About Ascending Path
Ascending Path is a professional mountain guiding company based in Girdwood, Alaska, offering glacier tours, rock climbing, ice climbing, and backcountry hiking adventures throughout the Chugach Mountains and Kenai Peninsula. Operating since 1995, the company has built a reputation as one of Southcentral Alaska's most experienced guide services, holding exclusive permits with the U.S. Forest Service for Spencer Glacier and surrounding wilderness areas. Their Girdwood base puts them within striking distance of some of Alaska's most dramatic glacial landscapes, all accessible as day trips from Anchorage.
The tour roster spans beginner-friendly glacier hikes — where guests walk on ancient ice formations with crampons and trekking poles — to advanced helicopter ice climbing on vertical glacier faces. Spencer Glacier kayaking tours combine a scenic Alaska Railroad ride with a paddle among calved icebergs, while overnight glacier camping trips offer a glamping-style wilderness immersion with heated tents and catered meals on the glacier's moraine. Rock climbing outings on roadside crags near Girdwood cater to first-timers and experienced climbers alike, with all technical gear provided.
What sets Ascending Path apart is three decades of guiding experience in terrain that demands serious expertise. All lead guides hold Wilderness First Responder certifications and have extensive crevasse rescue, avalanche safety, and swift-water training. The company's long-standing Forest Service permits grant access to areas closed to the general public, meaning guests experience genuine wilderness without crowds. For visitors looking to go beyond sightseeing and physically engage with Alaska's glaciers and mountains, Ascending Path delivers the real thing.
