Lotus Flower Tower and Parrot Beak
© 1999 by Andrew Querner

Guide to The

Cirque of the Unclimbables

by George Bell

Version 14: February, 2009

visitors since then


Mt. Harrison Smith
© 1988 by George Bell

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Where is this place?

Zoom in from the Canadian locator map!

"The Cirque of the Unclimbables" is the name given to a small cluster of peaks and walls in remote northern Canada, near the border of the Yukon and Northwest Territories. The Lotus Flower Tower, publicized in the book Fifty Classic Climbs of North America is perhaps the most well known climb there. It is also home to the awesome Mt. Proboscis, an amazing hunk of granite with easiest free route a fifteen pitch 5.12a!

In the past 10 years, Baffin Island has surpassed the Cirque of the Unclimbables as a Canadian big wall destination. And for good reason - the Cirque is much smaller in area and by comparison is "climbed out". The Vampire Spires have received some attention recently due to a 1999 article in Climbing Magazine (#187, see also #115). The Vampire Spires are 15 miles northwest of the Cirque of the Unclimbables and are not covered by this web guide, see the Climbing Magazine articles (and recent American Alpine Journals).

What's New?

2/22/09: Yearly update completed. Added one trip report.
Best URL for this web site: http://www.geocities.com/gibell.geo/cirque/

Contents of this guide:

How accurate or dated is this information?

I have been updating this guide once a year. This guide will always be incomplete, because many climbers to this area do not report their ascents. I have made an effort to include all recorded climbs through 2006.

WARNING! Rock climbing is, by its very nature, a potentially hazardous activity. Prior and competent knowledge in the use of various rock climbing safety devices is assumed. While an attempt has been made to insure that the information provided here is accurate, it is never a substitute for your better judgement. By use of the provided information, the reader hereby releases the authors and providers of said information from liability for any injury, including death, that might result. You have been warned!

Thanks to ...

Please send comments, additions, errors to:

George Bell (gibell@comcast.net).

Last Update: 2/26/2009

Copyright © 2008 by George Bell of this page and all contents. All rights reserved.

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