Kirkjufell

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Kirkjufell
Kirkjufell in Iceland.jpg
Highest point
Elevation 463 m (1,519 ft)
Coordinates 64°56′28″N23°18′20″W / 64.9410355°N 23.3056896°W / 64.9410355; -23.3056896
Geography
Kirkjufell
Location Snæfellsnes, Iceland
Geology
Mountain type Nunatak

Kirkjufell (Icelandic: [ˈcʰɪr̥cʏˌfɛtl̥] ⓘ , "Church Mountain") is a 463 m [1] high hill on the north coast of Iceland's Snæfellsnes peninsula, near the town of Grundarfjörður. It is claimed to be the most photographed mountain in the country. [2] Kirkjufell was one of the filming locations for Game of Thrones season 6 and 7, featuring as the "arrowhead mountain" that the Hound and the company north of the Wall see when capturing a wight.

Contents

Geography

Kirkjufell contains volcanic rock but is not itself a volcano. It is a nunatak, a mountain that protruded above the glaciers surrounding it during the Ice Age, and before that was part of what was once the area's strata. This stratum is composed of alternating layers of Pleistocene lava and sandstone, with tuff at its summit. [3]

Mountaineering

Climbing Kirkjufell is possible during the summer and fall, generally taking around three hours; however, there are steep sections that become dangerous when wet or in bad weather. The mountain has been the scene of a number of incidents, with recorded mountaineering fatalities in 1945, [4] 2017, [5] 2018, [6] and 2022. [7]

References

  1. ↑ "Mt KIRKJUFELL SNAEFELLSNES". Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Kirkjufell | Visit West Iceland". Visit West Iceland. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  3. ↑ "How to explore Iceland through the eyes of a geologist: Part 1 – A Land of Ice and Fire". Exploring the Earth.
  4. ↑ "Climbing Kirkjufell mountain". Guide To Iceland.
  5. ↑ "Tragedy as tourist plunges to her death at Mount Kirkjufell in Iceland". iceland monitor.
  6. ↑ "Fatal accident in Mt Kirkjufell: Foreign hiker was pronounced dead at the scene". Icelandmag.
  7. ↑ "A fatal accident at Kirkjufell". Iceland Monitor . 19 October 2022.
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