Previous History of Gunnbjorns Fjeld

Publication Year: 1990.

Previous History of Gunnbjørns Fjeld. James Lowther has been kind enough to supply us with further data about Gunnbjørns Fjeld. After Gino Watkins’ expedition of 1930-31 had spotted the peak, Martin Lindsay fixed its position in 1934 during his remarkable crossing of Greenland from the west coast. In 1935 Augustine Courtauld succeeded in getting to the peak from the east coast and climbing it. His route followed the Sorgenfri Glacier from Jakobsen’s Fjord and crossed the Christian IV Glacier from Icefall Pass. The party took aneroid barometer readings on the summit, which gave a height of 12,200 feet (3718 meters). In 1984, the Geodaetsik Institut determined the height to be 3708.53 meters, using a Global Positioning System, a difference of only 10 meters. Before 1988, the region was visited again only twice. In 1971, Alistair Allen’s expedition approached from the Rosenborg and then the Korridoren Glacier. (See AAJ, 1972, pages 151-2.) In 1987, Woolley’s expedition roughly followed Courtauld’s route from Sødalen. (See AAJ, 1988, p. 153.) On all three ascents of Gunnbjøms Fjeld, two mountains were noted, which resembled a cone and a dome, probably the second and third highest mountains in the Arctic. We apologize for previous misspellings of Gunnbjørns Fjeld. Mr. Lowther has given us more details about the peaks climbed by his group and also of the 1986 expedition, in which he participated.