 Location: Kluane, ("kloo-on-ee") National Park Reserve covers 22 000 square kilometres in southwestern Yukon. The eastern portion of the park is dominated by the Alsek River, known for its tremendous water volume and rapids. The river is very swift, and traditionally was avoided for travel. The Lowell Glacier which drains into the Alsek River has had spectacular advances and retreats that have in the past blocked the river causing flooding. Most of the rest of the park is dominated by immense icefields and the highest mountains in Canada. The Saint Elias Mountains that cover most of the park have two ranges separated by a narrow trough called the Duke Depression. The peaks of the drier Kluane Ranges to the northeast can be seen from the Alaska Highway, and average about 2500 m in elevation. The hidden Icefield Ranges in the interior of the park contain Mount Logan (5959 m), Canada's highest peak, which has the longest base circumference of any mountain on Earth, and is the second most massive mountain on Earth after Hawaii's Mauna Loa. Other high mountains include difficult-to-climb Mount Saint Elias (5489 m, second highest in Canada) on the Alaska border, and rarely visited Mount Lucania (5226 m, third highest).
Park Information
Headquarters: Haines Junction, YT
Permits: To climb any of the major peaks in the park, you must apply for a mountaineering license at least 90 days before starting the climb. Other requirements are a wilderness permit, at $5 per day up to a maximum of $50, for overnight camping and aircraft landing permits, at $30 per landing inside the park.Click for Peak Lister |
