While researching my recent blog on the world’s “Highest Mountain Peaks,” I came across mention of Thor Peak in Canada. Although, it is not one of the highest mountains in the world, its west face does lay claim to having the longest drop in the world: 4,100 ft. (1,250 m).
Location of Thor Peak, Baffin Island, eastern Canada (from Google Earth, 2023).
Thor Peak (from Wikipedia.org).
Thor Peak, also called Mount Thor, is in the Auyuittuq National Park, in the Oikigtaaly Region of Northwest Canada. The elevation of this peak is 5,495 ft. (1,675 m). This area is within the Baffin Mountains, which forms part of the Arctic Cordillera Mountain Range. Thor Peak, consists of solid granite. This rock, which is of Precambrian age, is among some of the oldest rocks known on Earth. During the Pleistocene ice age, Thor Peak was carved by massive glaciation.
The first ascent of Thor Peak was in 1985 and it took a team of climbers 33 days to make the climb. A solo ascent of the west face was in 1998. The first free climb was in 2012. It should be added that people have died trying to climb Thor Peak.
A free fall by someone (traveling at terminal-velocity speed) off Mt. Thor would last about 26 seconds before hitting the ground. Note: It is illegal to base jump off Thor Peak.
In shape, Thor Peak resembles the peaks of El Capitan and Half Dome in Yosemite Valley, central California. El Captian has a vertical drop of about 3,300 feet: from base to summit. Like Thor Peak, both El Captian and Half Dome consist of granite and were glaciated during the last Ice Age.
For an interesting article about Thor Peak, I encourage you to read the following blog:
Dunhill, J. 2023. Mount Thor is the world’s largest vertical drop an “it is terrifying.” <iflscience.com/mount-thor-is-the-worlds-largest-vertical-drop-and-it-is-terrifing>
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