Berghaus ambassador Leo Houlding and climbing partner Erik Boomer have completed the first ascent of The Beak, a 700m Arctic cliff overlooking Sam Ford Fjord on Baffin Island.
The ascent took place in May 2026, with the pair spending ten days on the wall and five nights suspended above the frozen landscape. Temperatures fell as low as minus 27°C during the expedition, which tested Berghaus’s autumn/winter 2026 Extrem equipment in demanding conditions.
A remote Arctic expedition
The wider adventure took the team to Kangiqtualuk Uqquqti, also known as Sam Ford Fjord, in Nunavut, Canada. According to Berghaus’s expedition account, Houlding travelled with eight crew members and around 1,400kg of equipment. Reaching their destination involved flying to Clyde River before an eight-hour snowmobile journey across the frozen sea with local Inuit support.
The first part of the trip included kite skiing, ice climbing and bouldering before attention turned to the previously unclimbed wall.
Loose rock and a demanding new route
In his firsthand account for Summit Journal, Houlding describes unstable rock, powerful winds and the challenges of climbing in severe cold. The team established a mixed-style route, combining free and aid climbing rather than completing a wholly free ascent.
The result was a new expedition route on one of the fjord’s imposing sea cliffs, reached through careful teamwork and adaptation to the conditions.
Extrem equipment put to the test
Houlding has worked with Berghaus for nearly three decades and helps develop its Extrem range. The expedition also supplied photographs and footage for the brand’s campaign, connecting its technical clothing with the environments in which its ambassadors use it.
Featured photograph: Hamish Frost, from Summit Journal x Berghaus.
