British-Canadian St Elias 1998

The team climbed Mount SE Macaulay, 4,420m, the highest unclimbed peak in Canada. Three of the team were flown in to the Trapridge Glacier to rendezvous with Hubbard and Hildes who had been carrying out six weeks' glaciological fieldwork there, and in an 18-day traverse, half on ski trailing Krazy Karpet roll-up sleds (a very cheap local innovation), they climbed Mount Wood, 4,798m, Mount Macaulay, 4,690m, Mount SE Macaulay, 4,420m, Mount NW Steele, 4,220m, and Mount Steele, 5,073m. Of these, NW Steele and SE Macaulay were previously virgin. The N Ridge of Mount Steele was also previously unclimbed and involved sustained technical climbing (up to 80 degrees) on huge, unstable & overhanging cornices. The complete route had previously been described as the 'ultimate high-level project' in the St Elias range and is graded Alaskan V+ given the objective danger and commitment involved.