The Asgard Project :: Leo Houlding and team successfully summit Mount Asgard Leo Houlding and his team have successfully reached the top of Mount Asgard after 12 days of climbing, in an ambitious expedition that tested all involved to the limit. The team endured extrem... View page for full story

Leo Houlding and team successfully summit Mount Asgard

Leo Houlding and his team have successfully reached the top of Mount Asgard after 12 days of climbing, in an ambitious expedition that tested all involved to the limit.

The team endured extremely harsh conditions on the 1400 metre high tower of granite, which is in a remote region of Baffin Island, Arctic Canada.  They climbed during days in which there were 23 hours of shade and endured sub-zero temperatures and severe ice storms that left 4cm of haw frost on all of their ropes.  Leo, fellow Berghaus climber Carlos Suarez and the rest of the team, managed to reach the top just before the route became completely unclimbable.

Every aspect of the gruelling climb was captured in high definition by award winning film maker Alastair Lee.  To make all of this possible, the team was given substantial support by Berghaus and leading mobile communications company Nokia. 

Leo Houlding comments: “Climbing Asgard’s North West face, which is regarded as one of the world’s most difficult big walls, was the greatest challenge I have set myself to date. The climb was extremely tough and we faced a savage ice storm that made us consider retreat, but we finally got enough of a break in the weather to finish the route.”

Alastair Lee adds: “We are over the moon that we made it to the top. It has been brutal - thank God we all had the right kit otherwise frost-nip and hyperthermia would have had us by now.”
He continued: “It has been such a hard experience for all of us and we are physically and psychologically exhausted. My hands are in pieces and just unzipping my sleeping bag is agony - I can't wait to get back to civilization. We haven't showered for a month and we've had our fill of freeze dried rations.

“Though destroyed and surviving on on painkillers and anti-inflamatories we're all in good spirits. The river crossings that were waist deep ragging torrents on the way up are now trickles we can boulder hop across without removing boots.  I can almost taste the fresh food and beer. “

In preparation for the epic climb, Leo completed three crucial training expeditions, to Riglos in Spain, Brento in Italy and the world famous Yosemite National Park in the USA.  On each trip, Leo and climbing partners tackled major big walls and tested and refined the techniques that would make the difference between failure and success on Asgard.  He was also supplied with some prototypes of new Berghaus products to put to the test throughout the year.