So, the average newbie goes off and gets 250 hours of time in a Cessna or a Piper and still have never flown in or near a mountain range - no variable terrain or weather experience at all.
Yes! Let's send a 60 hour pilot that just got his private into the mountains and see how he survives.
I think that it's already very good when a 60 hour pilot comes back from a 300 miles trip without any single problem.
Alaska is more expensive than Europe.
Try Arizona or Nevada in the summer.
What do you want to try? Try to cook eggs on the dashboard?
Arizona in the summer only allows flying early in the morning and late in the evening. You can't hold the stick out of that period because you'd burn your hands.