Beinisvørð

Beinisvørð (Beinisvord) is a 469 metres (1,539 ft) high sea cliff in Suðuroy, Faroe Islands, the highest sea cliff in Suðuroy. It is located between the villages of Lopra and Sumba. Beinisvørð has vertical cliffs facing the sea and a green slope down towards the village of Sumba. The triangular top of Beinisvørð is visible from many places in Suðuroy, including Lopra, Nes and Marknoyri, the easternmost part of Vágur. In clear weather it is also visible from Smyril M/F just before she enters the fjord of Trongisvágur, Trongisvágsfjørður. Men from Sumba used to rappel down the steep mountain side of Beinisvørð on bird lines (it is called "síging"; one man hangs on a thick rope, while several men hold it at the top) in order to catch sea birds and to collect eggs. Both birds and their eggs were important food for the people of Sumba in the past. Several men have been killed while doing this; sometimes a stone fell on a man's head, fatally injuring him. In 1975 a big avalanche at Beinisvørð destroyed numerous bird habitats and landmarks.