Mount Steele, Mountain peak in Saint Elias Mountains, Canada.
Mount Steele is a peak of the Saint Elias Mountains in Yukon, Canada, and the fifth-highest mountain in the country. Its summit elevation is uncertain: older maps give 5,073 metres from a 1913 boundary survey, while newer contour lines indicate about 5,020 metres. A lower southeast peak stands at 4,300 metres. The mountain rises above the Steele Glacier, which drains its northern slopes.
The peak was first summited in August 1935 by Walter A. Wood and his expedition team, who approached from the east through heavy snow. This early ascent marked a milestone in exploring this remote mountain region.
The mountain honours Sir Sam Steele (1849–1919), the North-West Mounted Police officer in command of the force in the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush. The name ties the peak to the police presence that accompanied the gold rush, not to any settlement of the region.
Visitors should prepare for extreme conditions and constantly shifting weather, as this mountain experiences difficult climate year-round. Advanced technical skills in glacier and ice climbing are essentially required for any attempt.
On 24 July 2007, two days after an ice avalanche, a 400-metre-wide section of ice and rock fell from the north face. It dropped 2,500 metres, crossed the 1.5-kilometre-wide Steele Glacier and ran 5.76 kilometres horizontally in about 100 seconds, reaching at least 252 km/h. It is among the largest landslides recorded in western Canada.
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