Lucania and Steele. In June and July, 1968, the Tohhoku University Expedition, Morio Kasai, Ikuo Abe, Kunio Moku, Sadanari Ashizawa and Tetsuo Nakatsu, reconnoitered Mount Lucania and the area. From a light plane they thought the west ridge offered a feasible route: they tried the ridge to 12,150 feet, which convinced them they could thus climb Lucania and traverse to Mount Steele. The 1969 party was led by Ryoichi Mitsuhashi and made up of Ikuo Abe, Muneo Oikawa, Kunio Sakan, Osamu Ujiie, Kazuo Sugamura, Fumihiko Nishio, Yasuo Akiyama and Akira Kawamoto. On June 28 all assembled at Burwash on Lake Kluane. Bad visibility caused by forest fire smoke forced them to stay there until July 3, when all were flown to Base Camp at 8000 feet on the Icefall Glacier, a tributary of the Chitina Glacier, west of Lucania. By semi-polar methods, they gained 3500 feet up the glacier and put Camp III at 10,500 feet on the west ridge. The glacier had two icefalls, the upper one of which had to be passed on the left bank with fixed ropes on steep rock and snow. After fixing 1500 feet of rope, Camp IV was established at 12,000 feet on July 15. Above they fixed 1650 feet of ropes. Led by Abe, Ujiie, Nishio and Akiyama were to ascend Lucania and support the other party. Sakan, Sugamura, Kawamoto and Oikawa were to traverse from Lucania to Steele. On the 17th the Abe party reached the top of Lucania and the following day the Sakan party reached the same summit. The latter continued on to the summit of Mount Steele on July 21, using skis for about six miles. This party descended Steele’s west ridge to the Chitina Glacier and was back in Base Camp on the 27th. On August 2 helicopters carried them to Burwash Landing.

Ichiro Yoshizawa, Japanese Alpine Club and A.A.C.