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You are viewing: Home > Rivers > Alatna River and Arrigetch Peaks Packrafting and Trekking
Alatna River and Arrigetch Peaks Packrafting and Trekking
| Location: |
, Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska |
| Trip Length: |
10 days (9 nights camping) |
| Activities: |
Backpacking and paddling by packraft; scenic and wildlife photography
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| Dates: |
Custom for groups of 2 or more in 2012
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| Price: |
$4250 from Fairbanks
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| Rating: |
M+
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Gates of the Arctic National Park, covering much of the Central Brooks Range in northern Alaska, is one of the finest wilderness areas in the world. Its 8.4 million acres embraces four Yellowstone National Parks. The park's most striking mountains are the Arrigetch Peaks, a unique cluster of rugged granite spires in the Endicott Mountains that rise two to three thousand feet into sharp ridges and spires. The name Arrigetch means 'fingers of the outstretched hand' in the Inupiat language. The peaks ring glacial cirques at the head of the Kobuk River, Arrigetch Creek, and Aiyagomahala Creek.
Our modes of travel on this trip allow us to experience the high tundra country of the upper Alatna River on foot, before embarking on an exciting paddle down the river to the confluence of with Arrigetch Creek, where we'll once again don our backpacks, and take off for a week of trekking in the mountains.
Packrafts are ultra-light inflatable rafts that allow access to places not easy to reach without a boat; they give us the freedom to travel both on land and water. Today's packraft is a high-tech tool, and a fun craft, allowing us to travel cross-country. We'll provide you with a sturdy packraft, PFD and super-light take-apart paddle for the trip.
 We fly into the headwaters of the Alatna by bush plane, and take off with our backpacks, food supply, and packrafts. We skirt the shallow, rocky headwaters in favor of the tundra, where ripe blueberries beckon with every step. The Western Arctic caribou herd is on the move at this time, and our route parallels their travel as we trek down the valley. We've seen grizzly bears and wolves in the valley as well. Several miles down the valley, we inflate the packrafts, don our waterproof clothing, and put in some miles. The upper Alatna is dizzyingly swift, with lots of twists and turns. Packrafts are easy to maneuver, and this stretch of the river is absolutely FUN!
For more information on Packrafting, please click here for the New York Times article.
If you're interested in a more introductory packrafting trip, to Alaska's Arctic National Parks, check out our Gates of the Arctic/Kobuk Valley National Park Packraft and Hiking adventure.
| Itinerary |
| Day 0 |
Travel to Fairbanks, Alaska. The group generally plans to meet for dinner the night before the trip to go over final trip details, and to get acquainted. Overnight accommodations are on your own, but we can help you with suggestions and bookings at our favorite bed and breakfasts and hotels in Fairbanks.
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| Day 1-2 |
Trip participants meet in the early morning at the small airport in Fairbanks, where we pack all our gear onto a small charter bush plane and fly 150 miles north, over the Steese and White Mountains to Bettles, a frontier town on the Arctic Circle. We meet our bush pilot here and fly over the Koyukuk River and up the Alatna Valley, and past Arrigetch Peaks to the upper Alatna River, where we land on a lake on the Arctic Divide. We inflate our packrafts for a practice paddle on the lake. We may camp at the lake for the night, or hike a few miles down the valley. Our second day will be a continuation of trekking, as we hike a total of several miles along river bluffs, along the Alatna itself and up and down a few ravine. Camp in the valley.
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| Days 3-4 |
We spend a couple days on the river. Heading down to a gravel bar, we inflate our boats, do a final instruction session and safety talk, don our waterproof gear, and start down the river. The Alatna is swift, crystal-clear and sometimes shallow, but our packrafts are easy to maneuver, and if we hit shallows, it's easy to hop out of the boats to walk through shallows. Sweepers are an obstacle to be avoided, and your guide will scout for spots where the river may be impassible due to a tree breaching the river channel. Short sections of Class III whitewater provide excitement as we twist our way down the valley.
Camping is on gravel bars beside the river, where we find the tracks of wildlife. By the end of Day 4, we reluctantly leave the caribou migration behind us, and enter the treeline, where live a variety of forest denizens: wolves, moose, grizzly bears, marten, mink, and beaver. The mountains yet rise up steeply from the valley, while spruce trees dot the slopes and line the riverbanks. Milky-white Arrigetch Creek enters the Alatna, subtly changing the Alatna's color. We pull out and pack up our rafts, trekking to the edge of the forest to camp. Blueberries are abundant--this might just be the night for a cobbler!
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| Days 5-9 |
After repacking our gear and stowing our packrafts, we set out on foot up the Arrigetch Valley. Wildlife trails make hiking easier when we can find them, but there will be some serious tussocks to negotiate at times. We get views of the mountains up the valley as we ascend, with the glacial waters of Arrigetch Creek our constant companion. Two days of walking should get us into the peaks, where we set up a base camp from which to explore. We'll head back down the valley on Day 7, reaching our gear on Day 8, where we camp.
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| Day 10 |
If good weather has prevailed throughout the trip, we have time to inflate our packrafts for a day of paddling down the Alatna. Scenic mountains rise from the river valley; vast wetlands support beaver and a variety of birds and wildlife. We camp on a gravel bar and pack up our gear for a final trek tomorrow through the forest to Takahula Lake.
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| Day 11 |
We hike the short distance to Takahula Lake, where we are picked up by our bush pilot and flown back to Bettles. We are at the whims of our pilot and the weather. If bad weather prevents an early pick-up, we may spend an extra night out. From Bettles, we catch a small commercial flight back to Fairbanks. If all goes well, we arrive by 5:00 p.m., and often get together for a final no-host dinner.
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TRIP DIFFICULTY: This trip is suitable for experienced backpackers who have preferably have some paddling experience, or at least are not afraid to be on the water in a small boat, and are not afraid to try something new and totally fun.
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| Included in trip costs |
- All transportation beyond Fairbanks
- All meals in the field
- Boats, paddles, life jackets
- Group cooking, camping, medical and safety equipment (W e bring such items as a kitchen shelter, emergency SAT phone, bear repellent spray, water filter and first aid kit)
- Expert leadership
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| Not included in trip costs |
- Lodging before or after trip or "weather delay" lodging
- Extra meals you might choose to purchase in a town or village while we are awaiting air transport
- Sleeping bag and pad, and personal equipment
- Excess baggage charges
- Tent
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| Call or E-mail us for more information on this expedition.
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