Walking and Trekking in Iceland
Author | Paddy Dillon |
Publisher | Cicerone Press |
ISBN | ISBN-13: 978 1 85284 647 3 (First Edition)
ISBN-13: 978 1 85284 805 7 (Second Edition)
ISBN-13: 978 83 7136 229 3 (Polish Edition)
Also available in eBook and Kindle formats |
Price | £17.95 |
Glacier walking skills can be learned at Skaftafell
Magni - a mountain that has only existed since May 2010
Paddy’s tent pitched in the wild and remote Hornstrandir
They call Iceland ‘The Land of Ice and Fire’, and its combination of glaciers, ice-caps, volcanoes and geothermal hot-spots makes it a fascinating place to explore. It has long been an ambition of mine to visit and explore the place. During discussions with Cicerone about writing a guidebook to The Arctic Circle Trail in Greenland, I was asked, “Do you want Iceland as well?”
During the preparation of this guidebook, which spanned 150 days over two summers, there were three volcanic eruptions, and in each case these were accompanied by ‘glacier floods’. One of the peaks climbed in the guidebook has only existed since May 2010. The whole of Iceland is subject to change, and there are many places where dramatic and often violent changes to the landscape have taken place during recorded history.
Travelling around Iceland can get very expensive, very quickly, but I was keen to explore budget options, and was delighted to discover a network of fine trails within walking distance of the airport at Keflavík, and a fine long-distance trail starting at the ferryport of Seyðisfjörður. Of course, the incredibly popular long-distance Laugavegur is included in the south of Iceland, extended at either end by the popular Skógar Trail and the little-known Hellismannaleið.
There are 100 days of walking in the book, ranging from very easy low-level trails to a much harder, higher, permanently glaciated mountain summits. The highest mountain in Iceland, Hvannadalshnúkur, is included. Half of the book contains day-walks, while the other half contains details of ten trekking routes, ranging in length from two days to nine days. There should be enough variety to keep all kinds of walkers happy. The only limit on the trekking routes is how much food you can carry, and how kind the weather is likely to be for the duration of your trek. The total distance covered by the various routes is 1722 kilometres (1070 miles).
Iceland has been split into twelve regions for the purposes of aiding exploration, and most of these regions contain day-walks and a trekking route. In some instances, walks and treks can be combined. If there are any useful facilities, such as huts, campsites, shops, bus or ferry routes, then these are noted. There are four little island walks included in the guidebook, and the northern island of Grimsey is the only part of Iceland that extends north of the Arctic Circle.
Contents
1 Reykjavík, Reykjanes and Hengill
Walk 1 |
Reykjavík and Seltjarnarnes |
Walk 2 |
Þverfellshorn from Esjustofa |
Walk 3 |
Keflavík to Grindavík |
Walk 4 |
Grindavík to Vogar |
Walk 5 |
Grindavík and Prestastígur |
Walk 6 |
Krýsuvík and Krísuvíkurbjarg |
Walk 7 |
Seltún and Kleifarvatn |
Walk 8 |
Seltún and Djúpavatn |
Walk 9 |
Þingvellir and Skógarkot |
Walk 10 |
Hveragerði and Reykjadalur |
Walk 11 |
Ölfusvatn and Ölkelduháls |
Walk 12 |
Hellisheiði to Hveragerði |
Walk 13 |
Nesjavellir and Vörðuskeggi |
Trek 1 The Reykjavegur
Stage 1 |
Nesjavellir to Múlasel |
Stage 2 |
Múlasel to Bláfjallaskáli |
Stage 3 |
Bláfjallaskáli to Kaldársel |
Stage 4 |
Kaldársel to Djúpavatn |
Stage 5 |
Djúpavatn to Brattháls |
Stage 6 |
Brattháls to Þorbjörn |
