Which mountain has the world’s greatest vertical drop?

Mount Thor is situated inside the Arctic Circle in the remote wilds of the Auyuittuq National Park in North East Canada. It has an overall elevation of 1,675 metres (5,495 ft).

Mount Thor’s West Face has the world’s longest vertical or sheer drop at 4,101ft. The Face also has an overhanging section of 1,600 feet, making it even steeper than vertical for over a third of its length.

To put this in perspective it is a sheer drop over 3 times the height of New York’s Empire State Building!

The steepness of the West Face, allied to notoriously treacherous climbing conditions, resulted in several deaths and over 30 unsuccessful attempts before it was eventually conquered. It was only after 33 days of the most committed and arduous climbing that the American team of Eric Brand, Tom Bepler, and Earl Redfern succeeded in scaling the route in May 1985.

An insightful and harrowing account of the climb can be read in Eric Brand’s book ‘Mount Thor: Direct West Face’ which was published in 1986.

The huge cliff wall of Great Trango Tower in Northern Pakistan actually has a longer drop of 4,396 feet, but only at a ‘near vertical’ steepness angle, therefore making it less sheer than the West Face of Mount Thor.