Need a place to stay in Anchorage?

Happy New Year!

Two things I love are mountaineering and inviting people I've never met to stay at my house via Couchsurfing (couchsurfing.com/people/gverbeek), and it seems like those could mix pretty well. Hotels are pretty soulless and from what I can tell the Pacific Northwest used to have a really strong network in the 50s-80s where local mountaineering clubs would host incoming expeditions. So if you need an Anchorage base camp this year shoot me a message here or on CS!

I'll be on Denali for a few weeks in mid-May but past that should be around town most weeks and running around the Chugach most weekends. I have bed and couch space for 3, room for 10+ if you don't mind the floor. Language options are English, Dutch, Russian and enthusiastic gestures. In case it's not obvious, this is totally free.

Will try to bump this again sometime around March. Happy climbing!

That is awesome. Good for you on the invite.

It's Alaska Range season! Get stoked! Bump

Hi Gerrit,

I'm heading into the AK range mid-may and am looking for transportation from Anchorage to Talkeetna and back.  Any leads on folks to reach out to?  I'm trying to avoid renting a car and the pricy shuttle services.

Also, I'm covered but good on ya for offering your place for lodging!

  

I salute you gvb!

The world needs more people like you. 

+1k for Gerrit!

 2 of my buddies and I are planning an expedition up there this summer, mid June - July, and the bill is growing! We will be flying into Anchorage and then need to get to Kenai. Car rental for 1 day is pushing $250.     Any beta for getting around with big packs? We figure the car would be best so we can get some supplies, not burden anyone with our large luggage and drive to Kenai.

I believe our accommodations are taken care for the arrival/departure nights, but if things fall through perhaps you could be a resource?

Thank you! 

If any locals know about other options, please post!  I'm not affiliated with any of these websites and this isn't an exhaustive list.

Around town Turo.com (AirBnB for cars) might be your best shot. I'm not sure what the best solution is for rides to the trailhead. Seems like a waste to rent a car to sit in a parking space for 3 weeks, but there's added stress if you're trying to find a last-minute rideshare. Shuttle buses are cheaper than a 1-day summer rental. If you choose to hitchhike there will be a ton of cars headed to Kenai around that timeframe for fishing.

Hitchhiking - I think it's technically illegal in the US, but hitchhiking is a decent form of transportation in Alaska, especially during summer weekends. Good places to hitch in Anchorage going south are the intersection of New Seward and 36th (last stoplight going south), and south of the city at Windy Corner and Beluga Point. Going north, try the side of the road around where the highway intersects Muldoon. Be prepared to stand around for at least an hour, especially if you're male or in a group. No matter how friendly you look, don't expect a ride if you're soaking wet and carrying a mountaineering axe! (firsthand experience)

Rideshare -
Carpoolworld.com seems kind of like the US version of BlaBlaCar. I've never used it and don't know anyone who has, but the Alaska section seems reasonably active.
Craigslist and Couchsurfing rideshare and bulletin boards
https://anchorage.craigslist.org/d/rideshare/search/rid
https://www.couchsurfing.com/nearby/Anchorage?placeid=ChIJQT-zBHaRyFYR42iEp1q6fSU
TuroCar - AirBnB, but for cars. Usually a bit cheaper than rental companies. Some friends of mine have had good success with this one.

Car Rental - Expect $200/day-ish prices for rental cars in Alaska during the summer. Sorry, our tourism industry gouges the hell out of prices.

Uber/Lyft - Probably $150-200 fares are the cheapest you could find from Anchorage to Talkeetna or Kenai.

Shuttle Buses:
http://stagelineinhomer.com/ Anchorage to Homer on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for $90-97 starting in June.
http://www.sunshinetransit.org/  Wasilla to Talkeetna on Tuesdays, Thursday, Friday for $3.
http://www.sewardalaskabus.com/Anchorage_Seward_Transfer.html Anchorage to Seward on Friday, Sunday and Monday for $50-55

The train is touristy, overpriced, and slower than driving yourself.

Thanks for the beta Gerrit, greatly appreciate your time and input! 

Wow, this is so timely. Friend and I are heading to Anchorage July27-29. Would love a free place to crash (would need to double check if he's down for that option, though I wouldn't know why not).  Could I pass along my contact to you to see what's possible? Also visited your couchsurfing site - so helpful, thanks! 

Gerrit Verbeek wrote: If any locals know about other options, please post!  I'm not affiliated with any of these websites and this isn't an exhaustive list.

Around town Turo.com (AirBnB for cars) might be your best shot. I'm not sure what the best solution is for rides to the trailhead. Seems like a waste to rent a car to sit in a parking space for 3 weeks, but there's added stress if you're trying to find a last-minute rideshare. Shuttle buses are cheaper than a 1-day summer rental. If you choose to hitchhike there will be a ton of cars headed to Kenai around that timeframe for fishing.

