[1] With its summit at 2,705 metres (8,875 ft), the massive Risemedet Mountain forms the highest point in these mountains,[citation needed] also marking their eastern end.

The Gjelsvik Mountains were first photographed from the air and roughly plotted by the Third German Antarctic Expedition (1938–39).

They were mapped in detail by Norwegian cartographers from surveys and air photos by the Norwegian–British–Swedish Antarctic Expedition (1949–52) and from air photos by the Norwegian expedition (1958–59).

They were named for Tore Gjelsvik, Director of the Norwegian Polar Institute.

[1] This article incorporates public domain material from "Gjelsvik Mountains".