The Wrangell Mountains Climbing

The Wrangell Mountains are located in the interior, approximately 150 miles north of the Gulf of Alaska. This interior location can have more favorable clear weather, but this also creates a cold, shallow and weak snow-pack. The clear weather can also bring high winds. The larger Wrangell Mountains are composed of glaciated volcanoes that are 13,000ft to 16,000ft tall with numerous small peaks.
Due to the terrain of the shield volcanoes, the glaciers creep along at a pace that creates very large crevasses that are still able to bridge with snow. The other crux to travel is a resilient layer of limestone between 5,000ft and 8,000ft that cause the glaciers to become serac laden ice falls, especially on the south side of the range.
The town of McCarthy and the road provides good access to the smaller 6,000ft peaks, frozen water falls, and large valley glaciers. The peaks above McCarthy rise 4,000ft above the town and can be a good alternative for down days while waiting to fly in.