12th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Baffling Mt. Thor

The Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island has many natural wonders. Mount Thor is one of them. It is the largest vertical drop on Earth. Its 1250 m of a 105 degrees sheer cliff is on the bucket list of almost every serious climber. Mt. Thor was teasing me for a long time. I wanted to check if it was as mysterious as its name and reputation. Now I can confirm first hand that it is as enigmatic as described. As I hiked through this gigantic valley, I had an impression that Mt. Thor behaved as a guard watching my every step. Each time when I made a turn, I saw Thor’s different angle. Since I was the only human in the entire park at that time, it felt quite comforting. When I reached this viewpoint near the Summit Lake, I decided to spend there a couple of days to capture Mt. Thor’s mysterious aura.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2014
Date Uploaded: 11.2014
Photo Location: Sanger, Canada
Copyright: © Artur Stanisz