GREENLAND

39 Likely ultra-prominences

Mountains with prominence of 1,500 meters or greater

Provisional list compiled 2005 by Aaron Maizlish, Jonathan de Ferranti, and Petter Bjorstad.

OK, I admit that I would like to have more expertise on Greenland.  I know little about the island other than what I have gleaned from maps, from the occasional trans-Atlantic fly-over that brings tears to my eyes, and some riveting trip reports in the AAJ.

Research into the high-prominence peaks was thwarted by the lack of any detailed digital elevation model, and by the absence of modern topographic maps along many parts of the coast.  The Greenland coast may be the last piece of terra incognita on earth, at least from a prominence perspective.

I was surprised by the number of likely ultra-prominences that our map work picked up.  I studied the ONC and TPC aeronautical charts, and Jonathan studied the modern Danish topographic survey.  The GTOPO30 data turned out to be too unreliable to be of any utility in the project.  Our work was aided by Petter Bjorstad's research into Greenland.  A link to his website, and a trip report of his 2004 summiting of Gunnbjornsfeld are below.

Our work should suffice to identify all of the likely ultras, but does not to give a high degree of precision  to the elevation and prominence values.

Outside of Gunnsbjornsfjeld, Dansketinden, Mont Forel, and Ejnar Mikkelsen Fjeld, I have not read of any trip reports for this list.  It is likely that many on this list still await their first ascent.  Trip reports to any of the other 35 summits would be enthusiastically received, posted and promoted on this site!

39 is actually a pretty impressive number of summits for Greenland.  All of these peaks are near the coast.  According to the modern Danish survey model, the high point of the icecap itself is 3238m, but we believe it to have a prominence of only about 600m, its parent beingMont Forel.  13 of the summits are highpoints of islands along the Greenland Coast, several more are on peninsulas that barely connect to the main island.  In total, 11 summits are along the West Coast, 2 are on the North Coast, 4 are near the Southern Tip and 22 are along the East Coast.  We were unable to obtain detail mapping of the North and Northeast Coasts of Greenland - there are possibly a few more ultras lurking up there, although we expect that we found all of them.

Further help with names would be appreciated.

first posting 5/17/2005
Rank
 Summit Name
 Elevation
(m.)
 Prominence
(m.)
 Saddle
(m.)
 Location
(Coastline)
 Latitude
 Longitude
 Elev.
(ft.)
 Prom.
(ft.)
 Footnotes

1 Gunnbjornsfjeld
(HP Greenland)		 3694 3694 0 East 68º55'N 29º54'W 12119 12119 [1]
2 HP Milne Land  >2200 >2200 0 East 70º47'N 26º40'W 7218 7218 [2]
3 Dansketinden
(Stauning Alper)		 2839 2189 650 East 72º07'N 24º54'W 9314 7182 [3]
4 Palup Qaqa
(HP Upernivik Island)		 2105 2105 0 West 71º20'N 52º49'W 6906 6906
5 Payers Tinde
(HP Suess Land)		 2320 2045 275 East 73º08'N 26º22'W 7611 6791
6 Perserajoq 2259 2009 250 West 71º24'N 51º58'W 7411 6591 [6]
7 HP Renland 2200 1950 250 East 71º20'N 26º20'W 7218 6398 [7]
8 Pyramiden/Hoeyriggen (HP Disko Island) 1904 1904 0 West 70º07'N 53º24'W 6247 6247
9 Angelins Bjerg (HP Ymers) 1900 1900 0 East 73º09'N 24º19'W 6234 6234
10 HP Traill 1884 1884 0 East 72º43'N 24º04'W 6181 6181
11 HP Parnaqussuit Qavaat 1860 1820 40 West 66º26'N 52º55'W 6102 5971
12 HP Storo 1770 1770 0 East 70º50'N 27º29'W 5807 5807
13 HP Rooseveltsfjeld or Johannes V. Jensen Land 1920 1770 150 North see notes
6299 5807 [13]
14 Snehaetten (Qertarsuaq/Disko) 1765 1765 0 West 71º34'N 53º10'W 5791 5791
15 HP Helges Halvo/ Pandebrasken
(HP Skjoldungen)		 1750 1750 0 South 63º27'N 41º50'W 5741 5741
16 HP Geographical Society Island 1730 1730 0 East 72º57'N 24º20'W 5676 5676
17 HP Hahn Land 1744 1694 50 Northeast 80º26'N 19º50'W 5722 5558 [17]
18 Agpalik (HP Agpat Isl.) 1690 1690 0 West 70º57'N 52º02'W 5545 5545
19 Iterdlaup Qaqai (HP Nugssuaq Pen.) 2144 1669 475 West 70º42'N 52º59'W 7034 5476
20 Hardersbjerg (Gauss Halvo) 1679 1658 21 East 73º26'N 22º50'W 5508 5440
21 Klosterbjerge 2410 1635 775 East 72º15'N 25º57'W 8120 5577 [21]
22 Qingagssat qaqit 1782 1632 150 South 60º34'N 44º42'W 5846 5354 [22]
23 Qingaq (Storo) 1616 1616 0 West 64º24'N 51º07'W 5302 5302
24 Agssaussat 2140 1615 525 West 65º53'N 52º07'W 7021 5298
25 (Schweizerland) 1680 1605 75 East 66º07'N 37º27'W 5512 5266
26 HP Clavering Island 1604 1604 0 East 74º22'N 21º11'W 5262 5262
27 Ejnar Mikkelsen Fjeld 3308 1600 1700 East 68º53'N 28º36'W 10853 5249 [27]
28 Pautuut 2010 1585 425 West 70º18'N 52º43'W 6594 5200
29
 Agdleruussakasit 1763 1585 178 South 60º08'N 44º32'W 5784 5200 [29]
30 Margaretatopp
(Andrees Land)		 2360 1585 775 East 73º22'N 26º18'W 7743 5200
31 Mt. Forel 3391 1581 1810 East 66º56'N 36º49'W 11125 5938 [31
32 Blaskbjerg (Gunnar Anderssons Land, Ymers) 1600 1575 25 East 73º18'N 24º02'W 5249 5118
33 Kloftbjerge (Renland) 2163 1563 550 East 71º20'N 25º45'W 7096 5128 [33]
34 Kinaussak 1630 1555 75 West 64º27'N 50º31'W 5348 5102
35 HP Gaaseland 2100 1550 550 East 70º12'N 27º40'W 6890 5085
36 HP Christian IV Island 1549 1549 0 South 60º03'N 43º55'W 5082 5082
37 Favres Bjerg (Hudson Land) 2000 1546 454 East 73º57'N 23º12'W 6562 5072
38 Johnstrup Bjerge (Suess Land) 2000 1540 460 East 73º00'N 25º32'W 6562 5052
39 Berzelius Bjerg 1810 1535 275 East 72º28'N 25º04'W 5938 5036


