The Arrigetch Peaks ( Iñupiaq: ''Argaich'') are a cluster of rugged granite spires in the Endicott Mountains of the central

Brooks Range The Brooks Range (Gwich’in language, Gwich'in: ''Gwazhał'') is a mountain range in far northern North America stretching some from west to east across northern Alaska into Canada's Yukon Territory. Reaching a peak elevation of on Mount Isto, ...

in northern

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

. The name ''Arrigetch'' means 'fingers of the outstretched hand' in the Inupiat language. The peaks ring the glacial

cirques A (; from the Latin word ) is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from , meaning a pot or cauldron) and ; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform arising from fluvi ...

at the head of the

Kobuk River The Kobuk River (Inupiaq language, Iñupiaq: ''Kuuvak''; Koyukon language, Koyukon: ''Hʉlghaatno''), also known by the names Kooak, Kowak, Kubuk, Kuvuk, and Putnam, is a river located in the Arctic region of northwestern Alaska in the United St ...

and 2 tributaries of the

Alatna River The Alatna River is a federally designated wild and scenic river partially contained within the boundaries of Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska. Geography The Alatna River stems from the central Brooks Range flowing through the Endicott ...

: Arrigetch Creek and Aiyagomahala Creek (Creek 4662). They are located at latitude 67 degrees 24' N and longitude 154 degrees 10' W. All of the summits of the peaks are around 6,000 ft, 1825 m elevation. The Arrigetch Peaks area was designated as a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best e ...

in 1968 for its spectacular geography. The earliest recorded Geological Survey of the area was in 1911 by

Philip S. Smith Philip S. Smith is an American entrepreneur who has served on the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He founded the fundraising organization CAPTEL. Career Smith earned his B.A. at Centre College. H ...

and H.M. Eakin. The renowned conservationist Robert Marshall explored the area in the 1930s. These trips were described in Marshall's 1933 book ''Arctic Village'', and posthumous ''Alaska Wilderness: Exploring the Central Brooks Range''. An American climbing party led by Brownell Bergen completed the first successful rock climbing expedition to the peaks in 1964. The peaks have been visited by a number of rock climbing expeditions since then.

References

Further reading