Tucked away in the foothills of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park lies the sleepy town of Nabesna. The village gets its name from the Nabesna River which flows out of the Nabesna Glacier. The Nabesna River area is far from most highly populated areas and as such sees very few climbers throughout the year. Also, this area sees some of the most extreme temperatures in the state which concentrates the climbing season into the fall and spring. This is big country and with it comes big ice climbs. These areas were written up in the 1993 American Alpine Journal.
From Anchorage, head north on the Glenn Highway approximately 3 hours to the town of Glennallen. Turn left heading north on the Richardson Highway and not far until one gets to the Tok Cut Off. Turn right here and continue another hour until one comes to the Nabesna Road. Turn right and drive another 40 minutes to 1 hour to the town of Nabesna. Be prepared as the Nabesna road has a reputation of being tough on vehicles. At mile 28.5 of the Nabesna Road is Wrangell Mountains Wilderness Lodge (aka The Sportsmen’s Paradise Lodge). A little further and you will find the Devils Mountain Lodge