Flight Path Peak, east ridge, and other routes. In May, John Durham, Bob Brownsburger, Bob Jacobs, and I spent a week of unusually fine and clear weather climbing peaks off a spur of the upper Baldwin Glacier in the St. Elias Mountains, near the Canadian border. According to our research and our pilot (Paul Claus), most of the peaks on the north side of the glacier we were on had been climbed. The prominent peak at the head of the glacier, to our south, had one ascent and was known to Paul as “Flight Path Peak” (ca 10,500'), due to its prominence as a landmark while flying in to Mt. Logan from his lodge. Paul made the first ascent of the peak in the late 90s, via easier snow slopes on the south side of the peak. We climbed the east ridge of Flight Path Peak, for its second ascent. Our 1,500' route involved a pitch of ice to 70°, half a dozen moderate rock pitches, and much 4th class on loose rock. We also climbed a snow, ice, and rock couloir on each of two unnamed 10,000' peaks on the north side of the glacier. We believe these to be new routes, though we could not confirm this.

Vince Anderson, AAC