Mount Nirvana

Mount Nirvana, the unofficial name of the highest mountain in Canada’s Northwest Territories, rises 2,773 metres in the Mackenzie Mountains within Nahanni National Park Reserve, the territory’s largest national park. First climbed in July 1965 by Bill Buckingham and Lew Surdam, it received its current name during that ascent from Buckingham. Its significance lies partly in its extreme remoteness: before 2016, only five successful ascents had been recorded, all made possible by helicopter or floatplane access. In June 2016, climbers reached the summit without that assistance for the first time, highlighting both the mountain’s isolation and the challenge of reaching it.

Northwest Territories · Canada