NAT

Mt Thorbjorn / Mt Fagradalsfjall

Region: Reykjanes
Coordinates: 63.8654015° N 22.5317055° W
Hiking time:
Difficulty:
Length: km
Elevation: m
Highest Point: m


About Mt Thorbjorn /Mt Fagradalsfjall

Mt Thorbjorn (Thorbjarnarfell) is a free standing, hyaloclastite mountain north of Grindavik. It offers great panoramic view over most of the Reykjanes Peninsula on fine days.

The northeastern part of the mountain depicts thermal activity and to its north and northeast is an extensive high temperature area. It is split by a fissure called “The Thieves’ Gap” (Thjofagja), occupied by 15 thieves according to the legend. They were eventually overwhelmed and killed by trickery.

Mt Fagradalsfjall is the westernmost of the of the low mountains of the Reykjanes peninsula, a 385m high hyaloclastite table mountain created during the last part of the lates cold period of the ice age, which lasted about 100.000 years.

Sagas of IcelandC. Andrews, the commander in chief of the American forces in the North Atlantic Area during World War II, and several other high ranking officers, were killed there in a crash. They were arriving from the USA and preparing for landing on Keflavik Airport. Only one man survived the crash at Fagadalsfjall.(Mountain) He had to wait more than 24 hours for rescue. The Aircraft had the name Right Stuf 

Because of Gen. Andrews’s death, the job of Supreme Allied Commander was assigned to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower seven months later in December 1943.

Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower GCS CCLH KC was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he became a five-star general in the Army and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe. He was responsible for planning and supervising the invasion of North Africa in Operation Torch in 1942–43 and the successful invasion of Normandy in 1944–45 from the Western Front.

After Dwight David “Ike” was John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK the next 35th president of the United States.

On March 19th 2021 an eruption started just north west of the hiking trail Sudurlandsvegur ( R 427) to Mt. Fagradalsfjall. Earthquakes and tremours had been monitored for few weeks be for the eruption. You can see film from the third day of the eruption filmed by Runar Geirmundsson Eruption at Reykjanes peninsula.

August 3th 2022 ups!! an eruption started again near Fagradalsfjalli

Geldingadala/Fagradalsfjall eruption number 3, July 10th 2023 Hear wee go again!!!

Mt Thorbjorn /Mt Fagradalsfjall in Icelandic

Nato Base at Keflvik Airport 

Gelogy South West Iceland

Reykjanes Saga

Photo Credit: Visit Reykjanes

Get an education when travel:

WHAT TO SEE?
Nearby Mt Thorbjorn / Mt Fagradalsfjall

WHAT TO DO?
Nearby Mt Thorbjorn / Mt Fagradalsfjall

Links in Mt Thorbjorn / Mt Fagradalsfjall