Queen Maud Land: Various Ascents

November 2015

Originally published at American Alpine Journal by Austrian Christoph Höbenreich

Following my expedition to the Orvin Fjella in November 2009 (AAJ 2010), and another to the east of the Drygalski Mountains in November 2013, I visited the Filchner Mountains in November 2015.

Michael Guggolz (Germany), Kjetil Kristensen and Kjell Olav Gjerde (Norway), and I skied from Jokulkyrkia (3,148m, 71°52’34″S, 6°40’12″E), the highest point in Queen Maud Land, along Trollslottet toward Rakekniven in the east.

On the 19th we climbed a nameless 2,775m peak that we called Thor’s Altar (71°55’14”S, 6°47’02″E), the next day Jokulkyrkia, on the 22nd Peak 2,670m (71°56’28″S, 6°54’57″E) and Peak 2,240m (a rock outcrop at 71°58’18″S, 6°58’15″E), and on the 25th the high point of a rocky ridge of 2,231m (71°59’09″S, 7°13’32″E; there were three rocky summits that we named Tre Trollungane).

Apart from Jokulkyrkia, all were first ascents, but the altitudes are not precise, being either barometric or deduced from Google Earth.

Previous on Pythom:

Queen Maud Land, “probably the most fascinating ice and rock landscape of our planet,” says Christoph Hoebenreich