The picture was taken from the base
of Kirkespiret (Church Spire). The dominant peak in centre is Ketil, 2010 m.
Just in front of Ketil the outlines of "Pyramiden" (ca. 1780 m)
can just be seen with the south face (and swiss route) towards the camera.
The long sloping edge left of the summit is the natural way down. The
pointed lower peak left of Pyramiden is the so called "Pinnacles"
and the three peaks together combine into Ketil Pingasut (= three).
To the right is the Ulamertorsuaq complex with Ulamertorsuaq proper
being the left buttress of the main wall. Between Ketil and Ulamertorsuaq
in the upper valley the top of Nalumasortoq can just be seen.Following
a suggestion to change the names of these mountains made by the well known
french climber Bernard Domenec in High Magazine in 1996, I wrote the
following letter to the editor which was printed a few issues later:
Dear Editor,
I have a few comments regarding the name confusion apperantly made by Mr. Bernard Domenech:
Being the most prominent mountain in the region, a landmark for local fishermen and helicopterpilots and dominating the view for hours when sailing into Tasermiut, Ketil is still Ketil. Named after one of the norse settlers
thousands years ago, it's non-inuit name is even used by the greenlanders, allthough it apperantly has an inuit name too: Uiluit Qaqaa meaning Mussel Mountain, not for its 1400 meter somewhat musselshaped westface, but from the
rich musselbanks found in the nearby bay at low tide. The name Ketil Pingasut (inuit for three) has also been used, maybe because of the
three-some it makes with its pointed satellite peaks Pyramiden and The Pinaccles.
No mountain ever got a better name than Ulamertorsssuaq, the Big Cylinder, (ulamerpoq = to be round / cylindrical; - suaq = big). "The barrel shaped buttress" (with the Kurt Albert et al rap-boltet route) and the mountain of 1830 m behind still holds this name. Suikarsuaq, which translates to The Very Solid, is an easy accessible peak close by.
The beautyfull mountain with the S-shaped white wall in the valley between Ketil and Ulamertorssuaq has the name Nalumasortoq. It is the inuit word for a greenlandic snipe, but the reason for this name is unclear.
Allthough french and swiss climbers are dominating the scene in Tasermiut Fjord there is no reason to change the old mountain names because of that.
