Gunnbjørn Fjeld

Gunnbjørn Fjeld rises to 3,694 metres in the Watkins Mountains of eastern Greenland, which makes it the highest point in Greenland and the highest in the Arctic, north of the Arctic Circle. It was first climbed in 1935. Expeditions land by ski-equipped charter aircraft on the glacier below it, usually from Iceland, and the climb itself is not technically hard by mountaineering standards; the difficulty is the logistics, the cold and the isolation.

History

The mountain is named after Gunnbjörn Ulfsson, the first European to have sighted Greenland, and it was first climbed on 16 August 1935 by Augustine Courtauld, Jack Longland, Ebbe Munck and Lawrence Wager (Wikipedia, Gunnbjørn Fjeld).

What's there

• The summit - 3,694 metres, the highest point in Greenland and the Arctic.
• The Watkins range - the remote peaks around it in eastern Greenland.
• The glacier landing - the ski-aircraft strip expeditions use as base.
• The 1935 first ascent - the early British expedition that reached the top.

When to go

April to June is the expedition season with light, firm snow and workable landings. Outside that the aircraft cannot operate. Expeditions last two to three weeks.

Practical notes

This is a full expedition requiring permits, charter aircraft and self-sufficiency; it is not a trip that can be arranged casually. Weather routinely strands groups for a week or more. Costs run to tens of thousands.

Nearby

Ittoqqortoormiit is far to the northeast, and Kulusuk is south.

Key facts