Sør Rondane Mountains Explained

The Sør Rondane Mountains are a group of mountains about 100 miles (160 km) long with main peaks rising to 3400 m, between the Queen Fabiola Mountains and Wohlthat Mountains in Queen Maud Land. They were discovered and photographed from the air by members of the Lars Christensen Expedition (LCE) on February 6, 1937, and named after Rondane, a mountain massif in southern Norway. The mountains and their constituent features were mapped in greater detail and named in 1957 by Norwegian cartographers working with air photos taken by U.S. Navy Operation Highjump, 1946–47.

Features

Mountains

• Austhamaren: high, standing close east of Byrdbreen glacier. "Austhamaren" means "the east hammer."
• Austhjelmen: high, standing 2nmi east of Vesthjelmen. "Austhjelmen" means the "east helmet."
• Balchen: high, at the east side of Byrdbreen. Named for Bernt Balchen, famous Norwegian polar aviator.
• Bamse: high, standing west of Mount Nils Larsen. "Bamsefjell" means "bear mountain."
• Bautaen: 2240m (7,350feet) high, on the northeast side of Mount Bergersen. "Bautaen" means "the monolith."
• Bergersen: high, at the west side of Byrdbreen. Named for Ambassador Birger Bergersen. A prominent rock pinnacle called Tårnet Pinnacle ("the tower") sits on its northwest side.
• Bond Peaks: a group of peaks, 3180m (10,430feet) high, at the southwest side of Mount Bergersen. Named for United States Navy Captain Charles A. Bond, commander of the Western Group of Operation Highjump.
• Borchgrevink: 2390m (7,840feet) high, 30NaN0 south of the Tanngarden Peaks. Named for Captain Otto Borchgrevink, leader of the Norwegian whaling expedition 1930–31.
• Brattnipane Peaks: a group of peaks, the highest 2660m (8,730feet) tall, 9nmi northwest of Mefjell. "Brattnipane" means the "steep peaks."
• Devold: high, between Kjelbotn and the Pukkelen Rocks near the head of Byrdbreen. Named for Antarctic explorer Hallvard Devold.
• Dufek Mountain: is a large mountain rising to 3150m (10,340feet), standing 2nmi southwest of Mefjell. It was named for Rear Admiral George J. Dufek, commander of the Eastern Group of Operation Highjump.
• Dungane Peaks: a pair of peaks high, standing 9nmi west of Dufek Mountain. "Dungane" means "the heaps."
• Fidjeland: high, close northeast of Mehaugen Hill on the west side of the mouth of Byrdbreen. Named mechanic Tom Fidjeland of the Lars Christensen Expedition (LCE) 1936–37.
• Isachsen: a large mountain high, standing southeast of Bergersen. Named for Major Gunnar Isachsen, the leader with Captain Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen of the Norwegian expedition 1930–31.
• Kjelbotn: high, between Isachsen and Devold. Named for Antarctic explorer Olav Kjelbotn.
• Komsa Mountain: high, located between Koms Glacier and Salen Mountain. "Komsa" means "the Lapp cradle."
• Luncke Range: a range of peaks rising to 3020m (9,910feet), extending in a north–south direction for 10nmi between Jennings and Gjel glaciers. Named for Norwegian cartographer Bernhard Luncke.
• Mefjell: is a large mountain rising to 3080m (10,110feet), 50NaN0 west of Mount Bergersen. "Mefjell" means "middle mountain".
• Menipa: high, 50NaN0 north of Mefjell in the central part of the range. "Menipa" means "middle peak."
• Nils Larsen:, 3nmi southwest of Mount Wideroe. Named for Captain Nils Larsen, leader of the Norwegian expedition 1928–29.
• Prince de Ligne Mountains: a small group of mountains rising to, standing 10nmi north of the Belgica Mountains sub-range. Discovered by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1957–1958 and named for expedition member Prince Antoine de Ligne.
• Rogers Peaks: a small group of peaks standing just southwest of Dufek. Named for US Navy Lt. Commander William J. Rogers, aerial crew commander with Operation Highjump.
• Salen: high, between Komsa Mountain and Sal Glacier. "Salen" means "the saddle"; named for its shape.
• Simensen Peak: high, on the north side of Glitrefonna Glacier. Named for LCE photographer Erik Simensen.
• Sørhjelmen: stands high at the head of Hette Glacier. "Sørhjelmen" means "the south helmet."
• Strandrud: high, rising above the glacial ice at the southeast side of the Austkampane Hills. Named for one of the LCE mechanics.
• Tanngarden Peaks: a row of peaks, high, just north of Vikinghodga and Mount Widerøe. "Tanngarden" means "the row of teeth."
• Tustane Peaks: a group of peaks at the head of Koms Glacier. "Tustane" means "the clumps".
• Tvetaggen Peaks: a short line of peaks 1.5nmi north of Austkampane Hills on the west side of the Kamp Glacier. Named "Tvetaggen" meaning "the double prongs" because of their appearance.
• Vesthjelmen:, 8nmi west of Austhamaren. "Vesthjelmen" means "the west helmet." Hjelmkalven Point is a rocky point on its north side.
• Vikinghogda: a prominent flat-topped mountain, high m, between the Tanngarden Peaks and Widerøe. "Vikinghogda" means "the Viking heights."
• Walnum: a large mountain rising to, standing 4nmi east of Widerøe. Named for Ragnvald Walnum, one-time chairman of the Norwegian Whaling Board.
• Mount Widerøe: a large mountain rising to 2,994 m between Walnum and Nils Larsen. Named for LCE pilot Viggo Widerøe. Vengen Spur ("the wing") projects north from the east part of Widerøe.

