The Lóndrangar

Lón: Inlet
Drangar: Isolated pillars of rock

The Londrangar are two columns of basalt lava rock, jutting up out the coastline of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, and sitting between Hellnar to the east, and Malarrif to the west.

The pillars are 75 meters and 61 meters in height. The taller was first climbed in 1735 by Ásgrímur Böðvarsson, and the other in 1938. Together they've stood over 1200 years since the island was first settled, when it's said that as Laugarbrekku-Einarr passed by, he spotted a troll sitting atop the taller stack.

The lava plugs are natural structures, formed when hot magma hardened within an ancient active volcanic lava vent. If the magma vent remains active, such plugs can be the cause of explosive eruptions as magma is trapped and builds up below - Mount St. Helens was one such eruption. Explosive eruptions can blast away entire portions of the volcanic mountain, sending material up to 20km in height at 100,000 tonnes per second. Plugs may also remain in place if the magma subsides, while over time the surrounding land erodes away to the elements exposing the remaining hard basalt rock, as has occurred here. The coastline on which the Lóndrangar sits is also giving way to the hammering ocean, and so will eventually become victim to collapse.

For now, the pillars are home to many bird species, including guillemots and kittiwakes. Just east of the taller pillar are ruins of fishermen's huts built of lava stones, used to dry fish. The pillars sit dwarfed by the Snæfellsjökull glacier and volcano to the north, which provides a beautiful backdrop for the scene.

To the west lies Malarrif and its lighthouse originally built in 1917, with walking trails along the stoney shore and to the foot of the Lóndrangar for a closer visit.

To the east sits another eroding crater, at SvalÞúfa ("high mound/knoll"). Its prominent cliff, Þúfubjarg ("tussock cliffs"), surrounds a small central island which is still standing. From this height you can observe the sheer face of the cliffs and the many birds that call it home, with the ocean waves pounding away below.

There, the story is told of Kolbeinn jöklaskáld ("glacier poet"), who bested the devil in a battle of poetic verse. It's also said that elves live in the area, so the surrounding land is left untouched so as not to disturb them.

The Lóndrangar also appear in the Bárðar saga Snæfellsáss:

Bárðr, whose mother was human and father was half giant and half troll, had 3 daughters by his first wife: Helga, Þordís and Guðrún, and 6 more by his second. When they moved to Iceland, sons of his half brother Þorkell played together with Helga. One day, she was pushed out to sea on an iceberg, and drifted to Greenland where she met Skeggi, and fell in love. When Bárðr found out about the incident with Helga, he pushed Þorkell’s son into a ravine, and exiled himself to the Snæfellsjökull ice cap, where he became a kind of guardian spirit with the name BárðrSnæfellsáss. The saga continues to tell of a number of occasions where Bárðr helps those who live around the Snæfell area. In a poem written by Helga bárðardóttir, she's homesick for Snæfellsnes, writing:

1. At waypoint R1 (Question 1 Waypoint), take an altitude reading at SvalÞúfa. Along with your reading, look west towards the Lóndrangar and tell me whether you think you're standing above or below the peak of either of the pillars. ** Optional: If you feel artistic, include an edited photo of the Lóndrangar in your log depicting how high on the lava pillar you think you'd be standing (this is not a logging requirement)
2. Observe the structure of the basalt columns: Do you think the Londrangar are the result of an explosive volcanic event, or the slow hardening of magma in a subsiding volcano? Why?
3. Explain why the sign located at this waypoint is important to the area on which you're standing.
4. Make your way to the posted coordinates at the base of the Lóndrangar (waypoint R0), and as you examine the height of the pillars and the land around them, roughly estimate the size you think the original surrounding volcano may have stretched.
5. Optional: Choose and name one other famous volcanic plug, located anywhere in the world, which is larger than Lóndrangar.
6. Optional: Did you see the troll sitting on the taller pillar during your visit?
7. Optional: Include a photo of yourself with your GPS at the posted coordinates, or at the Lóndrangar.
8. Optional: Watch and enjoy this short video clip from my visit to the Lóndrangar in Nov 2016

* Please do not include answers to the questions in your Find log.

As always, being near the ocean with the enormous waves along the coast, always be cautious, and abide by any signs and warnings you may come across while in the area.