alaska land rover

AAT - The Guys In The North

In an era when websites and glossies look much the same, choosing the right destination partner for Alaska and Canada's arctic is worth taking the time. With over 30 years of operational experience in the field we likely qualify for a job interview - but more importantly it’s the accomplishments and achievements that count. Alaska and Canada's vast northern territories were an easy choice, we loved the country and the challenge (friends at the time thought we were mad). As the author of the blog I should be neutral but with a degree of honesty, I can say we were successful. From the coastline of Russia’s Far East to Canada’s High Arctic, AAT has made things happen. With a history of creative destination planning our list includes high-end international incentives, TV documentary shoots, radio programs, media assignments, round the world car rallies, North Pole projects and prestigious motor industry events for Mercedes, FIAT, BMW, Volvo and Land Rover.

In the end we've learned (thank goodness) the North will never really be tamed. That's what we love about the place - the challenge to make it work and enable event participants to share some of our unique experiences. To see a grin on a face at the end of a day makes it all worth while! Download introduction_land_rover_06.mp3

Alaska's Raw Appeal & Visual Punch

Few destinations in North America can boast the image, excitement and raw appeal as Alaska and neighbouring Yukon Territory. A region synonymous with 4WD vehicles and familiar to many Land Rover expedition drivers. The location has a powerful presence and from a media perspective the intrigue and curiosity guarantees interest.

This post lists two short touring itineraries designed for media and with straightforward logistics. Using Anchorage as the logical gateway, routes combine stunning scenery, local highlights and interesting mix of driving conditions. Selected accommodation is the best available, allowing participants to sample Alaska's hospitality.

Itinerary: 1) Anchorage - McCarthy, St Elias National Park: 2) McCarthy - Kennicott - St Elias - off road: 3) McCarthy - Valdez - Whittier Fast Ferry - Anchorage.

The Glenn Highway packs a visual punch with dramatic views of glaciers and the rugged peaks of Chugach Mountains - scenery that made Alaska famous! Historic McCarthy is like stepping back in time to another era - now the gateway to Alaska's newest National Park, Wrangell St. Elias!(12 of America's tallest peaks are here). Participants en route can experience activities as diverse as river rafting, glacier hikes, mountain treks, fishing and sea kayaking. New Fast Ferry service speeds up Prince William Sound crossings and allows extension to Cordova.

Accessed from Seward by boat, Kenai Fjords National Park is a highly rated marine excursion where whale viewing is a highlight. Only a short drive north, Girdwood is the venue of choice for a grand finale evening at the Alyeska Resort where fine dining and good wines blend with impressive scenery to create lasting impressions.

Talkeetna, south of Denali Park, conjours images of Alaska's rustic backwoods past. Here log cabins and luxury hotels share space beside the Chulitna River. International climbing expeditions launch from Talkeetna in small planes to land on the lower slopes of Mt McKinley. A combination of local trails and activities make Talkeetna a popular choice for event organizers. The Petersville road allows access to the southern borders of Denali National Park. Scenery and roaming wildlife project a real sense of experiencing the "last frontier" while logistics remain straightforward. Alaska Railroad's 'flag stop' service (stick your hand out & train stops!)to Hurricane can be utilized to shuttle people sharing vehicles. Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge offers top quality accommodation and 4x4 access to their private acreage for off road driving...all under the shadow of North America's tallest mountain. A flight aboard a ski equipped plane to land on one of Mt. McKinley's glaciers is always a thrill! And backcountry riverboat excursions help you do just that - reach into Alaska's backcountry.       

Three Days, Three Routes & Siberia to the West

Nome, the legendary goldrush town sits perched on the shores of the Bering Sea. With no highway link to civilization and Siberia just across the water - this is about as remote as you can get. Nome is truly today's wild west. Gold was discovered after the Klondike stampede in 1899 and is still mined by hand along the beaches. Old horse trails of the 1900's evolved into highways linking three tiny communities of Teller, Taylor and Council. And where else can you find Wyatt Erp's original log cabin (still lived in). This most unique location gives a new dimension to off road! Add conditions like sub arctic terrain, only 3 gravel roads, wild west image, river crossings, authentic historical background and finsh line of the tough 1000 mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Without any highway access (vehicles are air freighted or barged 1000 + miles into Nome). For the rest of us the alternative is cheaper - just rent a 4x4 pick up truck locally, put on a cowboy hat and live the pioneer dream in the most off road destination in America.

There really is no place like Nome Download no_place_like_nome_2.mp3 

And if you liked Nome then you'll love summer in Prudhoe BayDownload land_rover_arctic_sunrise_t2.mp3 

Alaskan Hospitality

Luckily for us Alaskan cuisine has come a long way since the days when beans, bacon and beer were standard gold miner's grub. Restaurants have blossomed with innovative menus, fresh produce and the best fresh salmon and halibut from the North Pacific help make dining a pleasure - Good news indeed if you're hosting media, event participants and customer VIP's. Anchorage, Talkeetna, Fairbanks, Juneau, Girwood - all key event centres, have interesting restaurants, good facilities and the essential northern ambiance. Each is different and each is memorable! Exampled by the highly rated, Alyeska Resort 45 minutes south of Anchorage where it's main restaurant sits perched on a mountain top, 2300 feet above the hotel. In a 'man of the match' scenario, menu v views compete hard in '' best of evening'' category. Corporations like BP have shown it's popular to be different - flying guests short distances by float plane from Anchorage to Winter Lake (no road access) where celebrity chef Kirsten Dixon is in charge. Great food in a unique, wilderness setting - it's as simple as that! As you can see Alaska is the sort of destination that helps turn the ordinary into the unforgetable! A place where everyday folk seemingly do the impossible. Take for example the lady bush pilot - who, in her 60's is still flying her Cessna 180 plane and just happens to be one of only four female pilots inducted into the Smithsonian Hall of Fame! Like Iditarod race winners (and losers) they make memorable dinner guests - because after all, they are ordinary people who's amazing stories conjour a life style few of us will ever experience. From a visitors viewpoint just listening to people like these can create one of those lasting memories from the trip.

