Cirque of the Unclimbables

The Cirque of the Unclimbables is a remote amphitheatre of soaring granite spires in the Ragged Range of the Northwest Territories, near the Yukon border. Despite its forbidding name, it holds some of the finest and most sought-after big-wall climbing in North America.

The rock is superb granite, forming sheer walls and towers that rise from alpine meadows and glaciers deep in the subarctic wilderness. The climbing is big-wall and alpine traditional, with the celebrated Lotus Flower Tower among the most famous routes on the continent. Difficulty runs from committing multi-pitch lines around 5.9 and 5.10 to hard modern free climbs, all demanding self-sufficiency, long days, and settled weather in an isolated setting. The quality of the stone and the grandeur of the cirque draw climbers from around the world despite the effort required to reach it.

Practical detail: access is a serious undertaking, typically by float plane to Glacier Lake followed by a strenuous hike with heavy loads up to the base camp at Fairy Meadows. Everything must be carried in, and the area lies within Nahanni National Park Reserve, which regulates access and requires registration. There are no facilities; climbers camp among the meadows and boulders for the duration.

Season and character: the short climbing season is high summer, roughly July to August, when the subarctic days are long and the weather offers its best, though storms, cold, and snow remain possible at any time. The Cirque of the Unclimbables rewards the committed with world-class granite in a pristine wilderness, an expedition-style destination where the remoteness and beauty are inseparable from the climbing itself.