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Boreal Community Media

Lonnie Dupre plans climb of Yukon peak

Jan 04, 2018 08:30AM ● By Editor

Lonnie Dupre.  Photo from Minnesota Public Radio

By Lisa Kaczke of The Duluth News Tribune - January 3, 2018

Grand Marais climber and adventurer Lonnie Dupre will attempt to summit Mount Lucania in Canada's Yukon Territory in the coming weeks.

Dupre announced on his website Wednesday that he and his climbing teammate Pascale Marceau will attempt to complete the first winter ascent of the 17,156-foot Mount Lucania, a seldom-visited peak in Kluane National Park. They're planning to fly into the St. Elias Mountains next week, weather permitting, with supplies for 25 days.

 Mount Luciania in the Yukon.  Photo from summit post.org

"The duo can expect minus 50-degree temperatures, gale-force winds, limited daylight and multi-day storms. The attempt at Mount Lucania's first winter ascent will be a test of human will, mountaineering skills and years of polar expedition experience," the post stated.

Dupre recently attempted to climb Mount Hunter in Alaska in January 2017, when he was hoping to become the first person to reach its summit solo in January. After calling off the climb, he broke through a crevasse on the descent and hung by a single ice axe with his feet dangling beneath him. He managed to get a foot onto the side of the hill followed by the other foot to pull himself out of the crevasse.

He previously became the first solo climber to summit Denali in Alaska in January. He has also twice skied and pulled sleds to the North Pole and has made a kayak and dogsled circumnavigation of Greenland.

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