Mount asgard : climbing, hiking & mountaineering : summitpost
Mt. Asgard also referred to as ‘Sivanitirutinguak’ (through the Inuit) is situated in Auyuittuq Park on Baffin Island within the territory of Nunavut. Auyuittuq’s 19700 square kilometers (pronounced eye-you-ee-required) was put aside like a Park Reserve in 1976, the name Auyuittuq is definitely an Inuit word that when converted means ‘the land that never melts’, that is greater than a term for that place.
Auyuittuq Park is on the Cumberland Peninsula on Baffin Island, the sixth largest island on the planet. The park straddles the boundary from the Arctic Circle, the Cent Ice Cap flows through a lot of the park and it is in places over 300 meters deep. Asgard is situated in the Cent Highlands to the side of the Akshayuk Pass the 100km lengthy pass (that crosses the Cumberland peninsula between Cumberland Seem and Davis Strait) one hikes form one finish to another in which you usually request transportation to Pangnirtung or can go back across the valley where your transport to the city will come across you.
Within the summer time although the valleys have the freedom of snow and ice and are available alive with arctic poppies, you are able to place Polar bears near to the water in addition to snowy owls, ptarmigan, arctic fox and hares in addition to large herds of caribou.
Auyuittuq hosts the greatest power of high peaks in eastern Canada with 10 peaks rising 2000 meters or greater and dozens which are 1800m or greater. The greatest peak around the block is Mt. Odin which increases 2147m and it is the 5th greatest reason for Eastern The United States.
Like most of the peaks around the block Asgard got its name from Norse mythology. Asgard was the ancestral home from the Norse Gods and the house of slain heroes fallen in war, its twin 1000 meter high round, granitic towers combined with the awesome faces on Breidablik and Mt. Thor have caused many to check the location towards the area surrounding Cerro Fitz Roy in Argentina.
Mt. Asgard towers 2015m, the 5th greatest peak around the block and which makes it among the greatest peaks in Eastern Canada and Eastern The United States. What sets Asgard aside is many things… its sheer size… towering 1600m over the valley floor. Its twin 1 kilometer vertical faces, its shape.. which has similarities to 2 huge tree trunks rooted within the very rock of the world. Its impossible for that eye to not be attracted into it, to wish to consume in the magnificence, its sheer rugged beauty.
Auyuittuq hosts probably the most outstanding mountain tops and high cliff faces on the planet, it’s a land of superlatives and Asgard is most definitely certainly one of it’s crown jewels.
Mt. Asgard’s North peak was initially rose in 1953 by an Arctic Institute of The United States Party. The south summit (the greater round of these two using the daunting sheer face) was initially arrived at in 1971 with a party lead by Doug Scott. On Asgard’s west face (North Peak) there are many grade Mire routes that have been established for that rock climber looking forward to a really serious challenge. Much more so compared to Cirque from the Unclimbables this really is Canada’s rock playground. There’s enormous potential for climbing and due to its remoteness and inaccessibility you will typically possess the spot to themselves.
There’s just one designated campground around the block, all of those other campgrounds are classified as random sites. The main one factor to become careful for would be to not camp too near to the Weasel River which slices the valley, as it is termed to possess a 10m range from everywhere tide.
The size from the place is really amazing and also the tranquility is nearly eerie. Nunavut is near to the size Mexico yet includes a population close to 35000, that are mostly Inuit. The Inuit or their ancestors the Thule moved onto Baffin Island around 800 years back and also have known as this land that never melts home since.
***Note: all photos were utilised with permission by Neil Monteith.
*** Note: you might have seen Mt. Asgard within the 007 film The Spy who loved Me… area of the movie was filmed there
Getting There
This really is most definitely the most challenging part, the expense involved could be somewhat prohibitive. Tour groups offer 15 day tours which could run more than $5000 CDN easily for winter visits as well as in the summer time you’ll pay between $3000 and 3500 for journeys varying from 10 to 16 days with categories of a maximum of 10 approximately.. You should check out www.adventures.ca to obtain a better idea of what’s offered inside a tour.The secret would be to arrange a flight ticket into Pangnirtung or Iqaluit the main city of Nunavut, quite frequently by means of Churchill Manitoba, Ottawa or Montreal…
To state that Auyuittuq is from the beaten path is greater than a little understatement. It’s incredibly remote. From Pangnirtung you have to have a 30km boat ride when the Fjord is not frozen (a treadmill must result in the visit to snowmobile) towards the park entrance in the mind from the Akshayuk Pass that was once referred to as Pangnirtung Pass, cuts over the Cumberland Peninsula and it is the primary travel route all year round, though especially in the winter months. The park entrance is situated at the mind from the valley here is located the best Ranger Station within the entire park.
