Topo map NTS 026.I.11 First ascent 1953 | Elevation 1,675 m Parent range Baffin Mountains | |
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Mountain range Baffin Mountains, Arctic Cordillera Similar Mount Asgard, Mount Odin, Trango Towers, Qiajivik Mountain, Barbeau Peak | ||
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. 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.
Contents
Map of Thor Peak, Baffin, Unorganized, NU, Canada
The mountain was named for Thor, the Norse thunder god.
Geography
Mount Thor is part of the Baffin Mountains which in turn form part of the Arctic Cordillera mountain range. The mountain consists of granite.
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. 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.
A team descended Mount Thor via rappel July 23, 2006. The American team consisted 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. The first rappel of the west face was in July 1982, led by Steve Holmes of Atlanta, using a mile long length of rope. This was at the time the longest rappel (and climb, via rope) ever done.
The first ascent of the west face was achieved by Earl Redfern, John Bagley, Eric Brand and Tom Bepler in 1985. 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.