Mount Thor consists of granite and features Earth's greatest vertical drop of 4,101 ft, with the cliff overhanging at an average angle of 15 degrees from vertical.
Mt Thor – Earth Greatest Vertical Drop
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Mt. Thor is a mountain with an elevation of 5,495 ft located in Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. Mt. Thor is located 46 kilometers northeast of Pangnirtung. Mount Thor consists of granite and features Earth’s greatest vertical drop of 4,101 feet, with the cliff overhanging at an average angle of 15 degrees from vertical. Regardless of its consistency of remoteness, the mountain is a popular rock climbing site. Mt. Thor is one of the great unexplored wildernesses, as only very few have conquered it.
Mt Thor is one of the great unexplored wildernesses, as only very few have conquered it. Photo credit: Wikipedia
Every year, climbers turn their heads to this great vertical drop. They do the camping there through designated campsites located throughout the length of Akshayuk Pass. Climbers are looking to scale Mt Thor, hence an established campsite just a few kilometers north of its base, complete with windbreaks and emergency shelters.
The mountain was named for Thor, the Norse thunder. Mt Thor is part of the Baffin Mountains, which in turn form part of the Arctic Cordillera mountain range. It is also known as the land that never melts. Auyittuq is full of dramatic fjords and majestic peaks like Mount Asgard and Mount Thor.
Mt Thor is part of the Baffin Mountains which in turn form part of the Arctic Cordillera mountain range. Photo Credit – When on Earth
The west side of Mount Thor is the longest vertical drop on Earth, is about 4,101 feet straight down. Therefore, the slope is steeper than vertical since the face is actually a 105-degree overhang. This mountain is not for a picnic; it is no serious joke when it comes to climbing attempts. The climbing attempt took place for more than a month. Near Mt. Thor, multiple other activities are available, like paragliding and parachuting, because of Thor’s tremendous height. The best time to climb Mt Thor is in August.
The best time to climb Mt Thor is in August. Photo Credit – When on Earth
First Ascent
In 1965, Lyman Spitzer and Donald Morton made the first ascent of Mt Thor during an expedition led by Pat Baird. However, from the Wes side, the first ascent was made by John Bagley, Earl Redfern, Eric Brand, and Tom Bepler in 1985. The climbing team faced uncontrollable dangers, from falling rocks to declining supplies. Although they brought over half a ton of food, gear, and fuel up the cliff with them, The dangerous ascent took them 33 days! In 1998, the first solo ascent to Mount Thor was made by Jason Smith.
In 1965, Lyman Spitzer and Donald Morton made the first ascent of Mt Thor during an expedition led by Pat Baird. Photo credit: Wikipedia
The Tallest Near-Vertical Drop on Earth
If you’ve conquered Mount Thor, then you are looking for new challenges. Hence, you have to head to Gilgit-Baltistan in northern Pakistan. The Great Trango Tower (20,623) is the world’s tallest near-vertical cliff, 300 feet taller. In 1984, the first expedition to scale Trango Towers East faced a cartographic incident when he died on the descent.
The Trango Towers are widely considered to be the world’s hardest big-wall climb. Every year, many expeditions take place from all over the world to visit the Karakoram, located north of Baltoro Glacier. All of the routes are highly technical climbs. Overall, the Trango Towers are the combination of altitude, the total height of the routes, and the steepness of the rock, which makes rock climbing the most challenging.
If you’ve conquered Mount Thor, then you are looking for new challenges. Hence, you have to head to Gilgit-Baltistan in northern Pakistan. Photo credit: Wikipedia
Mount Thor consists of granite and features Earth’s greatest vertical drop of 4,101 ft, with the cliff overhanging at an average angle of 15 degrees from vertical.
