Vörðufell (South Iceland)
| Vörðufell | ||
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 Vörðufell, north view from Skálholt |
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| height | 391 m | |
| location | Iceland | |
| Coordinates | 64 ° 4 '48 " N , 20 ° 32' 24" W | |
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| Type | Tabular volcano | |
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The 391 m high table volcano Vörðufell is located in the south of Iceland in the municipality of Grímsnes og Grafningur , south of Skálholt on the south bank of the Hvítá .
geology
The mountain was formed as a tabular volcano in the Ice Age, which lasted in Iceland until 10,000 years ago. It consists of palagonite in the lower area and basalt lavas in the upper area . Its base is roughly in the shape of a triangle, the highest and steepest part of the mountain is to the north towards Skálholt. After the Ice Age, the mountain rose up as an island from the large bay that the Flói plain formed at that time. But after the glacier load had dropped, the land rose so that like many others, for example the Meðalfell near Flúðir, it juts out of the plain as an island mountain.
lake
On the mountain there is a lake called Úlfsvatn (also Úlfjótsvatn ). From there a stream flows into the deep Úlfsgil gorge .
Folk tale
A folk legend tells of a young man who constructed wings based on the pattern of the birds with which he tried to fly from the top of Vörðufell to Skálholt. But the Bishop of Skálholt forbade him to behave in such an unchristian way, since it was not given to humans to fly.
Hiking on the mountain
At the Iða farm there is an opportunity to climb the mountain.