Mount Saint Elias

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Mount Saint Elias
Mt. St. Elias from Icy Bay, Alaska
Elevation	18,008 feet (5,489 metres)
Location	Alaska-Yukon, North America
Range	Saint Elias Mountains
Prominence	3,448 m
Coordinates	60°17′36″N, 140°55′46″W
Topo map	USGS Mt. Saint Elias
First ascent	1897 by Duke of the Abruzzi
Easiest route	glacier/snow/ice climb

Mount Saint Elias is the second highest mountain in both the United States and Canada, being situated on the Alaska and Yukon border. The U.S. side of the mountain is located within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, while the Canadian side is part of Kluane National Park. It lies about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Mount Logan, the highest mountain in Canada.

Its name in Tlingit is Yaas'éit'aa Shaa, meaning "mountain behind Icy Bay", and is occasionally called Shaa Tléin "Big Mountain" by the Yakutat Tlingit. It is one of the most important crests of the Kwaashk'khwáan clan since they used it as a guide during their journey down the Copper River.

The mountain was first sighted by European explorers on July 16, 1741 by Vitus Bering of Russia. While some historians contend that the mountain was named by Bering, others believe that eighteenth century mapmakers named it after Cape Saint Elias, when it was left unnamed by Bering.

Mount Saint Elias is notable for being the highest peak in the world that is so close to tidewater: its summit rises only 10 miles (16 km) from the head of Taan Fjord, off of Icy Bay. This gives the peak immense vertical relief, comparable to that of Denali or peaks in the Himalaya.

Mt. St. Elias was first climbed on July 31, 1897 by an expedition led by famed explorer Prince Luigi Amadeo di Salva, Duke of the Abruzzi (who also reconnoitered the current standard route on K2) and including noted mountain photographer Vittorio Sella.

The second ascent was not until 1946, when a group from the Harvard Mountaineering Club including noted mountain historian Dee Molenaar climbed the Southwest Ridge route.

Mount Saint Elias is only infrequently climbed today, despite its height, due to the typically terrible weather conditions engendered by its proximity to the ocean.