Gunnbjørn Fjeld
| Gunnbjørn Fjeld | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Elevation | 3,694 m (12,119 ft) |
| Prominence |
3,694 m (12,119 ft) Ranked 43rd |
| Listing |
Country high point Ultra |
| Location | |
  Gunnbjørn Fjeld Location of Gunnbjørn Fjeld in Greenland | |
| Location | Sermersooq, Greenland |
| Range | Watkins Range |
| Coordinates | 68°55′10.2″N 29°53′54.72″W / 68.919500°N 29.8985333°WCoordinates: 68°55′10.2″N 29°53′54.72″W / 68.919500°N 29.8985333°W |
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 after Gunnbjorn Ulfsson, the Viking who was the first European to reach Greenland.
The mountain is not so often climbed, due to the remote location. It is located around 60 km from an unpopulated part of the coast. Access is often done with helicopter or ski-equipped plane (normally from Iceland).
References
- ↑ Apollonio, Spencer. "Lands that Hold One Spellbound: A Story of East Greenland". p. 350.