The Cirque of the Unclimbables  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Lat, Long:  61.9939, -127.5235 Map Page Views:  51,267. Good page?    Administrators:  Peter Spindloe, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Jay Knower on Jan 7, 2007 Make this area a Favorite What's New  Printer View Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 66° | 46° 79° | 52° 82° | 55° 88° | 57° 86° | 59°

Terrace Tower.

Description 

The Cirque of the Unclimbables offers amazing granite rock climbing in a remote, beautiful setting. Found in Nahani Provincial Park just over the western border of the Northwest Territories, the Cirque is pretty out there. No roads lead to within a hundred miles of the Cirque.

Often likened to the Bugaboos but without all of the snow and harder to get to, the Cirque holds many spires and walls. Most are suitable for climbing, but Lotus Flower Tower and Mount Proboscis stand out as gems. Mid-to-late summer offers the best climbing weather and also offers up to 20 hours of daylight because of the Cirque's northern geography.

Fairy Meadows, the traditional basecamp for all routes in the Cirque except the more remote Mount Proboscis, is a magical, lush, well, meadow. Granite boulders, some house-sized, dot the meadow and present rainy-day bouldering opportunities and shelter for tents. Most objectives in the area are a one-hour walk from the meadow. However, those who plan on climbing Mount Proboscis should plan on a much more involved approach from the meadow, one that takes a number of hours and involves a climb through What Notch, as Proboscis actually lies in a subsidary cirque.

Goerge Bell's excellent and informative site answers most questions about the area: www.geocities.com/gibell.geo/cirque/

Getting There 

This is the hard and expensive part. Unless you are masochistic, it is necessary to charter a float plane to fly you into the Cirque. Warren Lafave's company, Kluane Airways is the primary service for the Cirque. He owns the Inconnu Lodge, a very high end fishing resort, so those who chose to fly with Kluane often are treated to food and lodging at this up-scale establishment. Warren usually stashes a sat phone in the Cirque in order to coordinate trips back to civilization. More info can be found at: www.kluaneairways.com/unclimbables.html

We drove to Finlayson Lake, which is about two hours north of Watson Lake in the Yukon Territories. From here, a float plane picked us up and flew us to Glacier Lake, the major drop-off point for the Cirque. From Glacier Lake, expect a long slog up interminable talus to Fairy Meadows. So, from the lake, follow a meandering trail generally west until you hit the talus at the base of Mount Harrison Smith, a mile-high hunk of bad granite. Take a hard right and follow the talus generally north until you hit Fairy Meadows. It took us a solid half-day to get from the lake to the meadow.

It is also possible, though more expensive, to charter a helicopter to drop you off at Fairy Meadows, thereby bypassing the talus slog. If I ever go back, I am definitely getting the helicopter. After negotiating the talus a few times while shuttling loads, I came to the conclusion that the helicopter is absolutely worth the extra cost.

The Classics

Featured Route For The Cirque of the Unclimbables

Club International 5.10+ C2  International : Canada : ... : Bustle Tower

On the Southeast face of Bustle tower. 12 pitches of quality granite up one of the most aesthetic towers in the cirque. Named after route topo drawn on a girly magazine of the same name found in a waterproof case at the bivy site in Fairy Meadows. Left of the SE Face Route. Follows left facing dihedrals over a big drippy roof on pitch six. Goes free at mid 5.11, if pitch six isn't too wet. Do it in a day, or fix the first few pitches then fire it the next day....[more]   Browse More Classics in International

Photos of The Cirque of the Unclimbables Slideshow

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Sun through the clouds in the Cirque of the Unclim...	Lotus Flower Tower with a dusting of fresh snow - ...	Peter and Deaun smokin' cigars after a another gou...
the express elevator	The Cirque. Mt Proboscis is on the left, Lotus Fl...	The Cirque from the air. Lotus Flower Tower is vi...
Mt Proboscis (on the left) from Fairy Meadow.	Bouldering in Fairy Meadow. Lotus Flower Tower in...	the Lotus and the Parrot Beak