Mount Lucania, Mountain summit in Kluane National Park, Canada
Mount Lucania is a 5,240-metre (17,192 ft) summit in the Saint Elias Mountains of southwestern Yukon, Canada, 50 km north of Mount Logan and 29 km east of the Alaska border. A long ridge links it to Mount Steele (5,073 m), Canada's fifth-highest peak. It is Canada's third-highest mountain and the second-highest entirely within the country.
The first ascent of the mountain was completed in 1937 by Bradford Washburn and Robert Hicks Bates, who were flown onto Walsh Glacier before making their way to the summit on foot. Their expedition is considered one of the most demanding early climbs in North America.
The mountain takes its name from the RMS Lucania, a passenger ship that carried the Duke of Abruzzi on his late 19th-century northern voyages. This connection made it a reference point in the history of North American mountaineering.
Reaching the summit requires thorough preparation, a national park permit, and gear suited for high-altitude alpine conditions. The terrain is entirely glaciated and weather can change very quickly, so any attempt should be planned well in advance.
In 2022, researchers found pieces of Bradford Washburn's original 1937 climbing gear on Walsh Glacier, carried across the ice over many decades. The discovery showed how glaciers can preserve and slowly move objects left behind on the ice.
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