Hitchhiking - I think it's technically illegal in the US, but hitchhiking is a decent form of transportation in Alaska, especially during summer weekends. Good places to hitch in Anchorage going south are the intersection of New Seward and 36th (last stoplight going south), and south of the city at Windy Corner and Beluga Point. Going north, try the side of the road around where the highway intersects Muldoon. Be prepared to stand around for at least an hour, especially if you're male or in a group. No matter how friendly you look, don't expect a ride if you're soaking wet and carrying a mountaineering axe! (firsthand experience)

Rideshare -
Carpoolworld.com seems kind of like the US version of BlaBlaCar. I've never used it and don't know anyone who has, but the Alaska section seems reasonably active.
Craigslist and Couchsurfing rideshare and bulletin boards
https://anchorage.craigslist.org/d/rideshare/search/rid
https://www.couchsurfing.com/nearby/Anchorage?placeid=ChIJQT-zBHaRyFYR42iEp1q6fSU
TuroCar - AirBnB, but for cars. Usually a bit cheaper than rental companies. Some friends of mine have had good success with this one.

Car Rental - Expect $200/day-ish prices for rental cars in Alaska during the summer. Sorry, our tourism industry gouges the hell out of prices.

Uber/Lyft - Probably $150-200 fares are the cheapest you could find from Anchorage to Talkeetna or Kenai.

Shuttle Buses:
http://stagelineinhomer.com/ Anchorage to Homer on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for $90-97 starting in June.
http://www.sunshinetransit.org/  Wasilla to Talkeetna on Tuesdays, Thursday, Friday for $3.
http://www.sewardalaskabus.com/Anchorage_Seward_Transfer.html Anchorage to Seward on Friday, Sunday and Monday for $50-55

The train is touristy, overpriced, and slower than driving yourself.

$200 bones from eagle river to Talkeetna on the budget Uber cars

Gerrit Verbeek wrote: If any locals know about other options, please post!  I'm not affiliated with any of these websites and this isn't an exhaustive list.

Around town Turo.com (AirBnB for cars) might be your best shot. I'm not sure what the best solution is for rides to the trailhead. Seems like a waste to rent a car to sit in a parking space for 3 weeks, but there's added stress if you're trying to find a last-minute rideshare. Shuttle buses are cheaper than a 1-day summer rental. If you choose to hitchhike there will be a ton of cars headed to Kenai around that timeframe for fishing.

Hitchhiking - I think it's technically illegal in the US, but hitchhiking is a decent form of transportation in Alaska, especially during summer weekends. Good places to hitch in Anchorage going south are the intersection of New Seward and 36th (last stoplight going south), and south of the city at Windy Corner and Beluga Point. Going north, try the side of the road around where the highway intersects Muldoon. Be prepared to stand around for at least an hour, especially if you're male or in a group. No matter how friendly you look, don't expect a ride if you're soaking wet and carrying a mountaineering axe! (firsthand experience)

Rideshare -
Carpoolworld.com seems kind of like the US version of BlaBlaCar. I've never used it and don't know anyone who has, but the Alaska section seems reasonably active.
Craigslist and Couchsurfing rideshare and bulletin boards
https://anchorage.craigslist.org/d/rideshare/search/rid
https://www.couchsurfing.com/nearby/Anchorage?placeid=ChIJQT-zBHaRyFYR42iEp1q6fSU
TuroCar - AirBnB, but for cars. Usually a bit cheaper than rental companies. Some friends of mine have had good success with this one.

Car Rental - Expect $200/day-ish prices for rental cars in Alaska during the summer. Sorry, our tourism industry gouges the hell out of prices.

Uber/Lyft - Probably $150-200 fares are the cheapest you could find from Anchorage to Talkeetna or Kenai.

Shuttle Buses:
http://stagelineinhomer.com/ Anchorage to Homer on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for $90-97 starting in June.
http://www.sunshinetransit.org/  Wasilla to Talkeetna on Tuesdays, Thursday, Friday for $3.
http://www.sewardalaskabus.com/Anchorage_Seward_Transfer.html Anchorage to Seward on Friday, Sunday and Monday for $50-55

The train is touristy, overpriced, and slower than driving yourself.

Awesome experience here all thanks to Gerrit! We don’t know how we could have accomplished our expedition without you and your hospitality. You are a great example for folks in mountain communities everywhere!

This offer is legitimate and Gerrit is absolutely  wonderful! 2 climbing partners and I were able to stay and use his apartment to temporarily explode with all our gear in preparation for an expedition no problem. Gerrit shared food, amazing stories, his vehicle!!! and took took time out his busy week to help us where he could. Gerrit truly embodies what it means to be a mountaineer who is contributing to the mountain community. Thanks so much for everything you did!! Julian

Hey, just moved to the anchorage area so if you’re looking for a climbing partner feel free to hit me up!