Mount Thor

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Mount Thor

Mount Thor in 1997
Elevation 1,675 m (5,495 ft)
Location Nunavut, Canada
Range Baffin Mountains
Coordinates 66°32′N 65°19′W / 66.533, -65.317
Topo map NTS 026.I.11

Mount Thor, officially gazetted as Thor Peak, is a mountain in Auyuittuq National Park, on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. The mountain is located 46 km (29 mi) northeast of Pangnirtung and features the Earth's greatest purely vertical drop at 1,250 m (4,101 ft), with an average angle of 105 degrees. The location is popular with climbers due to this feature, despite its remoteness. Camping is allowed, with the only official site being at the entrance to the Akshayuk Valley near Overlord Peak.

Mount Thor, including its steep cliff
Mount Thor, including its steep cliff

Mount Thor is part of the Baffin Mountains which in turn form part of the Arctic Cordillera mountain range. The mountain is made of granite and is the most famous of Canada's mountains named "Thor".[1]

Mount Thor was first climbed in 1953 by an Arctic Institute of North America team. The team members were Hans Weber, J Rothlisberger and F. Schwarzenbach. The same men 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 Park Ranger, Phillip Robinson, also rappelled, but had a problem with his equipment, dropped to the base of the mountain and was killed. There had been a previous attempt in 2004, but they returned without rappelling due to dangerous weather conditions.[2][3]


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mount Thor in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia.
  2. ^ Friends, family mourn death of parks officer
  3. ^ www.whitewaterunderground.com


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