Ögmundarjökull: An Outlet of Eiríksjökull
Ögmundarjökull is an outlet glacier on the eastern side of Eiríksjökull in West Iceland. The USGS glacier gazetteer, page 209, distinguishes this outlet from the ice cap that feeds it.
Why older maps need care
The gazetteer records that Pálmi Hannesson named the glacier in 1923 for Ögmundur Sigurðsson, a companion of explorer Þorvaldur Thoroddsen. It also flags maps that placed the name at Þorvaldsjökull. A familiar-looking label on an old map can therefore refer to the wrong lobe.
Use a current detailed map that distinguishes the eastern outlets of Eiríksjökull, and check the date of any map reproduced in a travel article. A naming history helps identify the landscape; it does not fix the glacier’s present-day edge.
Planning around Eiríksjökull
The cited geographic record does not provide a current trailhead, public access route or bookable tour for Ögmundarjökull. Establish those details locally before turning the map label into a hiking objective.
For broader context, start with the Eiríksjökull guide. If the aim is an organized ice activity in western Iceland, the Langjökull guide explains named departure points and the difference between tunnel and surface trips.
Planning help
Glacier questions
Quick answers with safety notes where it matters.
Is Ögmundarjökull a separate ice cap?
The USGS gazetteer classifies it as an outlet on the eastern margin of Eiríksjökull.
Why can maps disagree about its position?
The 2008 gazetteer identifies historical maps that misplaced the name at Þorvaldsjökull. Check a current detailed map when identifying the eastern outlets.
Is a visitor route established here?
The source used here documents glacier names and geography. A current trailhead, access route and guided product have not been verified for this page.
Country reference: Iceland statistics.