North America, Canada, Canadian Arctic, Sam Ford and Eglington Fiords, Baffin Island

Publication Year: 1974.

Sam Ford and Eglington Fiords, Baffin Island. No climbers had visited these mountains since 1950 when three Swiss and an American in three months climbed 15 new mountains. The only other previous ascents were of two mountains in 1934. The Ottawa Section of the Canadian Alpine Club fielded an expedition in this area in July and August. We were M.B. Anderson, H. Blades, Patrick D. Baird, A.R.C. Butson, R.M.G. Frame, K.U. Ingold, R.B. and L. James, D.P. Mac- Adam, M.R. Piggott, W.R. Reader and I. We flew to Base Camp on the shores of Swiss Bay on Sam Ford Fiord. Camps were also set up at the Eglington Fiord end of Revoir Pass and, when the snow melted enough on Sam Ford Fiord, on the low pass south of “Castle Mountain” (N° 19). All were first ascents except where noted. The numbers identify mountains on the map. The following mountains were climbed: 19, “Castle Mountain” by Ingold, Piggott, Reader on July 29 via the easternmost of the two gullies on the south face; 20, by Ingold, Piggott, Reader on July 31 via south face; 21, “Beluga Mountain” by Butson, Frame, R.B. James on August 3 via west face; 22, “Belvedere Ridge” by Ingold, Reader, Whalley on August 5 via north ridge; 23, by Anderson, Whalley on July 20 and MacAdam on August 4 via southeast face and descent by south ridge; north-southeast traverse by Ingold, Piggot, Reader on July 26; 3, “Walrus Head Mountain”, second ascent by Frame, Piggott, Reader on July 15 and by Baird on August 3 via east ridge; northeast- southwest traverse by Butson, R.B. James, Whalley on July 18; 24, by Butson, R.B. James, Whalley on July 18 via east ridge and descent by southeast face; 25, by Butson, R.B. James, Whalley on July 19 via north ridge; 26, by Baird, R.B. and L. James on July 22 via west ridge on descent by east ridge; 27, by Butson, Frame, Reader, Whalley on July 23 by northeast face and descent by east face; 28, “Revoir Mountain” by Frame, Ingold, Piggott, Reader on July 17, by Butson, Frame, Whalley on July 21 and by R.B. and L. James on August 5 via south face; 29, “Fortress Mountain” by Butson, Frame, Ingold, Piggott, Whalley on July 21 via northwest ridge and descent by south face and by Baird, R.B. James on July 31 via south face; Pioneer Peak, second ascent by Baird, R.B. James on July 31 via north face (First ascent in 1934 by Baird.); 30, 15 and 13, first ascent of 30 by northwest and east ridges and second ascents of 15 by northwest ridge and of 13 by east face by Butson, Frame, R.B. and L. James, Whalley on July 28; 31, “Kigut Peak” by Baird, Frame, Ingold, Piggott on July 19 via east face; 32 and 33, by MacAdam on July 23 via southeast slopes; 34, by MacAdam on July 19 via south slopes; 35, by MacAdam on July 21 via west ridge; 36, by MacAdam on July 20; 37, by Butson, Frame, Whalley on August 4 via west ridge and descent by east ridge; 6, “Crystal peak”, second ascent and new route by R.B. and L. James on July 26 via south ridge and descent by east ridge; 38, by Anderson, Reader on July 21 and by R.B. and L. James on July 26 via northwest ridge; 39, by R.B. and L. James on July 26 via west ridge and descent by east ridge; 40, by R.B. and L. James on July 26 by north ridge and descent by southeast ridge, which was reascended almost to the summit and the southwest ridge descended; 11, “Cracked Peak”, nearly complete second ascent (The south summit block was not completely ascended.) by Anderson, Butson, Frame on July 30 via southeast ridge and descent by southeast face; 41, “Cleaver Peak” by Blades, Whalley on July 30 via south ridge and descent by north ridge; 42, large nunatak by Whalley on July 30 via northwest slopes; 43, by Blades, Whalley on July 30 via southwest ridge and descent by southeast ridge; 46, 44 and 45, traverse of ridge between 46 and 47 by Ingold on August 3; 47, by Whalley on August 2 via east face and north ridge and by Ingold on August 3 by traverse from 45; 48, by R.B. James on July 30 via west ridge; 49, by MacAdam on July 30 via west slopes; 51, 50, by MacAdam on August 2 via southeast slope. A detailed account will appear in the Canadian Alpine Journal.

E. Whalley, Alpine Club of Canada