First Ascents Trip Summit!

We got a super fun dispatch from our First Ascents crew this morning. After a 4 day weather delay (!!) they finally got out on Sunday morning, but instead of going to the area originally selected (near the eastern end of the Bagley Icefield), they headed for the only area that had flyable weather: north of McCarthy to the ridgeline on the other side of Mt. Blackburn. They had their eye on Peak 11,191, which has an uncertain history of possibly one or maybe no successful summits, but the records are fuzzy.

After an unsuccessful attempt at the peak two days ago (the blustery, white-out conditions shut them down), they reached the summit this morning and joyous celebrating ensued! Listen to the dispatch and wish them luck as they finish out their trip with a few more fun days of climbing in that beautiful area.

Since 1978, St. Elias Alpine Guides has been the oldest continuously operating outfitter in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, guiding thousands of adventures across its 13.2 million acres. With over 40 years of experience and a team of more than 45 expertly trained guides, we continue to explore uncharted terrain and share our passion for Alaska’s wilderness. Explore our day trips, multi-day trips, and courses, or schedule a call to speak with one of our Alaska adventure experts.