Mountaineering

Some of the highest mountains and largest ice fields in North America are in Wrangell-St. Elias.

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Mountaineering Details

Some of the highest mountains and largest ice fields in North America are in Wrangell-St. Elias. The park and its neighbor in Canada, Kluane National Park, collectively protect the mountain ranges of Wrangell, Chugach, and St. Elias mountains. Mountaineering in the Alaska is not like in the lower 48 states, anything above 10,000 feet is considered to be a technical expedition and requires additional experience and equipment. Some factors that visitors should consider before mountaineering in the park are avalanches, ice, remoteness, severe changes in weather and elevation, and extreme wind. Climbers must be self sufficient and fully prepared for their expedition, rescue opportunities are slim and time consuming. Access to most mountains is done by chartered airplane which should be arranged in advance. The best time of the year for mountaineering is April through June. The most common peaks for mountaineering are Sanford, Blackburn, Bona, and St. Elias (all above 16,000 feet). Some peaks in the park have still never been climbed.

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