The Weasel And Owl rivers flow with the valley, and one must ford the forest in addition to several runoff streams while you go across the valley floor. The path is marked by ‘Inukshuks’ that are man formed cairns which are placed at distant but regular times so one doesn’t lose their way… though that is difficult to do. Because the route only follows the valley to the terminus.
On the way you are able to take some time to climb Breidablik, Baldr, Thor or Asgard peaks or mind up one narrow valleys to see 680m (2250ft) high Schwarzenbach Falls (among the greatest in Canada) which tumble in 3 or 4 glorious stretches towards the feet from the mountain tops.
For additional info on routes or on getting there you should check out www.bivouac.com, though to see these components you have to be considered a compensated member.
Asgard can be found near the Glacier Ponds region right near Summit Lake. To achieve its base you need to come ready to mix Caribou glacier that involves snow to the knees or perhaps the waist in June or perhaps into mid This summer.
I haven’t got lots of info. on routes and since they’re mountain climbing routes on challenging walls I will not be posting any routes. Though I’ll gather what info. I’m able to around the ‘Swiss route’ a route utilized by Neil Monteith and can include it within the written text. This really is most likely the simplest path as much as the top from the North Peak but still requires over 10 pitches and 250 meters of wall climbing plus lots of serious scrambling simply to achieve it… a twelve hour day or even more for many.
Asgard has incredible climbing potential and it has several Grade Mire aid routes which happen to be established.
Bureaucracy
Yes permits are needed, they may be purchased for either $15 each day or perhaps an annual permist can be bought for $100 in the Parks Customer Information Center in Pangnirtung. For more information. you are able to call 1 867 473 8828 or try nunavut_info@pc.gc.ca. There aren’t any real periodic closures to talk of… though very couple of may wish to go to the area within the dead of winter as temperatures hover for days on finish around -40 levels celsius or cooler. Winter expeditions mind up usually at the end of March or April when winter starts to release its icy grip somewhat.
Its requested that you simply stay with walking across rock, sand or snow particularly if wildflowers along with other rare Arctic vegetation is out and you leave the neighborhood creatures alone. Please also make sure to pack with what you pack out… this really is raw unspoiled backwoods at its finest… please respect that.
When You Should Climb
The optimum time for climbing may be the summer time several weeks between mid June to mid August though it’s possible to stretch the growing season earlier in June or later in to the first week of September when the weather holds.
The finest obstacle to beat in almost any other months are winter itself not to mention the typical logistical difficulties.. for example organizing transportation, local guides etc. this could be compunded infinitely through the return of storms towards the area. I’ve not heard whether there has been springtime climbs or otherwise though I believe that it is possible although the costs and logistics could be greater than a little prohibitive.
Camping
Camping is permitted. The only real official website is close to the entrance towards the Akshayuk Valley near Overlord Mountain. Another sites are formally termed random sites meaning camp where you get a good place. Preferably not very near to the Weasel or Owl rivers and somewhere sheltered because the wind may really whip lower with the valley. There’s a little hut locted near the bottom of the mountain which could sleep 2-4 people. You will find huts located near Mt. Thor and also at the park entrance near Mt. Overlord.
Mountain Conditions
The only real telephone number to for current conditions may be the one already provided at a negative balance tape section, and also the website provided also needs to yield relatively accurate climate conditions. Another site you could attempt may be the Parks Canada website that is www.pc.gc.ca/auyuittuq. The telephone number found here is for that Park superintendent so it ought to be relatively simple to uncover weather conditions after that.
Failing all this you could attempt www.theweathernetwork.com and kind in Iqaluit you’ll have to the hour climate conditions.
