The Ascent of Mount St. Elias, Alaska


Read by Phil Schempf

(4.8 stars; 15 reviews)

Although Mount St. Elias had been known to native Americans for thousands of years and to Europeans since 1741 when Vitus Bering saw the peak and gave it its current name, it was not successfully climbed until 1897 by a party lead by Prince Luigi Amadeo di Savoia, Duke of the Abruzzi. This is the story of that expedition. Mount St. Elias was not climbed again for another 50 years when the advent of air support made the logistics of the climb less daunting. - Summary by Fritz (4 hr 56 min)

Chapters

Preface 13:45 Read by Phil Schempf
From Turin to Seattle 19:14 Read by Phil Schempf
From Seattle to Juneau — The Alexander Archipelago and Alaska 19:14 Read by Phil Schempf
From Juneau to Yakutat — The Muir Glacier, Sitka, and the Coast Range 22:26 Read by Phil Schempf
The History of Mount St. Elias 38:40 Read by Phil Schempf
The Malaspina Glacier 48:20 Read by Phil Schempf
Seward Glacier, Dome Pass, and Agassiz Glacier 38:36 Read by Phil Schempf
Newton Glacier 31:50 Read by Phil Schempf
The Ascent of Mount St. Elias 28:30 Read by Phil Schempf
Return from Mount St. Elias to Yakutat 25:20 Read by Phil Schempf
Back to Europe — From Yakutat to London 10:38 Read by Phil Schempf

Reviews

Wonderful Story


(5 stars)

Mr. Schempf is an excellent narrator and brings the perfect voice for an amazing story. These were the mountain climbing days when the climbers hauled heavy tents and foods that had to be cooked. They were completely isolated with no chance of rescue. The effort and final success was astonishing! Mount St. Elias wasn’t summited for another 50 years after this effort. I’m not a climber but this book is very approachable for the layman.