North America, Canada, Yukon Territory, Mount Steele

Publication Year: 1978.

Mount Steele. In the summer of 1977 the weather seems to have been particularly bad and after one expensive, abortive attempt to fly to the southeast side of Lucania and Steele, we changed our objective to the east ridge of Steele and hoped to traverse over the top of Steele to the Lucania-Steele col. We were Herb Kariel, Bruno Stuck, Don Chandler, Leon Kubbernus, Dick Roe, Karen Peterson, DuChane Richard, Dave Lahoda, Phil Hein, Arnim Haas and I, of the Calgary Section of the Alpine Club of Canada. We flew to Base Camp at the foot of the east ridge on June 28. Two camps were established at 10,000 and 12,000 feet and all members pushed for the summit on July 5. The top was reached by eight of the eleven at ten P.M., but three members of the party turned back 200 feet below the top. On July 7 we set up camp at 15,200 feet for the push to Lucania. During the next two days, the three who had not climbed Steele on the first attempt made that summit, accompanied by Richard who went to the top for the second time. At this time we also wanded a route across the summit ridge of Steele to 15,000 feet on the other side. On July 10, after continuous bad weather for four days, we abandoned the attempt and retreated down the east ridge in 1½ days. We flew out on July 12.

Tony Daffern, Alpine Club of Canada