Calling something "unclimable," will lead any self respecting climber to wonder whether that statement is accurate.
In the 1800's, half dome was deemed unclimbable...and these days more than 50,000 people make it to the summit every year. Words are powerful. Put in front of the right audience, they get people to find ways to achieve the impossible.
Today we look at the history of an entire mountain range whose face's were called unclimbable. Located in the far Canadian North (and I mean really, really far north!), the Ragged Range in the Northwest Territories has been beckoning climbers for nearly 70 years. And I don't mean just anyone - the biggest names in Climbing's history have made their way there, like Royal Robbins, Todd Skinner,Tommy Caldwell, and Innes Papert. How did this place become so popular, despite the monumental effort it takes to get there?
Maybe its the name...
This is "The Cirque of the Unclimbables"
SOURCES
Bell, George: "The Forgotten Yosemite" Climbing Magazine, April/May 1992, #131
Goodman, Pat: "RECON: The cirque of the Unclimbables." American Alpine Journal, 2017.
Rowell, Galen: "The Great Canadian Knife - Logan Mountains." American Alpine Journal, 1993.
Provost, Hannah: "Prophecies Foretold" American Alpine Journal, 2023.
Parks Canada Website: "Climbing in the Cirque of the Unclimbables."
VIDEOS (youtube.com)
"Lotus Flower Tower: Multipitch Climbing in Canada" Petzl Sport, 2010.
MUSIC CREDIT:
Track: "Back In Your Town"
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Track: "European Idol"
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