Mount Logan – The Best Ski Mountain!

Mount Logan in Canada is one of the best places in the country to polish your ski mountaineering skills.

It is the highest mountain in Canada, and if you wanted to touch the sky in the Great White North, then this would be the place to stand.

Mount Logan is isolated, but climbing it on skis is an experience that you will never forget.

Ski Mountaineering is one of the best and most exciting things to do during any time of the year in Canada. Many take to the mountains during the summers or the winters to have a snowy vacation.

The experience is extremely fun and rewarding, although it is a little physically demanding.

Mount Logan stands at a massive height of 5,959 meters (19,551 feet), making it the highest mountain in the Great White North. 

It is recognized as the second-largest peak in the continent of North America after Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley), located in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Denali has a height of 6,190 meters (20,310 feet) above sea level. Read the official study here.

With all that said, let’s look at all the things you must know about Mount Logan before you pack your skis and attempt to conquer this giant landform.

4 Facts That You Must Know About Mount Logan

Here are 4 important and interesting facts about Mount Logan that you need to know before you start hiking!

1. Location

Yukon is the smallest of the three Canadian territories. It is the westernmost territory of Canada and is bordered by Alaska on the west. 

The province of British Colombia borders it towards the south. The territory of Yukon has a rather small coastline overlooking the Beaufort Sea on the north. 

Mount Logan is located in the Kluane National Park Reserve in Yukon, Canada.

Yukon is named after the Yukon River, the longest river running through the territory and Alaska. The river starts its course from the south in British Colombia. It empties its waters into the Bering Sea in Alaska.

The Kluane National Park, home to Mount Logan, is maintained by the Government of Canada’s Parks Canada agency. 

The mountain is a part of the St. Elias Mountains located in the southwestern part of Yukon. You can find the mountains about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Yukon-Alaska border.

 The territory has a simple tourism motto, “Larger than life.” To the disappointment of those who love to travel on their feet, it isn’t easy to get to Mount Logan walking. 

That is because the mountain is surrounded by some of the largest glaciers in the world.  Adding to the difficulty, it is about 140 km from the nearest good road. That distance is too much to travel on your feet for anybody!

2. Climate

Bordering the state of Alaska, it is an easy guess that the climate around Mount Logan is cold throughout the year. 

However, heat waves occur mostly in June. The highest temperature recorded is 36 degrees Celsius. However, that is a rare case.

But that does not make a difference to the temperature around Mount Logan. Even in the summers, the temperature stays low, and ice melts are minimal. 

In the spring, right before the summer, the temperature reaches the freezing point during the day, but it is not so at night. The ice caps created are sometimes as large as 300 meters.

The average temperature readings throughout the year are about -27 degrees Celsius. 

As logic states, the temperature readings will lower as you move up the mountain range. At about the 5,000-meter plateau, the temperature reads about -45 degrees Celsius.

Since the mountain range is relatively close to the Gulf of Alaska to the south, the water body influences the temperature quite a bit. 

The climate is believed to be a maritime climate, adding to the cold temperatures around the arctic.

As scary as the numbers might seem, it will surprise you that the temperature around Mount Logan is considered mild in winter compared to the arctic temperature in the north. 

Snowstorms and cold winds are common, even from March to June, when the “summer” season is around.

Visitors to Mount Logan must bring extra layers of woolen clothing and research ways to stay warm even in severely cold conditions because the temperature lowers to -30 at the base level at night.

3. Ski Mountaineering Potential

Mount Logan is by no means one for a beginner. It is highly recommended that you have prior experience camping outdoors during winter, if not in a mountain range. 

Also, you must be an intermediate downhill skier at the very least to fully enjoy the thrill of ski mountaineering here.

At places like Mount Everest, you can have the local Sherpa’s help carrying the overnight bags and the skis. 

However, you won’t have that luxury at Mount Logan. The climb requires that you carry your overnight bags and skis, which can be challenging given the extreme weather conditions and luggage weight.

Since ski mountaineering is something that should be done in groups, for a lot of very good reasons, hence, at times you might be required to carry the group luggage as well.

It would be best if you made it a point to have an in-depth conversation with your guide and the organizing company about your goals and the extent of the ski-mountaineering program. 

Here’s a list of the things that you should get while attempting to climb the mountain.

