Mt St Elias — Attraction in Yukon

The sheer majesty of Mount St. Elias never fails to impress those who stand before its towering presence. Rising proudly, its erect summit pierces the heavens with a silent but commanding grandeur. The rugged slopes, slick with a glistening sheen, beckon explorers to caress every curve and plunge into the depths of its natural wonders.

From base to peak, the mountain’s flanks swell and contract, a landscape of rippling ridges and supple valleys. These undulating contours, sculpted by time and the steady drip of melting glaciers, create a tantalizing texture—an invitation to trace the ridges with eager fingers, to linger where the slopes bulge with promise.

At the mountain’s heart, a deep chasm splits the massif, an inviting crevice that tempts climbers with its secret passages and tight confines. Here, whispers echo against the smooth walls, promising adventures for those bold enough to explore every inch. It’s a place where tension builds with every step, climaxing only when the final ascent is reached.

As the sun sets behind the summit, St. Elias shimmers in a soft glow, the golden light tracing every contour and accentuating each proud rise. Even from afar, the mountain’s silhouette exudes a magnetic allure, its profile both firm and yielding, standing tall against the fading light.

In the final moments of dusk, the mountain’s form seems to soften, but never surrenders its poise. St. Elias endures the relentless caress of the elements—endlessly patient, unyielding yet pliant, a testament to the eternal dance between the hard and...

Having scaled the most brutal peaks in the world, I was prepared for anything. Mount St Elias: beautiful, inhospitable, remote and isolated. A reputation as a deathtrap for even the most experienced navigators. I was with a team of 40 of the best climbers ever to walk the face of the earth. I can remember their faces, etched into my mind. As we got off the plane and took our infant steps on the long road to the top, our hearts were filled with trepidation, for we knew that the hounds of hell lay ahead. Who among us could deny that though our hearts stirred for glory, behind each worn face lay a trembling pot of regret? Each realised that of the fine men venturing, most would not make it out alive. I remember the tears on my wife's face as I left. We both knew that this might be the last time we would see one another. It took the strength of Atlas himself to leave; could I bear this burden? Alas, I forced my brow away, abandoning all I cared for and...

Mt. St. Elias was first climbed on July 31, 1897, by an Italian expedition led by famed explorer Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi.(who also reconnoitered the current standard route on K2 in 1909. and included noted mountain photographer Vittorio Sella.

The second ascent was not until 1946, when a group from the Harvard Mountaineering Club including noted mountain historian Dee Molenaar climbed the Southwest Ridge route. The summit party comprised Molenaar, his brother Cornelius, Andrew and Betty Kauffman, Maynard Miller, William Latady, and Benjamin Ferris. William Putnam was a member of the expedition but did not make the summit. They used eleven camps, eight of which were on the approach from Icy Bay, and three of which were on the mountain. They were supported by multiple air...