Drangajökull

The Drangajökull (German " rock glacier " ) is the northernmost major glacier in Iceland.

He is in the northwest of the Westfjords peninsula southeast of the Hornstrandir of the island and extends about 160 to 200 km ² up to a height of 925 meters.

Other well-known summit on the glacier are Hljóðabunga ( 825 m), and Reyðarbunga Hrolleifsborg ( 851 m). Some mountain peaks stand out as nunataks from the glacier ice.

Various valley glaciers emanate from Drangajökull best known is the glacier tongue that reaches down almost to the 5 km long Kaldalón Bay. From there you can hike to the glacier tongue.

The snow line is located in the northwest of the lowest at 700 m.

Even under the Drangajökull lie volcanic mountains. But the Westfjords are the oldest part of Iceland and are no longer volcanically active.

You can already see the glacier from afar over the great fjord Ísafjarðardjúp of time, particularly from the nearby island in the fjord Vigur. The snow fields in the district Snæfjallaströnd are remnants of the glacier, which was much larger in the past.

Up to the turn of the century to the 20th century, the area was settled rich and led a number of ways over the glacier. On them were transported including the driftwood to the south, which is abundantly found on the north coast of Iceland, and in earlier times formed an important additional source of income for farmers.