Denali, Alaska and Yukon Guides: Verified Reviews for Denali and Mount Logan

By Blake Penson, Founder of ExpedReview · Everest summiter · Seven Summits climber · 20-year mountaineer · Industry expert

By Blake Penson · Updated 2026-10-24

Blake Penson has climbed Everest twice and has 20 years in the mountains.

Alaska and Canada's Yukon hold the highest mountains in North America: Denali, at 6,190 m (20,310 ft), the highest peak on the continent and one of the Seven Summits, and Mount Logan, at 5,959 m, Canada's highest mountain. Both are big, cold, glaciated expeditions where climbers usually fly in by ski plane, haul their own sleds and camp on snow for two to four weeks. On Denali, only a small number of companies hold National Park Service concessions to guide, so some international operators run their trips through one of them. On ExpedReview, as of 23 October 2026, 4 operators have 6 verified client reviews in Alaska and the Yukon across two places, Denali and Mount Logan. Ranked first is AAI (American Alpine Institute) (5.0★ from 3 reviews, latest November 2020), followed by Climbing The Seven Summits (5.0★ from 1 review, latest July 2024), Jagged Globe (4.8★ from 1 review, latest January 2021) and Mountain Madness (4.8★ from 1 review, June 2019, for Mount Logan). Below are the rankings, then a guide to climbing in the region.

Alaska and Yukon: key facts | | | |---|---| | Highest peak | Denali, 6,190 m (20,310 ft), Alaska | | Other major peak | Mount Logan, 5,959 m, Yukon, Canada's highest | | Usual route on Denali | West Buttress, from Kahiltna base camp | | Access | Ski plane from Talkeetna (Denali) or from the Kluane area (Logan) | | Typical expedition | About 17 to 24 days on Denali | | Season | May to early July on Denali | | Operators reviewed on ExpedReview | 4, with 6 verified reviews (as of 23 Oct 2026) |

Alaska and Yukon guides ranked by verified reviews

Rankings use each operator's verified ExpedReview client reviews in the region: the star rating, adjusted so that one or two reviews, or only old ones, count for less than many recent ones; ties go to the operator with more reviews. Every review is checked by hand before it is published, and operators cannot pay for a better position. Data as of 23 October 2026.

The number of reviews is small and most are several years old, so treat the ranking as a guide rather than a verdict. For route details, see our Denali guide and our Mount Logan guide.

What clients say

All five Denali reviews describe the West Buttress. AAI reviewers praised the guides, logistics and professionalism; one said they would sign up for another AAI trip without hesitation, and another stressed that the guides matter most, since climbers realistically choose between a small number of US-accredited companies. The Climbing The Seven Summits reviewer, from a June 2024 team, called it the most enjoyable climb they had done, thanks to excellent logistics and guiding. The Jagged Globe review is titled "Not really JG. More AAI but still great": the reviewer explains that the expedition was actually run by AAI, one of the few companies allowed to guide on Denali, and Jagged Globe acted as an intermediary. The Mountain Madness reviewer spent nine days on Mount Logan before altitude problems forced an early departure, but praised the guides and had no regrets.

Why climb in Alaska and the Yukon?

These are some of the most serious non-technical expedition climbs in the world. Denali's high latitude, at about 63 degrees north, makes it colder, and the air pressure lower, than mountains of similar height near the equator, and its storms are notorious. Climbers carry or haul all their own loads, without porters, and spend weeks camped on the glacier. That makes Denali a common test before an 8,000 m peak or Everest, and a sought-after Seven Summit in its own right. Mount Logan is even more remote, often described as having the largest base circumference of any non-volcanic mountain on Earth, and sees only a few expeditions a year.

Denali

The West Buttress is the usual route, climbed by most of Denali's expeditions. Climbers fly by ski plane from Talkeetna to Kahiltna base camp, at about 2,200 m, and move up the Kahiltna Glacier, with heavy packs and sleds, through camps at about 2,400 m, 3,350 m and 4,330 m, the large camp in the basin below the West Buttress. From there, fixed lines lead up the Headwall to the ridge and high camp at about 5,240 m, and summit day crosses the Autobahn to Denali Pass, then follows the ridge past the Football Field and the Pig Hill to the summit ridge. Most expeditions take about 17 to 24 days, including spare days for weather. Our Denali guide covers the route in detail.

How Denali guiding works

Denali National Park and Preserve allows only a small number of authorised concessioners to run guided climbs on Denali. Other companies, including many international operators, either partner with a concessioner or run trips through one. That is what the Jagged Globe reviewer described, and it is worth asking any operator who will actually run your trip and employ your guides. If you book through an intermediary, read the reviews of the concessioner, too. AAI and Climbing The Seven Summits both run trips on Denali; check the current list of authorised guide services on the National Park Service website before booking.

Registration and rules

All climbers on Denali and nearby Mount Foraker must register with the National Park Service at least 60 days before their climb and pay a mountaineering special-use fee, as well as the park entrance fee. Before flying in, climbers attend a briefing at the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station. Climbers must carry out their human waste from most of the mountain using clean-mountain cans and follow strict rules on rubbish. Check the National Park Service website for current fees, as they change.

Mount Logan

Mount Logan, at 5,959 m in Kluane National Park and Reserve, is Canada's highest mountain and the second highest in North America. It rises from the huge icefields of the Saint Elias Mountains, close to the Alaska border, and the usual King Trench route is a long, cold glacier climb with crevasses, avalanche risk and severe storms. Climbers fly in by ski plane, and there are few guided expeditions each year. Climbers need a permit from Parks Canada and must meet its self-sufficiency requirements. Our Mount Logan guide has more.

