Torghatten

Torghatten
Elevation258 metres(846 ft) Location Brønnøy, Nordland, Norway Prominence258 m (846 ft) Coordinates 65°23′54″N 12°5′23″E / 65.39833, 12.08972 Coordinates: 65°23′54″N 12°5′23″E / 65.39833, 12.08972 Topo map1725 I Brønnøysund

Torghatten is a mountain in the Brønnøy municipality in Norway. It is known for its characteristic hole, or natural tunnel, through its center.

According to legend (ref. dramatic story), the hole was made by the troll Hestmannen while he was chasing the beautiful girl Lekamøya. As the troll realised he would not get the girl, he released an arrow to kill her, but the troll-king of Sømna threw his hat into the arrow's path to save her. The hat turned into the mountain with a hole in the middle.

The tunnel, with a length 160 m, width of 35 m, and height of 20 m, was formed during the Scandinavian ice age. Ice and water eroded the looser rocks, while the harder ones in the mountain top resisting erosion.

It is possible to walk up to the tunnel on a well-prepared path, and through it on a natural path.

6 May 1988 an airplane from Namsos to Brønnøysund crashed into the side of the mountain, and all the 36 passengers and crew died.

The hole in Torghatten Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Torghatten This Nordlandlocation article is a stub. You can helpWikipedia by expanding it.

Categories: Mountains of Nordland | Nordland geography stubs