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GUNUNG · Amerika Serikat

Mount Blackburn

Source
Mount Blackburn

Photo: source

Information

Elevation
4.996 m
Country
Amerika Serikat (US)
Location / Range
Pegunungan Wrangell, Taman Nasional Wrangell–St. Elias (Alaska)
Mountain type
Gunung berapi perisai (tak aktif), puncak tertutup gletser
Volcanic?
Yes — volcano
Coordinates
61.7319, -143.4393
Difficulty
Ekspedisi glasial serius (Alaska Grade 2) — pendakian salju/es panjang, terpencil, cuaca ekstrem
Best Season
Mei–awal Juni (musim ekspedisi Alaska ketika glasir masih stabil)
Permits & Rules
Berada di dalam Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve; akses lazimnya lewat pesawat ski yang mendarat di Gletser Nabesna. Umumnya via operator/pemandu berlisensi.
Hazards
Ketinggian ~5.000 m di lintang tinggi (efek fisiologis lebih berat), crevasse dan seracs di gletser, badai hebat khas Wrangell, punggung tipis yang sangat terpapar, serta suhu sangat dingin.

Description

Mount Blackburn (16,390 ft / ~4,996 m) is the highest peak in the Wrangell Mountains and one of the tallest mountains in the United States, standing inside Wrangell–St. Elias National Park in Alaska. It is in fact a long-dormant giant shield volcano now buried in ice — its summit is capped by thick glaciers, with the Kennicott Glacier flowing down from its flanks. Blackburn has two summits; the western one is highest, though this was only settled in the 1960s after new USGS maps appeared. The first ascent that reached the true summit was on 30 May 1958 via the North Ridge, while earlier, in 1912, Dora Keen became the first woman to summit an Alaskan peak on its eastern top (Kennedy Peak). Because it is remote and the Wrangell weather is fierce, Blackburn is rarely climbed — access is typically by ski plane onto the Nabesna Glacier.

Routes

East Ridge (jalur alternatif klasik)

Teknis, jarang dilalui
Multi-hari

A far less-traveled line on the mountain's east side than the North Ridge, documented in the American Alpine Journal. This long ridge demands high technical commitment and underlines Blackburn's reputation as a remote peak with few successful parties.

Source

North (Northwest) Ridge — via Gletser Nabesna (rute normal)

Alaska Grade 2 — glasial serius
+2800 m ±14–16 hari (ekspedisi berpemandu)

The standard route and the line of the 1958 first ascent. Climbers fly in by ski plane to the Nabesna Glacier airstrip at about 7,200 ft (~2,195 m), then set a series of high camps up the ice-clad North/Northwest Ridge. It involves over 8,000 ft of vertical gain through steep snow, crevassed terrain, and a thin, exposed high ridge — requiring weather margin for Wrangell storms.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Mount Blackburn (~4,996 m) in Alaska's Wrangell Mountains is a remote glacier expedition, not a weekend hike. Most climbers fly in by ski plane to the Nabesna Glacier around 7,200 ft, then work up the North Ridge over several days across snow, ice and thin exposed ridgelines. Because access is hard and the Wrangell weather brutal, relatively few parties have summited since 1958. The guide accounts and expedition reports below describe the ski-plane logistics, life in glacier camps, and the effort to reach the highest point of the Wrangells.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.

  1. 1 Wikipedia Mount Blackburn en.wikipedia.org · EN
  2. 2 Wikidata Mount Blackburn (Q1520855) wikidata.org · EN
  3. 3 Encyclopedia Mt. Blackburn in Alaska tokairservice.com · EN