
Meadow in the Neacola Mountains
The 'Neacola Mountains' are the northernmost subrange of the
Aleutian Range in
Alaska. They are bordered on the southeast by the
Chigmit Mountains, on the northeast by the
Tordrillo Mountains, on the northwest by the southern tip of the
Alaska Range, and on the west and southwest by the lakes and lowlands of
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. They are the only wholly non-volcanic part of the Aleutian Range.
The highest peak is
Mount Neacola (also known as "Neacola Peak"), 9,426 feet (2,873 m).
These mountains have not seen extensive exploration, due to their remoteness, typically poor weather, and lack of truly high peaks. However they are rugged and offer many climbing possibilities of an exploratory nature. Noted climber
Fred Beckey visited the range in the early 1970's; in 1991, when he was "spiritual leader" of the expedition which made the first ascent of Mount Neacola; and again in 2004. Other recorded climbing visits occurred in 1979 and 1995.
Fishermen sometimes fly into the the mountains on a bush strip on the
McArthur River near
Blockade Glacier.
Sources
★ ''American Alpine Journal'', 1980, 1992, 1996, 2005.
★ Michael Wood and Colby Coombs, ''Alaska: a climbing guide'', The Mountaineers, 2001.
References