Season and weather

Denali is climbed from early May to early July. May is colder but more stable; June has warmer temperatures and the most climbers; by July, the lower glacier becomes soft and crevasses open, and flights become harder. Logan's season is similar, from May to June. On both mountains, storms with high winds and heavy snow can last for days, and temperatures at high camp can fall below minus 30 °C. Expeditions build in spare days for weather, and patience is an essential skill.

Skills and fitness

Denali is not technical, but it is physically very demanding. You should have experience of roped glacier travel, crevasse rescue, cold-weather camping and climbing with crampons and an ice axe on steep snow, usually gained on mountains such as Mount Baker or Mount Rainier, or on a high peak such as Aconcagua. Many guides require previous expedition experience or a prerequisite course. You must be able to carry a heavy pack and haul a sled for hours, often carrying loads up and coming back down to sleep lower. Train for months with heavy-pack hiking and strength work.

Cost

A guided Denali expedition is a major expense, and the guide fee is only part of it: budget also for flights to Alaska, the glacier flight, park fees, gear and insurance. No operator in this region has a recent price on ExpedReview. Ask what is included, especially group gear, food, the glacier flight and fees, and what happens if weather delays the flight out.

Getting there

For Denali, fly to Anchorage, then travel by road or shuttle to Talkeetna, about two and a half hours north, for the ski-plane flight to the Kahiltna Glacier. Flights depend on weather and can be delayed for days at either end. For Mount Logan, expeditions usually travel via Whitehorse in the Yukon and fly in from the Kluane area.

How to choose an operator

Ask who holds the guiding concession and who will run the trip, the guide-to-client ratio, the guides' experience on Denali, how many spare days are built in, the turnaround policy, and the prerequisites. Read the reviews above, and our Denali guide for more questions.

A short history

Denali was known to the Koyukon Athabaskan people as Denali, usually translated as "the high one". In 1913 Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, Walter Harper and Robert Tatum made the first ascent, with Walter Harper, an Alaska Native, the first to stand on the summit; the Talkeetna ranger station is named after him. In 1951 Bradford Washburn led the first ascent of the West Buttress, the route now used by most climbers, after studying the mountain from the air. The mountain was officially named Mount McKinley from 1917, and in 2015 the US government restored the name Denali; in 2025 the federal name was changed back to Mount McKinley by executive order, although the park keeps its name, Denali National Park and Preserve, and many Alaskans and climbers still call the mountain Denali. Mount Logan was first climbed in 1925 by a Canadian–American expedition led by Albert MacCarthy, in an epic expedition of many weeks.

Load carrying and acclimatisation

Denali expeditions follow a "climb high, sleep low" pattern. Teams carry a load of food and fuel up to the next camp, bury it in a cache, then return to sleep lower, before moving camp the next day. This doubles the work but helps acclimatisation, and it is why fitness and strength matter so much. Sleds carry much of the weight on the lower glacier, and are left or cached higher up, where loads go on the climbers' backs. Altitude illness is a real risk above the 4,330 m camp, and guides watch for symptoms of acute mountain sickness, high-altitude cerebral oedema and pulmonary oedema, and will send climbers down if needed.

Rescue and safety

The National Park Service runs a ranger camp at 4,330 m on the West Buttress during the season, with a medical tent, and a high-altitude helicopter based in Talkeetna. Rescues still depend on the weather, and climbers are expected to be self-sufficient. Falls on the descent from Denali Pass, crevasse falls on the lower glacier, cold injuries and altitude illness are the main hazards. Choose an operator with experienced Denali guides, a sensible guide-to-client ratio and a clear turnaround policy, and carry insurance that covers mountain rescue and evacuation.

Other peaks in the region

The Alaska Range and the Saint Elias Mountains have many other climbs. Mount Foraker and Mount Hunter, near Denali, are more technical and are rarely guided. Some operators offer shorter glacier courses and expeditions in the Alaska Range, which make good preparation for Denali.

Denali and the Seven Summits

For Seven Summits climbers, Denali usually comes after Kilimanjaro, Elbrus and Aconcagua and before Everest, and many consider it the hardest of the seven after Everest. Compared with Aconcagua, which is higher, Denali is colder, wetter and more serious: you travel roped on crevassed glaciers, carry heavy loads without porters or mules, and sit out storms in tents dug into the snow. Compared with Everest, it is lower and has no Sherpa support or bottled oxygen, so expedition skills such as building snow walls, melting snow for water, managing a stove and keeping your feet warm are more important. Many Everest guides look for Denali on a client's résumé for exactly that reason. If your goal is the Seven Summits, see our Aconcagua guide and our page on the South Col route on Everest for the next steps.

Frequently asked questions

Can any company guide on Denali?

No. Only a small number of companies authorised by the National Park Service can guide climbs on Denali. Other operators partner with them.

How long does it take to climb Denali?

Most guided West Buttress expeditions last about 17 to 24 days, including spare days for weather.

Do I need experience to climb Denali?

Yes. You should have glacier travel, crevasse rescue and cold-weather camping experience, and most guides require previous expedition or course experience.

When is the best time to climb Denali?

From May to early July, with May and June the main months.

Which operator is ranked first in Alaska and the Yukon on ExpedReview?

As of 23 October 2026, AAI (American Alpine Institute) is ranked first, with 5.0★ from 3 verified reviews, the latest from November 2020.