Mount Asgard
| Mount Asgard | |
|---|---|
 Mount Asgard in July 2001 |
|
| Elevation | 2,015 metres (6,611 feet) |
| Location | Nunavut, Canada |
| Range | Baffin Mountains |
| Coordinates | |
| Topo map | NTS 026I/11 |
| Type | granite |
| First ascent | 1953 by H. Webber, J. Marmet, Rothlisberger[1] |
Mount Asgard is a twin peaked mountain with two flat-topped cylindrical rock towers, separated by a saddle. It is located in Auyuittuq National Park, on the Cumberland Peninsula of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. The peak is named after Asgard, the realm of the gods in Norse Mythology.
Asgard's slightly higher North Peak was first ascended in 1953 by H. Webber, J. Marmet, and Rothlisberger[1], Swiss scientists on the Arctic Institute Baffin Island Expedition, led by the Canadian P. Baird. Their route ascended the east side of the north peak, using a climbing traverse across snowfields and rock ribs, to reach the saddle between the two peaks, and thence to the top of the North Peak. The route is graded VI, 5.8/5.9 A1. It is still the most-traveled route and is the standard descent route for climbers making harder ascents on other faces.[2]
The South Peak was first climbed in 1971 by G. Lee, R. Wood, and P. Koch. Since then, at least 13 routes have been put up on the two peaks, most involving highly technical free and aid climbing, with lengths varying from m ( ft) to m ( ft). One of the most notable routes was put up in 1975 by Charlie Porter as a solo climb. This was "the first Baffin modern, multi-day, technical, big-wall climb," with 40 pitches rated at Grade VI, 5.10, and it was followed by "a 10-day walk-out to the fjord-head without food." The fact that this was all done solo was "a remarkable achievement."[2]
In 1976, stuntman Rick Sylvester performed a BASE jump off the mountain for the opening sequence of the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, although the fictional setting was the Alps.
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