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Mt. Sanford and Staying Flexible!

By AnkitKhareOwn work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Some things are within our control as guides and others are firmly not. In this case, a very dubious weather forecast over the next ten days led us to pull the plug on our team of 9 (6 clients and 3 guides) headed for Mt. Bona and redirect them to Mt. Sanford instead, where the forecast was slightly better and, more importantly, the access point much lower and easy to access in no-so-great weather. They were dropped in the tundra at 5,500 feet yesterday morning and by last night they made their way up to the edge of the glacier at 7,800 feet. Mt. Sanford is a beautiful and seldom climbed peak, with a summit elevation of 16,237, just 150 feel lower than Mt. Blackburn, the tallest of the Wrangells volcanos. It is the 6th highest peak in the United States.

We will keep you posted on their progress!

*The InReach satellite device they are using is labeled Cody Simmons, although he is not actually on the climb ;).

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.

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