GUNUNG · United States
Mount Saint Elias
Source
Photo: source
—
- Feels like
- —
- Humidity
- —
- Wind
- —
Source: Open-Meteo
Information
- Elevation
- 5.489 m
- Country
- United States (US)
- Location / Range
- Saint Elias Mountains, Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (USA) / Kluane National Park (Canada), Alaska–Yukon border
- Mountain type
- Mountain (non-volcanic, metamorphic massif)
- Volcanic?
- No (non-volcanic)
- Coordinates
- 60.2922, -140.9314
- Difficulty
- Extremely strenuous–Extreme (a technical expedition; glacier terrain, oceanic weather, massive elevation gain)
- Best Season
- May–July (long daylight hours, relatively more stable weather in Alaska; still unpredictable)
- Permits & Rules
- Registration at Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (US) is mandatory; no special climbing permit fee; access via chartered ski plane from Yakutat or McCarthy
- Hazards
- Sudden oceanic storms from the Gulf of Alaska, extreme temperatures, glacier crevasses, ice avalanches, elevation gain from near sea level causing high altitude-sickness risk
Description
Mount Saint Elias (5,489 m) is the second-highest peak in both the United States and Canada — surpassed only by Denali (6,190 m) — and ranks second in all of North America. It straddles the Alaska–Yukon international border within Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (US) and Kluane National Park (Canada), both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Explorer Vitus Bering named the mountain on 20 July 1741 — the feast day of Saint Elias — during his Second Kamchatka Expedition. The first successful ascent was recorded on 31 July 1897 by an Italian expedition led by Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi. The standard route is the Abruzzi Ridge (southwest ridge), still the only commonly attempted line: access requires a ski-plane landing on a glacier (no road approach), and the climb ascends from near sea level to 5,489 m through crevassed glaciers, mixed rock-and-ice ridges, and sudden oceanic storms rolling in from the Gulf of Alaska. Typical expedition duration is 3–4 weeks. The summit success rate is notably low compared to other major North American peaks, making this a prestigious but serious objective.
Gallery
Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.
Routes
Abruzzi Ridge (Punggung Barat Daya — Rute Standar)
Sangat berat–Ekstrem (AD+/D; teknis glasier-es, ekspedisi)The only commonly attempted route today, first completed by the Duke of the Abruzzi's expedition on 31 July 1897. There is no road access — the climb begins with a ski-plane landing on the Tana Glacier or at Haydon Col. The elevation gain from near sea level to 5,489 m in a single push makes this one of the greatest vertical gains on any route in North America. Terrain includes crevassed glaciers, moraines, technical mixed rock-and-ice ridges, and sudden oceanic storms from the Gulf of Alaska. No special climbing permit fee is required in Wrangell–St. Elias NP (US side), but park registration is mandatory. Summit success rates are notably low — weather and remoteness are the primary deciding factors.
Climbing Experiences
Mount Saint Elias (5,489 m), on the Alaska–Yukon border (US/Canada)—one of North America's hardest mountains due to its enormous vertical relief rising straight from Icy Bay to the summit. Ascents are rare, dominated by alpine and ski-mountaineering expeditions; climbers highlight brutal weather, serac/icefall danger, and the 1897 first ascent by the Duke of the Abruzzi.
References
The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.