The Ascent of Mount St. Elias, Alaska

Description

The Mount St. Elias is the second highest summit in both the United States and Canada. Its summit is ten miles from the sea waters – the vertical peak is enormous. Mount St. Elias is famous to the native Americans and Europeans for many years since 1741 when Bitus Bering discovered the summit and gave its name. The mountain is also called the mountaineering route on Mount Saint Elias, the Abruzzi Ridge, ascending the north (Yukon) side of the mountain. The Abruzzi Ridge was named in the honor of the Duke of the Abruzzi.

A group of mountaineers led by Prince Luigi Amadeo di Savoia, Duke of the Abruzzi made its first climb in 1897 after a strenuous and exhausting quest. Vittorio Sella, who was recognized for his winter climb at the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa, was encouraged by the Duke to expedite with his group as an official photographer. Sella was into alpine photography, often carrying large cameras up in the mountains to capture striking and wonderful photos.

Upon returning from their long climb, the Duke, Sella, and Filippo de Filippi worked together to collate their notes and journals from their expedition in a vast, extravagantly illustrated book. The book was a limited edition that only twenty copies were distributed with original pictures from Sella. This book is one of the most engaging reads in the Central Asia Library.

The Mount St. Elias was not expedited again for another 50 years when the onset of air support which made the strategy of the expedition less scary and exhausting. The mountain was rarely climbed at present due to glacial changes and the danger of icefall from the northeast face. Safety gears must be used and must wear the right clothes during the climb, not to mention bringing of excessive chows.
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