The area is extremely isolated, so be sure to stack up on all essentials that will last many days. 

The trip can take around 20 days, including the ascent and the descent. You must be physically fit and sharp during the climb up and down. 

Be sure to test your physical fitness and hit the gym if you feel out of shape. Suppose you want more practical training to improve your legs and lungs. 

In that case, you should seriously consider hiking up a steep hill, running up and down the stairs in a stadium with a heavy backpack, or simply taking the stairs whenever possible. 

If you’re unsure what to do, focus on cardio training and lifting weights because the load you’ll carry up and down the mountain is generally quite heavy.

The air is very thin and cold, and the sun’s increased closeness can cause many unwanted reactions in people.  This is where protective gear becomes very important for people who are fit to go for the trip. 

People with respiratory problems are advised not to risk climbing up the mountain as the conditions become way too risky to ensure safety.

4. How to Get There?

The remote reaches of Mount Logan are only accessible by air. The easiest way to climb the mountain is through the King Trench route, as Mount Logan is believed to have the largest base circumference of any non-volcanic mountain on Earth. Read the study here.

You won’t be starting at the mountain’s base, this is where the airdrop comes in handy. 

The plane drops you off at a particular height which varies depending on who organizes your trip, and then it’s all the way upwards to the top.

Although the climb is not “very” technical compared to the people who know exactly what they’re getting into, it is still advised that you have some prior experience in the tough environment before engaging yourself in the thrill of the mountain climb. 

The organizing party uses basic glacier roping to ensure the group’s safety. Snowshoes on a ski mountaineering climb are often frowned upon.

 Still, some planning companies can make an exception for beginners and organize a separate rope tying the team together. That said, there is a very good reason skis are preferred.

If you’re someone who needs to brush up on your backcountry skiing skills, then you should consider doing so for the convenience of the trip. 

And that is simply because the skis make climbing much easier than snowshoes. Sliding over the snow takes up less energy and is a lot more efficient than taking one step at a time while sinking your legs in the snow.

The snow is usually quite level, and the march up to King Col is pleasant and gentle, without much hassle, if the weather is favorable. 

The route is rather long, but it won’t make a difference if you’re used to traveling long distances. Head to the organizers’ website or contact your travel agent for details and pricing.

The Takeaway

It has almost been an entire century since Mount Logan was first climbing mt with the group consisting of Albert H. MacCarthy (leader), H.F. Lambart, Allen Carpé, W.W. Foster, Norman H. Read, and Andy Taylor. The Alpine Club of Canada sent them. 

Since then, many attempts have been at conquering Mount Logan’s climb, and many people have succeeded in the task. mount Logan begins at Kluane lake, If you want a breathtaking experience, then the climb of Mount Logan is the one for you to try. Have a safe hike!

Read more about the other amazing things Canada offers right here.

FAQs

1. Who was the first person to solo climb Mount Logan in Yukon, Canada?

The first woman to summit Canada’s highest mountain on her own says she was most afraid of falling into a treacherously deep crevasse.

According to Richard, who was speaking while parked beside a Yukon highway, she plunged more than a meter within the fissure, which was at least 50 meters deep.

Around May, she started her ascent of the 5,959-meter Mount Logan in Yukon’s Kluane National Park. Her journey, which finished last week, was approximately halfway through when the potentially fatal occurrence happened.

The mountaineer from Montreal claimed that after taking off her skis for safety, she took a few steps before falling into the fissure.

2. How tall is Mt. Logan?

Canada’s Mount Logan is one of Canada’s highest peak, with a peak elevation of 19,551 feet (5,959 meters) (after Denali [Month McKinley in the U.S. state of Alaska). 

It is situated in southwest Yukon’s St. Elias Mountains. The mountain is a prized possession for the top mountaineers in the world due to its elevation, sheer magnitude, minimal snow melt leads, winter ascent high northern latitude (60 north latitude), and relative coastal location. 

One might not believe this is the best place for serious and exacting scientific research. However, according to the geological survey of Canada, climbing mount Logan from the mount Logan base camp to the top is not for the faint of heart. 

Thus it is recommended that if you are going for any kind researched at any of the adjusted areas like; the summit plateau, east ridge, east peak, , or Logan glacier, you only initiate by hiring a capable climbing crew for the equipment.

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