Awards & Achievements

The main reason we’re picking Alaska Alpine Adventures is founder Dan Oberlatz. The restless 46-year-old uses his company as an excuse for his guides to explore the remotest, most beautiful, baddest-assed expanses of the country’s wildest state. When you sign up as a “client” on AAA’s trips, you’re less of a customer and more of a joint participant. In 2007, a few guests itching for something new found a 55-mile route through the rugged Neacola Mountains in Lake Clark National Park. Last year, Oberlatz helped another pair of longtime regulars blaze a 100-mile backpacking route into the 19 million–acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Plus, Oberlatz is an all-around great guy—send him a bottle of fine bourbon and he’ll give you all the beta you need for your own adventure.

National Geographic Traveler Magazine has recognized Alaska Alpine Adventure’s Twin Lakes Paddle trip as one of our 50 Tours of a Lifetime! The selection process was competitive and our editorial team worked long and hard to find 2010’s most authentic, most innovative, most immersive, best-guided, and most sustainable tours. “The outfitters we selected have responded to travelers looking for more meaning and context,” notes senior editor Norie Quintos, who headed up the project. “And beyond guiding you to the destination, they’ve also found novel ways to give back.”

For the second time in as many years, we’ve conducted an unprecedented survey of adventure travel companies, based on the idea that a traveler’s most important decision is not always where to go but who to go with. For the 2009 edition, we spoke to more guide services—and their clients—than ever before.

“In recognition of outstanding partnership in resource protection and visitors services 2006-2012” In June of 2012, Alaska Alpine Adventures was presented the Superintendents Partnership Award from Lake Clark National Park & Preserve Superintendent Joel Hard. We’re both humbled and honored to have received this award – Lake Clark NP represents the birthplace of our business and truly represents the epitome of Alaska wilderness.

Dan Oberlatz has been elected as a Member-National to the Explorers Club. “Founded in New York City in 1904, The Explorers Club promotes the scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space by supporting research and education in the physical, natural and biological sciences. Members are those individuals who have contributed in broad terms to the cause of exploration and who evidence a sustained interest in some field of scientific exploration and the furtherance of scientific knowledge of the world.”

Alaska Alpine Adventures has been awarded certification at the Gold Level by Adventure Green Alaska – a certification program for tourism businesses operating in Alaska that meet specific standards of economic, environmental, and social sustainability. According to Adventure Green Alaska, “The businesses certified by AGA are leaders in the tourism industry. They are progressive companies that believe that outstanding Alaska experiences can also be sustainable.”

We’re proud to announce that Alaska Alpine Adventures has been selected by the great folks at National Geographic Adventure magazine as one of the “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth” for 2008. Not only is this great news for our company, it is great news for the adventure travel industry at large. Using a comprehensive 30-question survey and client interviews, a panel of National Geographic Adventure editors and travel experts generated a score for each operator in the following 5 categories – Education, Sustainability, Quality of Service, Spirit of Adventure, and client satisfaction. Our overall score of 97.7 gave us an overall ranking of 10th!

We’re excited to announce that our Powder, Steeps, & Glaciers itinerary has been included as one of Outside Magazine’s “48 Trips of a Lifetime” in their March, 2004 Issue.