you clients have another excursion booked on the same day.
- ABAK reserves the right to cancel any trip due to inadequate sign-ups, unsafe weather or route conditions, clients not meeting our physical requirements, and any other safety issues. In such an event, a full refund is given if the trip has not yet departed, but ABAK is not responsible for additional expenses incurred (i.e., non-refundable airline tickets, meals, accommodations, etc.)
Departure Times: Daily – click on the Book Your Trip tab for updated departure times
Dates of Operation: June 1st – August 31st, 2024
Group Size: Minimum of 4, Maximum of 6
Minimum Age: 10 years old
Activity Level: Moderate, no experience necessary
Documentation Needed:
- Group Size
- Name of client(s)
- Cell phone contact number of client
- Desired trip date and departure time
- Name of cruise ship or hotel
- Participants’ ages, especially anyone under the age of 18
- Rain gear & shoe sizes (please specify male or female)
- Any pertinent medical issues, allergies or dietary restrictions
- Primary language spoken, if other than English
