Mount Thor, the world’s highest and steepest cliff, is a fitting name for such a monstrous climb. This cliff is part of a range that includes Mount Asgard, another aptly named formation. Because it is only a short distance across the water from Greenland, the land is wild, rugged, and dangerous. Both are part of Canada’s Auyuittuq National Park, which translates from Inuit to the land that never melts, which couldn’t be more accurate. But did you know that Mount Thor also has the longest vertical drop?
Mount Thor, which is located in Auyuittut National Park in Canada, has the world’s longest vertical drop. If you fell off its cliff, you would fall for over a kilometer before hitting anything.
The Vertical Drop from Thor
Mount Thor, officially known as the Thor Peak, is a granite peak in Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, with the world’s tallest purely vertical drop. The drop is 1250m long and angles inwards at 105 degrees, creating an overhang. In comparison, the Eiffel Tower is 324 meters tall, the Empire State Building is 381 meters tall, the CN Tower is 553 meters tall, and the Burj Khalifa is 828 meters tall.
Mount Thor is located in the Baffin Mountains, part of the Arctic Cordillera mountain range. The mountain is made of granite and is the most well-known of Canada’s Thor mountains. Despite its location, the mountain is a popular destination for avid mountain climbers. Mount Thor was first climbed by an Alpine Club of Canada expedition led by Pat Baird in 1965. An American team set the first successful longest rappel on Mount Thor in July 2006. (Source: Explore Quark Expeditions)
Climbing and Trekking Through Mount Thor
Many outdoor enthusiasts visit Nunavut to climb and trek on Baffin Island. Mt. Asgard, a twin-peaked mountain with two flat-topped rock towers in Auyuittuq National Park, is one of the most famous climbs.
Those seeking one of the most difficult Baffin Island climbing and trekking experiences fantasize about climbing Mt. Thor on Baffin Island. Baffin Island is famous for its big wall climbing, particularly in the Cumberland Peninsula area within Auyuittuq National Park and the coastal region near the Clyde River, where numerous walls rise vertically and dramatically, right up out of the sea!
In Auyuittuq National Park, hiking and trekking are popular activities. Akshayuk Pass is a popular trekking destination, a 97-kilometer corridor of mountains and ice. This trek necessitates extensive planning and consultation with park authorities in advance. (Source: Explore Quark Expeditions)
The Wildlife on Baffin Island
The wildlife of Baffin Island draws many visitors to this part of the High Canadian Arctic. Polar bears, Arctic foxes, caribou, Arctic hares, seals, walruses, Arctic wolves, whales, narwhals, orca, beluga, and bowhead.
Isabella Bay, located further north along Baffin Island’s mountainous east shore, is an essential summer and fall feeding area for Canada’s largest concentration of bowhead whales, which are among the most sought-after Baffin Island wildlife. Pond Inlet, located near the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage, is an Inuit hamlet where many community members still live a nomadic lifestyle and hunt for food.
Baffin Island wildlife viewing opportunities also include a diverse range of birds, including the Canada goose, snow goose, and brant goose, as well as sandpipers, Brünnich’s guillemot, plovers, and numerous types of gulls, glaucous, herring, and ivory. (Source: Explore Quark Expeditions)
Image from When on Earth