Hraundrangi

Hraundrangi (Lava Column[1] or Rockfall Spire[2]) is a conical peak in the Drangafjall ridge dividing Öxnadalur from Hörgárdalur in north Iceland. It rises to 1,075 metres (3,527 ft) above sea level, 80 metres (260 ft) above the ridge.[3] It was probably originally named simply "Drangi" and acquired the prefix from the farm of Hraun, which lies below it on the Öxnadalur side.[4] The ridge is often erroneously referred to as Hraundrangar, the plural of Hraundrangi.[4]

Hraundrangi
Hraundrangi (centre), photographed from Öxnadalur in June 2007
Highest point
Elevation1,075 m (3,527 ft)
Coordinates65°35′24″N 18°35′43″W 
Geography
Hraundrangi
Climbing
First ascent1956 by Finnur Eyjólfsson, Sigurður Waage, Nicholas Clinch

The mountain rises to an unusually sharp point, less than half a square metre at the peak. It is a lava spire that remains with the rest of the ridge after much of the original mountain, Háafjall, fell in a large rockslide many centuries ago.[2][5]

The first successful ascent of Hraundrangi was on 5 August 1956, by Finnur Eyjólfsson and Sigurður Waage of the Icelandic Air Ground Rescue Team and United States Air Force Lieutenant Nicholas Clinch.[3][5] A legend that a treasure chest would be found on the peak proved untrue.[5]

The mountain features in "Ferðalok" ("Journey's End"), a poem written at the end of his life by Jónas Hallgrímsson, who was born at Hraun.[6] The last stanza of the poem alludes to a legend that the saga hero Grettir the Strong climbed it and left his knife and belt on the peak as proof;[3] Hraundrangi was supposedly also called Grettisnúpa" ("Grettir's Crag") by the people of Öxnadalur.[6]

The 10,000 Icelandic krónur banknote issued in October 2013 honours Jónas Hallgrímsson and has on the obverse a background image of Hraundrangi and the rest of the ridge formed out of neologisms coined by the poet.[7]

References
  1. Andrew Evans, Iceland, Bradt Travel Guides, 2nd ed. Chalfont St Peter: Bradt Travel Guides / Guilford, Connecticut: Globe Pequot, 2011, ISBN 9781841623610, p. 330.
  2. "Jónas Hallgrímsson: 'Öxnadalur'", at Dick Ringler, Texts and Commentaries, University of Wisconsin, 1996–98.
  3. "Europe, Iceland, Hraundrangi, in Öxnadal", American Alpine Club, retrieved 29 March 2014.
  4. Bjarni E. Guðleifsson, "Hraundrangi en ekki Hraundrangar", Dagur, 25 October 1995, p. 8 (in Icelandic).
  5. "Hver kleif Hraundranga í Öxnadal fyrstur og hvenær var það?", Vísindavefurinn, University of Iceland, retrieved 29 March 2014 (in Icelandic)
  6. "Jónas Hallgrímsson: 'Journey's End'", at Dick Ringler, Texts and Commentaries, University of Wisconsin, 1996–98, archived on 21 March 2014.
  7. "Nýr 10.000 kr. seðill", Central Bank of Iceland, 2013 (in Icelandic); archived on 2 November 2013.
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