Kyrkja

{{short description|Mountain in Innlandet, Norway}} {{Infobox mountain |name = Kyrkja |other_name = |image = Kyrkja.jpg |image_size = |image_caption = View of the mountain |mapframe = yes |mapframe-zoom = 9 |mapframe-wikidata = yes |mapframe-caption = Interactive map of the mountain |coordinates = {{coord|61.54137|8.29203|region:NO_type:mountain|display=inline,title|format=dms}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kyrkja, Lom |url=https://www.yr.no/nb/v%C3%A6rvarsel/daglig-tabell/1-162687/Norge/Innlandet/Lom/Kyrkja |access-date=2022-05-07 |publisher=yr.no |language=Norwegian}}</ref> |location = Innlandet, Norway |elevation_m = 2032 |prominence_m = 278 |isolation_km = 1.8 |elevation_ref = <ref name="pv">{{Cite web |title=Kyrkja |url=https://peakvisor.com/peak/kyrkja.html |access-date=2022-05-07 |website=PeakVisor.com}}</ref> |prominence_ref = <ref name="pv" /> |isolation_ref = <ref name="pv" /> |range = Jotunheimen |parent_peak = Visbreatinden |topo = {{M711|1518 II Galdhøpiggen}} |type = |age = |first_ascent = |easiest_route = |listing = }}

'''Kyrkja'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Informasjon om stadnamn |url=https://stadnamn.kartverket.no/fakta/374014 |access-date=2025-08-23 |website=Norgeskart |publisher=Kartverket |language=no}}</ref> is a mountain in Lom Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The {{convert|2032|m|adj=on}} tall mountain is located in the Jotunheimen mountains within Jotunheimen National Park. The mountain sits about {{convert|35|km}} south of the village of Fossbergom and about {{convert|35|km}} northeast of the village of Øvre Årdal. The mountain is surrounded by several other notable mountains including Urdadalstindan and Semelholstinden to the east; Kyrkjeoksle, Visbreatinden, and Langvasshøe to the southeast; Høgvagltindane to the south; Stehøe and Stetinden to the west; and Tverrbottindene and Tverrbytthornet to the north.<ref name="pv" />

The mountain is named {{lang|nn|Kyrkja}} which means "The Church". This name was given because its peak is extremely steep and resembles a church spire.<ref name="Ulrich">{{Cite web |last=Parks |first=Shoshi |date=October 18, 2018 |title=What do melting glaciers have to do with Norway’s Viking relics? |url=http://ulrich.com.mx/huayapam/norway-vikings-climate-change/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710022201/http://ulrich.com.mx/huayapam/norway-vikings-climate-change/index.html |archive-date=10 July 2020 |access-date=July 10, 2020 |website=San Andrés Huayapam}}</ref>

Kyrkja was not thought to be climbable until the 19th-century, due to its steepness. Despite its slopes, climbing to the top is a day’s hike, helped by the rocks covering the mountainside.<ref name="Ulrich" /> Kyrkja used to be covered in snow, but climate change has severely lessened the amount of snow on the mountain.<ref name="Ulrich" />

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Jotunheimen Category:Lom Municipality (Norway) Category:Mountains of Innlandet