POSSIBLE ULTRAS
40 (Ymers) 1802 1492 310 East 73º12'N 25º03'W 5912 4895
41 Tuviligssuaq 1845 1491 354 South 60º11'N 44º30'W 6053 4892 [41]
42 Agdlerulik 1840 1490 350 South 61º01'N 45º10'W 6037 4888 [42]
43 Mt. Atter (HP Sukkertoppen) 2190 1480 710 West 66º02'N 52º16'W 7185 4856


FOOTNOTES

See also Petter Bjorstad's Greenland web pages.

[1] Please refer to Petter Bjorstad's excellent report of his 2004 expedition and GPS survey.
[2] Summit is atop a large unmapped icefield
[3] Dansketinden is believed to be the highest point in Stauning; being barely taller than neighboring Norsketoppen.
[6] Elevation 2310 according to ONC.
[7] Summit is atop a large unmapped icefield
[13] This unknown point is the northernmost ultra-prominence on earth. The Danish 500k map indicates the high point of the peninsula to be 1840m, however leaving open the possibility of a higher (unmapped) icefield summit. The 1:1m World Aeronautical Chart suggests a high point of 6,300' (1920m) at 83º20'N 35º47'W. The saddle is the low Nordpasset between 100m-200m elevation.
[17] A 0-100m saddle separates the Prinsesse Caroline-Mathilde Alper.
[21] Maps give two spot elevations of 2410m for the summit Klosterbjerge.  The older 1:250,000 maps seem to indicate that there are higher contours, but this is somewhat in conflict with the newer series.
[22] Saddle contour is 100m-200m.
[27] Prominence and saddle value are very approximate.
[29] SRTM derived
[31] Mt. Forel is the highest point on Greenland outside of the Gunnbjornfjeld region. The 1:500,000 map indicates a saddle elevation of c.1810m, at 69º04'N 29º28'W, near the Kronborg glacier near Gunnbjornfjeld. If this is correct, then this is the key saddle for Forel. On the other hand  GTOPO30 suggests that the saddle at this location higher than 2000m, which would remove Forel from this list.  Petter Bjorstad has been to this saddle (!) and concurs that it is close to 1800m.
Please note that all other sources point to an elevation of 3360m, from an earlier Danish survey.  The 3391m elevation, along with many of the other elevations on this page, are derived from more recent 1:500,000 topographic coverage prepared by the Danish survey.

[33] Saddle contour is 500m-600m. This is not the highest point of Renland.
[41] SRTM Saddle
[42] Saddle contour 300m-400m

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