Listen to bush pilot story here: Download the_greatest_pilot_is_a_senior_1.mp3

 

Yukon Territory & 4x4 Ocean Ice Road

Sharing a common border with Alaska, Canada's Yukon Territory is a region of almost half a million square kilometres and a population of under 32,000. Yukon has a powerful global image (particalarly for winter) and which is employed successfuly today in several diverse markets.

Unknown until the 1898 Klondike stampede when thousands of gutsy pioneers trekked the Chilkoot Trail and voyaged the Yukon River to seek their fortunes in Dawson City. From early rough and tumble times Alaska and Yukon have stood shoulder to shoulder sharing geographic isolation, pioneer sprit and a unique sense of freedom! With perhaps more off-road opportunities the Yukon is a solid launch pad for choice backcountry trails, many first cut in gold rush times and perfect for 4x4 adventurers. Living up to expectations the demanding off road conditions test vehicles to the fullest and create an interesting challenge for drivers and support teams. Several selected 4x4 regions are sensibly close to communities with restaurants and hotel accommodation.

Canada's Dempster Highway was the first all weather route in North America to reach the arctic coast, traversing the Yukon and into Northwest Territories. Stunningly beautiful and utterly remote,the gravel surfaced route always makes great media copy supported by powerful photographic opportunities. Most challenging in winter, the Dempster exceeds Alaska's Dalton for sheer driver experience.

Frozen in winter the highway continues from Inuvik as an ice road across the frozen Beaufort Sea to tiny, outpost community of Tuktoyaktuk. Imagine yourself in a 4x4 driving an ice highway over a frozen ocean! In excess of 80 metres wide in places, the road is a dazzling clear blue ice. The icing on the cake so the speak....? A low afternoon sun casting a broad yellow light across an ocean of ice and snow! No traffic, just pure 4x4 magic!

Travelling an ice road of this scale is a rare experience and where occassional traffic includes a dog team. Listen to the clip here: Download land_rover_arctic_winter_safari_2.mp3

And you will love the road signs too because on the first part of the trip drivers navigate like mariners along the great (fortunately frozen) MacKenzie River where helpful signs assist tug boat skippers in summer. So you 4x4 drivers, brush up on your port and starboard and maintain a steady rate in knots!!!    

Full Supporting Stage Cast

Ok, so you've almost made up your mind for that grand adventure trip to Alaska! But have one last, lingering question - "What about all the nature stuff Alaska is famous for"?

At this point it's best we let the full suporting cast take the stage for the Outdoor Show.

Grizzly bears of Kodiak, Katmai and Admiralty Island, the elegant Moose, wolves and caribou of Denali National Park are on stage virtually all summer. Outdoor enthusiasts can fish the Kenai river for salmon or paddle a sea kayak in Prince William Sound (that's where the whales are). Fabulous walking trails take you high above the tree line or into the alpine country where delicate sub arctic flowers put on a brave show. Hikers can backpack for hours, weeks or even months. Railway enthusiasts may travel aboard the Alaska Railroad or the classic White Pass & Yukon Route from Skagway. Sightings of great humback and orca whales can be experienced in several locations, sometimes too, seen swimming with their young. Given round the clock daylight an arctic coast adventure is easily arranged - drive there and back or fly one way to Deadhorse and ride back in a bus. When it's continuous daylight for 85 days who needs to sleep when majestic trumpeter swans reign over a myriad arctic lakes and muskox wander through the barren lands. Alternatively, just south of Anchorage, Kenai Fjords National Marine Park is a bird sanctuary and temporary home to the sheerwaters. These high flyers come 10,000 miles from the Great Barrier Reef - and after six weeks in Alaska - disappear back downunder. Then, on the other hand there are the little Whisky Jacks (Jays). These birds stay all year, live in campsites, travel short distances and live on pizza crusts and other peoples sandwiches. Like a few Alaskans we know, they are lovable characters and part of the landscape. Listen here to the story: Download vagabond_bunch_of_bush_pilots.mp3

            

Alaska - Good Reasons To Come

Why Alaska you might ask? Well, there are many good reasons for event planners and media to come - Right Image, Scenery, Scale and in North America there is nothing else quite like it. But also importantly it works - with a sophisticated infrastructure and solid logistical support you can achieve just about anything. Essentials in the showcasing business! But there is a subtle side that makes up the character of the place - the list of epic, pioneering feats and achievements (a bit like those old John Wayne movies - man pitted against wilderness stuff) like the 1943 construction of the Alaska Highway. It's a place with a tough exterior and the biggest heart this side of the Pacific. Take the image of those rugged sled dog mushers who race the Iditarod for a thousand miles on an open sled. Or the hardy mountain guides of the St.Elias peaks. And what journalist could forget Alaska's bush pilots? Icons of the air, guys who fly 10,000 hours in the worst weather - and when you meet they hold you spellbound with a hundred untold tales. And all those outdoor activities like 4x4 driving, fly-fishing, bear viewing, river rafting and glacier trekking - all combine to perpetuate Alaska's special image.    

Perhaps what we love about the place is the "Never say No" spirit. Born in the 1890's and still with us today. Download the_epic_story_of_the_wpyr.mp3