Alaska·United States
Photo: National Park Service, Alaska Region · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Gates of the Arctic has no roads, no trails and no facilities, just the granite spires of the Arrigetch, braided rivers and tundra valleys crossing the continental divide north of the Arctic Circle. Caribou, grizzlies and wolves roam country that sees only a few thousand visitors a year.
In season: Jun–Aug · Peak: Jul–Aug
Hard, slow walking across tussock tundra, river crossings, bogs and boulder fields, with navigation entirely by map and compass. Weather can ground planes for days, so carry extra food, and expect mosquitoes in July.
Granite spires in the central Brooks Range, bush plane in
River and tundra across the continental divide
The classic trans-range traverse, no trails at all
Fly from Fairbanks to Bettles or Coldfoot, then charter a floatplane to a lake in the range. Attend the voluntary backcountry orientation, carry bear-resistant food containers, and choose a guided trip unless you already have serious Arctic wilderness experience.
Skiing3 linesUnited States
The steep, fluted spines above Valdez that made the Chugach the benchmark for big-mountain skiing.
Wildlife watching3 routesUnited States
Brown bears snatching leaping salmon at Brooks Falls, one of the great wildlife spectacles on earth.
Mountaineering3 routesUnited States
Three weeks on the glaciers of the highest mountain in North America, 6,190 m above the Alaska Range.
TrekkingNorway
The single most photographed viewpoint in Norway.
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Eighteen days in the Khumbu taking the high circuit rather than the base camp highway.
Trekking4 routesUnited States
Walking rim to rim across the Grand Canyon, down a mile of rock layers to the Colorado River and up the other side.
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