Cirque of the Unclimbables
| Cirque of the Unclimbables | |
|---|---|
  Location of Cirque of the Unclimbables in Canada | |
| Location | Inside the Nahanni National Park Reserve, Northwest Territories, Canada |
| Nearest city |
Fort Simpson Fort Liard Nahanni Butte |
| Coordinates | 62°06′06″N 127°40′15″W / 62.10167°N 127.67083°WCoordinates: 62°06′06″N 127°40′15″W / 62.10167°N 127.67083°W |
Cirque of the Unclimbables, located inside[1] the Nahanni National Park Reserve, in the Northwest Territories, Canada, approximately 500 km (311 mi) west of Yellowknife, is a cluster of peaks and walls in the Mackenzie Mountains Natural Region.
Description
According to the tourism promotion authority of the government of Northwest Territories:[2] "A challenge for world class mountaineers, the Cirque is located in the Ragged Range, near Glacier Lake. The Cirque's most famous peak – a must for every serious climber - is the Lotus Flower Tower, featured in Fifty Classic Climbs of North America. The Vampire Spires are granite towers some 40 km away that challenge even the Cirque.
True to their name, these ragged peaks were shaped by the last ice age, and are some of the highest in the Northwest Territories. Remote and towering cliffs and icefields challenge hikers and climbers. This is the summer range of woodland caribou, mountain goats, Dall's sheep and bears."
History
In 1955, the legendary mountaineer Arnold Wexler came across a spectacular series of remote cliffs in the Logan Mountains, now part of Nahanni National Park Reserve. Frustrated by their sheer granite walls, he named the jagged monsters the Cirque of the Unclimbables.
Access
Access to the Cirque and the Ragged Range is by charter aircraft.
Lotus Flower Tower and Other Famous Climbs
The Cirque's most famous peak – a must for every serious climber - is the Lotus Flower Tower[3] featured in Fifty Classic Climbs of North America. The most spectacular view of the Cirque is visible from its 610-metre (2000 ft) southeast buttress. Other great climbs include Mount Proboscis, Club International and Middle Huey Spire.