Baffin Island, Northwest Territories, Canada,
1998
Photograph by Gordon Wiltsie
Hidden on a spur of land ominously labeled Remote Peninsula, the sheer, blank wall of Great Sail Peak is reflected in a pool of icy water. With an elevation of 5,300 feet [1,615 meters], the massive granite wall took four experienced climbers three weeks to climb. Taking a break to wait out dangerous weather, the crew bolted their tents to the wall and made a hanging camp.
(Text adapted from and photograph shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Hitting the Wall: First Ascent of a Baffin Island Peak," January 1999, National Geographic magazine)