Glaciers

• Borchgrevinkisen
• Byrdbreen
• Ellis Glacier
• Fimbulheimen
• Gillock Glacier
• Gjel Glacier
• Glitrefonna Glacier
• Gunnestad Glacier
• Hansenbreen
• Hargreavesbreen
• Hette Glacier
• Jennings Glacier
• Kamp Glacier
• Koms Glacier
• Kreitzerisen
• Mefjell Glacier
• Mjell Glacier
• Nipe Glacier
• Oberst Glacier
• Sal Glacier

Hills

• Austkampane Hills: a group of hills rising to 2210m (7,250feet), standing north of Menipa. "Austkampane" means "the east crags."
• Blåklettane Hills: a small group of hills standing 18nmi southwest of Bamse Mountain at the southwest end of the range. "Blåklettane" means "the blue hills."
• Bulken: 2220m (7,280feet) high, standing north of Balchen. "Bulken" means "the lump."
• Glashaugen: a small rocky hill 20NaN0 north of the Bleikskoltane Rocks, near the head of Byrdbreen glacier. "Glashaugen" means "the glass hill."
• Isklakken: a rocky hill east of Balchen at the eastern end of the range. "Isklakken" means "the ice lump."
• Kaggen: a small ice-covered hill standing in Byrdbreen glacier, 7nmi east of Mount Bergersen. "Kaggen" means "the keg."
• Kamp Glacier Hills: three hills border the east side of Kamp Glacier.
  • Nordhaugen: the northernmost; "Nordhaugen" means "the north hill."
  • Mehaugen: the middle hill; "Mehaugen" means "the middle hill."
  • Sørhaugen: the southernmost; "Sørdhaugen" means "the south hill."
• Krakken: a rocky hill standing in Byrdbreen, east of Bautaen Peak. "Krakken" means "the stool."
• Lågkollane Hills: a group of hills 70NaN0 north of Bamse Mountain between Kreitzerisen and Hansenbreen. "Lågkollane" means "the low hills."

Nunataks

• Devoldkalven: a 2215m (7,267feet) nunatak near Devold Peak in the high section of Byrdbreen glacier. Named for Antarctic explorer Hallvard Devold.
• Dotten: a nunatak north of Smalegga Ridge, near the mouth of Gillock Glacier. "Dotten" means "the lump."
• Nordtoppen: stands 1100m (3,600feet) high, north of the Austkampane Hills. "Nordtoppen" means "the north peak."
• Småhausane Nunataks: a group of small nunataks 1180m (3,870feet) high, between Fidjeland and Nordtoppen Nunatak on the north side of the range. "Småhausane" means "the small crags."
• Taggen: stands between Borchgrevinkisen and Kreitzerisen glaciers in the western part of the range. "Taggen" means "the prong."
• Teltet: a prominent nunatak north of Vengen Spur on Mount Widerøe. "Teltet" means "the tent."
• Tertene Nunataks: a group of small nunataks on the west side of Kreitzerisen. "Tertene means "the tarts."
• Trillingane Nunataks: a trio of nunataks standing northeast of Balchen at the east end of the range. "Trillingane" means "the triplets."
• Utsteinen

a nunatak standing north of Vikinghogda. Named Utsteinen ("the outer stone") because of its position. Belgian research station Princess Elisabeth Base was established on this nunatak in 2009.

• Vesthaugen: a nunatak rising to 1400m (4,600feet), standing northwest of the Brattnipane Peaks. "Vesthaugen" means "the west hill."
• Vørterkaka: a rock outcrop south of the Bleikskoltane Rocks at the southeast extremity of the range. Vørterkaka or are a type of round Norwegian sweet rolls containing brewer's wort.

Rock outcroppings

• Bleikskoltane Rocks: a rocky outcrop 7nmi south of Balchen in the southeast part of the range. "Bleikskoltane" means "the pale knolls."
• Bollene Rocks: a group of rocks just west of the Bleikskoltane Rocks at the head of Byrdbreen. "Bollene" means "the buns."
• Pukkelen Rocks: a rock outcropping just west of the Bollene Rocks at the head of Byrdbreen. "Pukkelen" means "the hump."
• Roysane Rocks: a group of rocks southeast of Mount Nils Larsen. "Roysane" means "the pile of stones."

Other

• Bulkisen: a blue ice field between Austhamaren Peak and Bulken Hill. Named Bulkisen because of association with Bulken Hill.
• Byrdbreen
• Kvalfinnen Ridge: a ridge, 2670m (8,760feet) high, on the west side of Byrdbreen and north of Isachsen Mountain. "Kvalfinnen" means "the whale fin", and it was named for its shape.
• Smalegga Ridge: long, extending north from Mount Walnum to the west of Gillock Glacier. "Smalegga" means "the narrow ridge."

See also

• Mount Romnaes, an isolated mountain close to this range
• Russkiye Mountains, a mountain range between the Sør Rondane Mountains and the Hoel Mountains
• Tangekilen Bay, an indentation of the ice shelf north of the Sør Rondane Mountains