Mount Thor

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Mount Thor
Thor Peak
Mount Thor Peak 1997-08-07.jpg
Mount Thor in 1997
Highest point
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Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[1]
Geography
Mount Thor is located in Nunavut
Mount Thor
Mount Thor
Parent range Baffin Mountains
Topo map NTS 026.I.11
Climbing
First ascent Morton and Spitzer, 1965

Mount Thor, officially gazetted as Thor Peak, is a mountain with an elevation of 1,675 metres (5,495 ft) located in Auyuittuq National Park, on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. The mountain is located 46 km (29 mi) northeast of Pangnirtung and features Earth's greatest vertical drop of 1,250 m (4,101 ft), with the cliff overhanging at an average angle of 15 degrees from vertical.[2] Despite its remoteness, this feature makes the mountain a popular rock climbing site. Camping is allowed, with the only official site being at the entrance to the Akshayuk Valley near Overlord Peak.

The mountain was named for Thor, the Norse thunder god.[3]

Geography

Mount Thor, including its steep cliff
File:Auyuittuq ThorPeak 2007.JPG
Hiking north towards Thor Peak, July 2007.

Mount Thor is part of the Baffin Mountains which in turn form part of the Arctic Cordillera mountain range. The mountain consists of granite.[1]

Ascents

Donald Morton and Lyman Spitzer made the first ascent of Mount Thor in 1965 during the Alpine Club of Canada expedition led by Pat Baird.[4]:347[5] Pat Baird also led the 1953 geophysical expedition during which Hans Weber, J. Rothlisberger and F. Schwarzenbach climbed the North Tower of Mount Asgard for the first time.

The world record for longest rappel was set on Mount Thor, July 23, 2006, by an American team consisting of Chuck Constable, Dirk Siron, Ben Holley, Kenneth Waite, Gordon Rosser, Donny Opperman, Deldon Barfuss, and Tim Hudson. A 26-year-old Canadian national park warden, Philip Robinson, also rappelled, but had a problem with his equipment and died when he fell from the mountain. There had been a previous attempt in 2004, but they returned without rappelling due to dangerous weather conditions.[6]

The first ascent of the west face was achieved by Earl Redfern, John Bagley, Eric Brand and Tom Bepler in 1985.[7] The first solo ascent of the West Face was completed by Jason 'Singer' Smith in 1998. The first free climb of the Southwest Buttress was made in 2012 by Bill Borger and John Furneaux.[8][9]

See also

References

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External links