Bear Glacier

Bear Glacier is a remote mountaineering area in the Alaska Saint Elias Mountains, reached by aircraft to a base camp at roughly 8,500 feet on the glacier’s northeast fork. The surrounding objectives are high alpine peaks rather than a developed roadside crag.

A 2013 expedition climbed eight peaks and attempted a ninth over 10 days, recording first known ascents ranging from Alaska Grade I to II. Objectives included The Cub, Panda Peak, Polar Peak, Bruin Peak, Lesser Panda, Sow Peak, Oso Peak, Kuma Peak, and Canbear Peak, with elevations from 10,390 to 12,150 feet. The larger Mount Natazhat, Mount Bear, and Mount Bona rise nearby.

The glacier itself forms a substantial approach corridor: historical mountaineering accounts describe it as about 20 miles long and roughly 1.5 miles wide, leading toward the Bear massif. Gateway Glacier branches toward Mount Bear’s north face, while Divide Glacier leads toward the col between the Bear and Barnard glaciers.