As you make the moderately short drive from the airport to town, your breath is momentarily taken away by a massive mountain named Mt. Saint Elias, reaching into the heavens above. Mt. Saint Elias stands 18,008 feet above sea level and can claim to be the fastest ascending mountain in the world, from sea level to peak. Mt. Saint Elias is just one of the many lofty peaks in the Saint Elias Range that virtually surrounds Yakutat. The Mountains in the Saint Elias Range are among the least visited mountains of their elevation in North America. Mountaineering is made especially challenging by a stormy weather pattern including in excess of 100 inches of precipitation a year.
Many climbs can involve as much as a month to accomplish.
Most climbing in the Saint Elias Range is accessed via charter boat or float plane out of Yakutat or Canada.