Trek the Mendenhall Glacier Caves Alaska

“The most dangerous part of the ice cave is the entrance,” said our guide as she pointed up at ice overhanging it. Chunks the size of mini-fridges littered the opening, proof that it could collapse at any moment the glacier chooses. This was how I first realized that this wasn’t going to be any old regular excursion. We were going to trek on a glacier and get to see some stuff that was breath-taking, not only because it was beautiful, but because we were going to get into some areas that made me a bit nervous! Our guide enters the cave first, and while keeping an eye out for any falling ice, she ushers us in one at a time. The inside of the cave is amazing. Everything is colored in a deep blue, a stream flows through the center of the cave and we walk through it in waterproof boots that were given to us at the start of the tour. The ice is sculpted out as it melts into water, and we get to spend about half an hour exploring the cave and taking pictures.”

“We exited the rear of the cave and after some snacks, our guide got us ready to walk onto the glacier itself. What they gave us included a safety harness as a precaution, a pair of micro-spikes for better traction on the ice, and a briefing on how to safely walk on the glacier. Trekking across that glacier was one of the most unique experiences of my life. It is like being on another planet. Mountains of bare rock stand straight up from the sides, while the glacier itself flows down from the Juneau Icefield for 14 miles. It stretches off into the distance, with crevasses and spires of ice covering the landscape.”

“Then one at a time, she secures our harness to the ropes and we hang off of them over the moulin so we can peer into it. It’s a great blue hole getting darker and darker as it goes deeper and curves away from me. The sound of rushing water echos as it falls into the depths. This was my introduction to ice climbing.”