Mountains are known for their towering peaks and steep slopes, but some formations take verticality to an entirely different level. Around the world, enormous rock walls rise thousands of feet above glaciers and valleys, with some cliffs actually leaning outward beyond vertical. Curiosity Dude took a look at some of Earth’s most extreme mountain faces, comparing their heights, climbing challenges, and sheer vertical drops.
Mount Thor Holds a World Record
Located on Baffin Island in Canada’s Arctic, Mount Thor is home to the greatest vertical drop on Earth, according to Guinness World Records. Its western face drops approximately 4,100 feet and averages an astonishing 105-degree angle. That means the rock actually overhangs the ground below rather than simply rising straight upward.
The mountain has challenged climbers for decades, with one successful expedition in 1985 taking 33 days to complete the ascent.
Great Trango Tower Challenges the Record
Mount Thor isn’t necessarily the most impressive mountain when considering the overall scale of its rock faces. In Pakistan’s Karakoram Range, Great Trango Tower features a continuous vertical and overhanging wall stretching approximately 4,400 feet. That is taller than Mount Thor’s record-setting vertical drop.
Other extraordinary formations include Antarctica’s Ulvetanna, Norway’s Troll Wall, and Pakistan’s Nanga Parbat, which features a massive 15,400-foot southern face. Great Trango Tower does not hold the official record for greatest vertical drop, but its enormous overhanging wall makes it a compelling challenger for the title of Earth’s most vertical mountain.
