Among the great mountain massifs of the world, none span a larger surface area or elicit more adrenaline from climbers and skiers than Canada’s highest peak, Mt. Logan. Summiting this seldom-climbed beast is a rite of passage unlike anything granted amid the mamba lines on its slightly higher cousin, Denali. It’s shorter, yes. But because of its remoteness and fierce storms, Logan has seen fewer climbers in its entire human history than one year’s traffic on Denali. Logan cannot be seen from any road, it is seldom glimpsed from passing airliners because of the frequent blankets of storm clouds, and expeditions to it feel more Himalayan than Alaskan.

In this, the latest in our series, Great Mountains of the World, we turn to write Jon Waterman, one of the few who’s summited the 19,551-foot monster. Click here to read it.