• KITTS HAUS CLIMBING CENTER

    An Oasis in Chitina, Alaska

    We are still working on obtaining and renovating the Chitina property to make it a helpful and cozy haven for those trekking into the Wrangell St. Elias and a catalyst for building  community. Please read our story and consider becoming a sponsors or benefactor. With your support we can establish a mountaineering center/bunkhouse and community center for climbers in South Central Alaska.

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Become a Member and Help Us Build a Community

"Being out on the edge, with everything at risk, is where you learn -- and grow -- the most"
​- Jim Whittaker

Kitts Haus Climbing Center offers a variety of 'membership' options for those who seek our services, both 'in house' at our center in Chitina, and for those who simply wish to sponsor our programs. When you join KH as a MEMBER, SPONSOR, or BENEFACTOR, you are helping change the lives of youth by introducing them to the invigorating lifestyle of the wilderness. Our Member Program allows you to participate in the excitement of creating a community of Alpinists dedicated to promoting sustainable recreation in one of the great wild spaces of America. Please join today and help us foster the next generation of leaders for conservation.

Get Yourself to Alaska

Yes! You are going to get here. It doesn't matter how, but you will get here, and we want you to be with us and experience what makes this place special.

Show Up Just As You Are

Kitts Haus wants to help you get into the spirit of Alaska. Whether this is your first visit, or you're an old hand. We can help organize a backcountry trek or a guided climbing experience in one the of most extraordinary -- and least explored -- pieces of Alpine terrain in North American.

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The McCarthy Road

Driving the McCarthy Road is an adventure in itself, but most rental car agencies do not allow their vehicles to travel the road. (The road is an unpaved former rail bed, and there are no services at either end). Depending on weather, road maintenance, and road usage, visitors can drive the 60 miles in as little as 2.5 hours or as much as 6 hours. On rare occasions the road may close due to formations of road glaciers or mudslides. KH Climbing Center hopes to offer service to McCarthy if you prefer to leave your vehicle in Chitina.

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First Ascent Meals - Farm Fresh at 14,000 ft.

Tired of the same old tasteless alfredo and chili mac? We are currently developing a line of home-made freeze-dried meals, derived from the Midwestern recipes of our grandmothers, especially created for the requirements of extreme conditions in the Wrangell-St. Elias. We are happy to work with members to curate a meal plan for their expedition, available for pick-up at Kitts Haus.

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Wrangell Mountain Air

Save yourself the trouble of a 120 mile round trip on the McCarthy Road and catch your bush flight directly from Chitina airstrip  ! A six-hour drive (all on paved roads!) from Anchorage will get you to the settlement of Chitina - the western terminus of the notorious McCarthy Roadan old railroad bed made into a dirt road. Wrangell Mountain Air offers flights three times daily (mid-May through mid-September) between Chitina and McCarthy. These flights are approximately 30 minutes duration with spectacular views of the Kennicott Valley upon your approach to McCarthy. Contact Wrangell Mountain Air directly for flight information, or we can help arrange flights.

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Climbing in the Chugach Mountains and the Wrangells

When you visit Chitina and McCarthy, you are entering a climbers paradise. The Wrangell-St. Elias Natioanl Park is situated where the Chugach, the Wrangell, and the St. Elias ranges converge, offering the greatest collection of peaks above 16,000ft in North America.

I am learning nothing in this trivial world of men. I must break away and get out into the mountains to learn the news. 

(John Muir)