| Gunnbjørn Fjeld | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 3,694 m (12,119 ft) |
| Prominence | 3,694 m (12,119 ft) Ranked 42nd |
| Listing | Country high point Ultra |
| Location | |
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Gunnbjørn Fjeld
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| Location | Sermersooq, Greenland |
| Range | Watkins Range |
Gunnbjørn Fjeld (also called only Gunnbjørn) is Greenland's highest mountain and also the highest mountain north of the Arctic circle. It is located in the Watkins Range on the east coast, which contains several other summits above 3500 metres. It is a nunatak, a rocky peak protruding through glacial ice. Its height is often given as 3,700 metres (12,100 ft), although figures vary slightly.
In the Icelandic Sagas, and thus by the Norsemen, the mountain was called Hvitserk, literally meaning "whiteshirt".[1] It was first climbed on 16 August 1935 by Augustine Courtauld, Jack Longland, Ebbe Munck, Harold G. Wager, and Lawrence Wager. It is named for Gunnbjorn Ulfsson, the Viking who was the first European to reach Greenland.