nova river runners

Our tour guide was amazing and gave us lot of knowledge of various parts of glacier and it was fun doing glacier hike with him.

Let me start off by saying The Adventure Trek with NOVA was an AMAZING EXPERIENCE! My buddy and I had our own private guide, named Emily who was an absolute ROCK STAR! She catered the trip according to our desires and abilities which gave us the chance to learn how to ice climb and repel. She was so funny, passionate and knowledgeable about the glacier and the outdoors, she made it an educational experience as well. NOVA is able to make the trek as simple or as challenging as you'd like or can handle. The mountains and glacier was absolutely beautiful. We were out on our own, and would only occasionally see other hikers. I highly recommend the NOVA experience! And Emily, thank you for a day I will never forget...You Rock!

First I have to say that this "Adventure Trek" will go down as one of the most exciting experiences of my life! I am an outdoor person who downhill ski's and mountain bikes…and in a matter of 5 hours I have found another passion! Not only were the surroundings beautiful and the trek itself challenging, our guide Emily was an absolutely incredible host! Her attitude and passion for the sport was inspiring and she made our small group (my friend, her and I) feel right at home! Emily took us on a journey that I never expected…from simply hiking on a glacier to climbing an incredible face, the experience was AWESOME! I would highly recommend the ADVENTURE TREK to anyone looking for a true Alaskan experience! Spend the extra money…it is well worth it and I would do again tomorrow if I could! Thank you Emily for a memory that I will never forget!!!Brian

The entire experience was amazing!! we had a group of 6 people ages 22 to 66. Our guide, Gabby (sp) was spectacular. She was patient and took us to the most amazing spots. She took her time so the old folks could keep up but also seemed to be really enjoying herself. She was kind, funny and also extremely knowledgeable. We really enjoyed her.

We did the half day glacier hike with Reese and both he and the hike were fabulous! Our family of five ended up with a private tour as it was just us and our guide. We were on the glacier early, before the other, much larger guide group which was a real bonus. NOVA is known for their small groups which lets you have a more personal tour, going at your own pace. We went past the ice fall, drank pure glacier water, and took a million pictures. Reese was extremely knowledgeable and fun. We'd definitely go again!

We had so much fun with our guides that took us on the Glacier Trek on Matanuska Glacier. They gauged our trip on our abilities. We saw a crevasse, climbed an ice wall and had a lot of laughs. We would do it again with this team. They provided waterproof boots (a must) and crampons. They had a few pairs of gloves that were waterproof as well, not real warm, so come prepared. Some spots were really cold, but by the end I had my winter ski jacket tied around my waist. Well worth the money!

Hiked the Matanuska Glacier with Gabby. Had a wonderful time. We were able to get a private tour because there was 6 of us--3 "seniors" and 3 "20 somethings". Gabby was helpful and adjusted her pace to accommodate us as needed. I have an issue with my knees but I was able to do it no problem--I would recommend asking them for a hiking (ski) pole--it provided a bit of stability now and then. It was a real experience and I'd recommend Nova.

We did an adventure trek on the glacier with Nova. The glacier itself was really cool to see and you need crampons which are provided by Nova. They also supply boots and a helmet. We did some climbing, but the set up took some time. Lots of cool facts and we had a good time. The 6 hour trip included set up and drive time to and from the glacier.

We did the half day glacier trek with Nick. We were a family of four on his first day back for the season. He's very knowledgeable about this glacier and Alaska in general. Very patient and non rushed experience. The equipment and guide made the glacier experience so much better than just walking around the edges of the glacier on your own without crampons and a guide. Worth the money.

My friend and I visited Alaska in July 2013 and did 2 separate trips with NOVA: (1) Adventure trekking: Matanuska glacier hike + ice climb(2) Class III-V Six Mile Creek raft trip at HopeThey offer discount if you book more than 1 trips with them, so take advantage of that! But take note that you cannot do both of the above activities in 1 day, due to the distance between Hope and Matanuska, and also the time involvedNOVA limits the size of their adventure trekking group to only 4 people, and this group will be led by 1 guide, who is highly experienced and professional. If there is more than 4 people, I believe their policy is to have an additional guide present or just form a brand new group. In any case, I noticed the groups under NOVA are usually much smaller compared what you will get from other companies and as a result your experience on the ice is more personal and intimate. The guide will also tailor the difficulty of the glacier hike + ice climb based on your experience and comfort level - in other words, you will not be forced to do something too challenging if you are not ready and capable to handle it.For the rafting trip, there are multiple guides present (1 guide per raft, 6 people in 1 raft excluding the guide) since everybody go raft at the same time. Yes, there is a swim test involved, but as long as you do what they say, you will pass. And during rafting, to ensure you have the maximum/most fun/safest possible experience, everybody in the raft should cooperate and be in sync in following the guide's commands. This is really important to avoid flipping or you falling out of the raft yourself, but in the end, this also really depends on who end up in the raft with you. I want to stress that the NOVA guides really take their job very seriously and are highly experienced and fantastic instructors in their own rights. A lady fell off the raf, into the water at one of the rapids (which as you know, there is always a chance of that happening to anyone since these are strong currents), and their swift reactions to rescue her and pull her back out of the water again are impressive. The whole incident started and end within 15 seconds. That is what you want see from a company you end up choosing - their ability and competency in resolve situations to avoid life-threatening scenarios.

Had a lovely half day of adventure with fun-loving and capable guides, Emily and Reese, and a couple of other trekkers on the Matanuska glacier tour. No ice climbing for this bunch, but a quick educational demo made that look almost as easy. With a constant fantastic sense of humor, and constant chivalrous personal attention to every trekker, this duo made the trip safe and enjoyable. We all learned so much about the valley's geology, glacier movement and rapid changes during a single season, and the various skills needed to be safe for every new section of ice we conquered. After a long and unrushed scenic hike all over this massive glacier and fascinating morass terrain, stopping for pictures and pauses to take it all in, I was impressed with our very capable guides and their pacing.

My wife and I went out for the "Adventure Trek" 6 hour glacier hike and enjoyed the experience immensely. We were with 3 other co-trekkers and our two guides, Shawn and Emily. The day was beautiful and offered great opportunities for dramatic photos. Shawn and Emily made the hike fun and obviously love what they are doing. We always felt safe and enjoyed the interesting factoids our guides had to offer. We recommend Nova highly! Great small group size. Do not attempt without a guide! The ice changes daily and the guides are familiar with the dangers. Crampons are a must.

highly recommend the full day Adventure Trek with Reese. He is amazing, the ice was great, highlight of our two week trip.

Yesterday, we did the Lions Head trip with Nova and had a great time. Our group had a couple of people that had never rafted before and were quite nervous about it. Our guide Reid took us under his wing instilling alot of confidence. While making sure all had got a full and exciting experience, he also relaxed those that were nervous. Kudos to Reid and the other staff of Nova. We look forward to going again. It was a great way to introduce friends from out of state to the sport and beauty of Alaska's rivers.

Our guides were Emily and Shawn. Both excellent!! They were both experienced, informative, and just all around enjoyable people. They were adaptable to each level of climber, and offered guidance when needed. It made for a great day. A highlight of the trip!