Location Eastern Iceland Mountain type Tuya First ascent 1908 Last eruption Pleistocene | Age of rock Pleistocene Elevation 1,682 m Prominence 1,082 m | |
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Similar Askja, Hvannadalshnúkur, Hofsjökull, Öræfajökull, Kerlingarfjöll | ||
Herðubreið ([ˈhɛrðʏpreiθ], broad-shouldered) is a tuya in north-east Iceland. It is situated in the Highlands of Iceland at the east side of the Ódáðahraun desert and close to Askja volcano. The desert is a large lava field originating from eruptions of Trölladyngja and other shield volcanoes in the area. Herðubreið was formed beneath the icesheet that covered Iceland during the last glacial period.
Contents
Map of Her%C3%B0ubrei%C3%B0, Iceland
OverviewEdit
Due to the mountain's steep and unstable sides, the first ascent was in 1908 despite centuries of knowledge of its existence.
Near the mountain lies an oasis called Herðubreiðarlindir with a campground and hiking trails. In former times, outcasts who had been excluded from Icelandic society because of crimes they had committed lived at the oasis. One such outlaw was Fjalla-Eyvindur, who lived there during the winter of 1774–1775.