What’s your idea of a good time? If it is clinging to a rock face in freezing temperatures for a week at a time, then you will have a lot in common with athlete Leo Houlding.
In May 2026, Leo led a nine-person expedition into the remote wilderness of Baffin Island in canada. The journey included snowkiting, skiing, climbing and paragliding, and even building their own igloo.
At the end of this journey, Leo and his fellow climber Eric Boomer made the first ascent of The Beak, a massive 700-metre cliff. Made of steep, loose and previously unclimbed rock, this was a challenging climb. In fact, Leo described it as “the loosest rock he’s ever climbed on”.
The pair spent ten days completing the ascent, including five nights asleep on a suspended platform on the cliff. Throughout the climb, they faced winds of up to 60mph, temperatures ranging from -27°C to below freezing and a sun that never sets.
The climb was in part an opportunity to test new Berghaus kit, wearing the brand’s new AW26 Extrem range.
“Baffin Island was a proper adventure – from snowkiting and ski touring to climbing, paragliding and sleeping in our own igloo,” said Marta Misztal, a member of the expedition team. “Surrounded by an incredible frozen landscape, sharing it with such a brilliant team made it a trip I’ll never forget”.
Baffin Island is notoriously a tricky environment. Along with the freezing temperatures and powerful winds, this Canadian island features long expanses of icy fields, broken up with towering mountains.
At 27°C, exposed skin is at risk of frostbite, especially with the addition of the freezing cold winds and serious exposure.
Leo is one of Berghaus’s longest-standing ambassadors, having worked with them for nearly 30 years. This climb aimed to take Berghaus equipment to one of the most remote areas of the world.
