Schwartzenbach Falls

Schwartzenbach Falls is one of the more remote tall waterfalls of Canada - probably of the world for that matter. This one has the unique tag of being the tallest waterfall within the Arctic Circle that we are aware of. Located in an otherworldly part of Nunavut, surrounded with craggy peaks and a sea of glaciers and related glacial features, the falls drop about 520 meters down the side of a glacially carved valley to a flood plain. The initial drop seems to be a clear leap of approximately 200 meters, followed by steep cascades down an inclined bedrock trough. We mark the base of the falls where the bedrock gives way to talus. Common reference places the falls at 680 meters tall, but that figure seems to be a measurement from the lake above the falls to the floor of the valley and there are parts to that length of stream that are too shallow of gradient to be considered legitimate waterfall and / or do not contact the bedrock. We feel we've got a pretty solid estimate on the legit waterfall portion of this section of the stream.The Inuktitut name of the falls, Qulitasaniakvik, means "place to get caribou skins" - apparently referring to the valley above the falls being fruitful caribou hunting grounds.