Skiing and Riding
Black Ops Valdez Snowcat & Snowmobile Guided Trips & Tours,
Big Mountain Snowmachine, Snowcat, and Heli-skiing and boarding, & Guided Ski Touring
At less than half the cost of heli-skiing for a week, you can stay with us and ski and ride most of the same runs that people are flying to. With the new lighter, more powerful snowmobiles (snowmachines) that are out today we can get you to some of the most spectacular terrain imaginable. Add a snowcat or heli option to combine the best of both worlds.
Ride the Chugach
Explore the Chugach near Valdez and Thompson Pass with Black Ops Valdez, Snowcat and Snowmachine Skiing and Riding. Ski and ride with local guides who live and work here all year long. Learn the area like no one else can, and go to zones and experience cat and sled skiing and boarding that only the locals can take you to. Take a ride in one of our vintage Thiokol Spryte Snowcats or enjoy the ride up inside the cabin where you can warm up and avoid the cold and exposure of snowmachine lifts.
Whether you are just looking to explore the vast glaciers and amazing peaks of the Chugach on your snowmachine, on use your sled or our cats as your own personal “heli” to get your turns, we are the authority in the Valdez and Thompson Pass area. Grey days, “down days” are nearly non-existent. Even in the worst weather there is pow to tear up in the trees, pillows to drop, or glades to explore. We also offer guided ski touring with Ski Tour Alaska.
Snowmobile (Snowmachine) Valdez and Thompson Pass
We offer a variety of riding experiences for all ages and skill levels. Valdez has an amazing trail system surrounding the entire valley. Valdez Glacier, Robe Lake, Hogback, CMRC (future Ski Area), Sugarloaf Mountain, Solomon Gulch and Lake, Alaska Pipeline Corridor, Old Valdez Town Site, and Mineral Creek. Most of these area can be ridden to directly from the lodge and offer some of the most scenic views of the Valdez port and surrounding mountains.
If mountain riding is more your thing there is no place on earth with more amazing peaks and glaciers so easily accessed. Unload your machine and hit the hill. Use your fuel to ride in the mountains, not getting to them. The Richardson Highway and Thompson Pass wind through the Chugach and allow direct access to the skiing and riding. Wake up and ride from the lodge and hit Hogback Mountain directly behind the Lodge or Solomon Gulch “Area 51″ across the bay. Both offer great terrain and features to test your skills on your sled or your boards.
Guiding and Gear
With Black Ops Valdez and Robe Lake Lodge, you can ride with local guides who know Valdez and Thompson Pass. They hold Avalanche II or III certifications and WFR, OEC, EMT or other medical certifications, have been trained in rope skills and crevasse rescue, and are familiar with traveling in mountainous and glaciated terrain. Some are members of the Valdez Search and Rescue, Civil Air Patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Alaska Avalanche Information Center.
Prior to heading out everyone will have the proper safety gear (transceiver, probe, shovel), and must demonstrate their ability to use them in an emergency situation. Transceiver…put it on, turn it on. Pack must be worn on your person…not on your sled. While in the field, we are continuously educating our guests and clients on Avalanche Safety and Hazard, and safe practices for traveling in glaciated and mountainous terrain.
