Keystone Canyon (Ice)

Written By Riley Steele

Quick Facts:

  • Drive time from Valdez: 20 minutes

  • Activity: Ice climbing

  • Difficulty: WI1-WI6

This is a huge and popular spot for ice climbing and a great place for beginners to experts. I won’t dive deep into details here as there are others that have dedicated years to that, but I recommend buying the Alaska Ice Guide for detailed beta.

Kiddie Corner - open ropes at the Valdez Ice Climbing Festival

There are two main areas along the side of the road: Horsetail Falls and Kiddie Corner. The rest of the falls are across the river, so you have to wait for a snow bridge to form before accessing these. Greensteps and Bridalveil Falls are the most commonly climbed on the east side of the river.

View from the base of Hooligan

I also highly suggest making it out to the Valdez Ice Climbing Festival. This event is held every February, and you can participate in a variety of ice climbing clinics or use the available top ropes set up by the festival.

Riley Steele
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Mint-Bomber Traverse
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Portage Creek