Stage 7 |
Þorbjörn to Reykjanesviti |
2 Fjallabak and Þórsmörk
Walk 14 |
Landmannalaugar and Suðurnámur |
Walk 15 |
Landmannalaugar and Bláhnukúr |
Walk 16 |
Hvanngilshauser and Tangafoss |
Walk 17 |
Þórsmörk and Valahnúkur |
Walk 18 |
Fljótsdalur and Þórólfsfell |
Walk 19 |
Vestmannaeyjar – Heimaey |
Trek 2 Hellismannaleið, Laugavegur and Skógar Trail
Stage 1 |
Rjúpnavellir to Áfangagil |
Stage 2 |
Áfangagil to Landmannahellir |
Stage 3 |
Landmannahellir to Landmannalaugar |
Stage 4 |
Landmannalaugar to Hrafntinnusker |
Stage 5 |
Hrafntinnusker to Álftavatn |
Stage 6 |
Álftavatn to Emstrur |
Stage 7 |
Emstrur to Þórsmörk |
Stage 8 |
Þórsmörk to Fimmvörðuháls |
Stage 9 |
Fimmvörðuháls to Skogar |
3 Skaftafell and Vatnajökull
Walk 20 |
Sandfell and Hvannadalshnúkur |
Walk 21 |
Svinafellsjökull and Hrútsfjall |
Walk 22 |
Skaftafell and Kristínartindar |
Walk 23 |
Skaftafell and Svartifoss |
Walk 24 |
Skaftafell and Morsárdalur |
Walk 25 |
Jökulsárlón – Glacier Lagoon |
4 Snæfell and Lónsöræfi
Walk 26 |
Snæfellsskáli and Snæfell |
Trek 3 The Lónsöræfi Trail
Stage 1 |
Bjálafell to Geldingafellsskáli |
Stage 2 |
Geldingafellsskáli to Egilssel |
Stage 3 |
Egilssel to Múlaskáli |
Stage 4 |
Múlaskáli to Stafafell |
5 Egilsstaðir and the Eastfjords
Walk 27 |
Egilsstaðir and Fardagafoss |
Walk 28 |
Neðri-Stafur and Seyðisfjörður |
Walk 29 |
Litlanesfoss and Hengifoss |
Walk 30 |
Hallormsstaðaskógur |
Walk 31 |
Vatnsskarð and Stórurð |
Trek 4 The Víknaslóðir
Stage 1 |
Seyðisfjörður to Loðmundarfjörður |
Stage 2 |
Loðmundarfjörður to Húsavík |
Stage 3 |
Húsavík to Breiðavík |
Stage 4 |
Breiðavík to Borgarfjörður |
6 Jökulsárgljúfur
Walk 32 |
Ásbyrgi and Áshöfði |
Walk 33 |
Svinadalur and Rauðhólar |
Walk 34 |
Selfoss and Dettifoss |
Trek 5 The Jökulsárhlaup
Stage 1 |
Dettifoss to Vesturdalur |
Stage 2 |
Vesturdalur to Ásbyrgi |
7 Akureyri and Eyjafjörður
Walk 35 |
Akureyri and Súlur |
Walk 36 |
Eyjafjörður and Hrísey |
Walk 37 |
Grímsey |
8 Kverkfjöll and Askja
Walk 38 |
Kverkfjöll and Hveradalur |
Walk 39 |
Herðubreiðarlindir |
Trek 6 The Askja Trail
Stage 1 |
Herðubreiðarlindir to Bræðrafell |
Stage 2 |
Bræðrafell to Drekagil |
Stage 3 |
Drekagil to Dyngjufell |
Stage 4 |
Dyngjufell to Botni |
Stage 5 |
Botni to Svartárkot |
Stage 6 |
Botni to Grænavatn |
Trek 7 The Mývatn Trail
Stage 1 |
Dimmuborgir to Reykjahlið |
Stage 2 |
Reykjahlið to Krafla |
Stage 3 |
Víti to Reykjahlið |
9 Sprengisandur and Kjölur
Walk 40 |
Nýidalur and Kaldagil |
Walk 41 |
Nýidalur and Sprengisandur |
Trek 8 The Kjölur Trails
Stage 1 |
Ásgarður to Klakkur |
Stage 2 |
Klakkur to Ásgarður |
Stage 3 |
Ásgarður to Gíslaskáli |
Stage 4 |
Gíslaskáli to Hveravellir |
Stage 5 |
Hveravellir to Þjófadalir |
Stage 6 |
Þjófadalir to Þverbrekknamúli |
Stage 7 |
Þverbrekknamúli to Arbuðir or Hvítárnes |
10 Hornstrandir Peninsula
Trek 9 The Hornstrandir Trail
Stage 1 |
Hesteyri to Hlöðuvík |
Stage 2 |
Hlöðuvik to Hornvík |
Stage 3 |
Hornvík and Horn |
Stage 4 |
Kjaransvík to Látravík |
Stage 5 |
Látravík to Hesteyri |
11 The Westfjords
Walk 42 |
Hnífsdalur, Bolungarvík and Ísafjörður |
Walk 43 |
Suðureyri to Flateyri |
Walk 44 |
Þingeyri and Kaldbakur |
Walk 45 |
Helluskarð and Lómfell |
Walk 46 |
Foss to Krossholt |
Walk 47 |
Brunnaverstöð and Látrabjarg |
Walk 48 |
Brjánslækur and Surtarbrandsgil |
Walk 49 |
Flatey and Breiðafjörður |
12 Snæfellsjökull and Snaefellsnes
Trek 10 The Snæfellsjökull and Snaefellsnes Trail
Stage 1 |
Ólafsvík to Arnarstapi |
Stage 2 |
Arnastapi to Djúpalónssandur |
Stage 3 |
Djúpalónssandur to Öndverðarnes |
Stage 4 |
Öndverðarnes to Hellissandar |