First ascent of Mount Saint Elias (1897)

The first ascent of Mount Saint Elias occurred on July 31, 1897, led by Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi. This Italian expedition achieved the summit of the second-highest peak in the United States and Canada, overcoming severe weather and difficult climbing routes. Photographer Vittorio Sella accompanied the party, documenting the historic climb.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Mount Saint Elias, standing at 18,008 feet, is the second-highest mountain in both Canada and the United States. Located on the Yukon-Alaska border, it is known for immense vertical relief and notoriously bad weather. These conditions, including prolonged storms and extreme precipitation, made the peak infrequently climbed and contributed to high expedition failure rates.

Expedition. The expedition was led by Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, an Italian mountaineer and explorer. The party included noted mountain photographer Vittorio Sella, who documented the climb.

Legacy. The first ascent was achieved in 1897, but the mountain remained infrequently climbed due to technical difficulty and weather. The second ascent did not occur until 1946 by the Harvard Mountaineering Club. The first winter ascent was not achieved until February 1996, nearly a century after the first summer climb.

People involved

Sources

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