iceland-the-interior.pdf

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298
THE INTERIOR
299
The Interior
Travelling in Iceland’s interior will give you a new understanding of the word ‘desolation’.
You may have travelled the Ring Rd thinking that Iceland is light on towns; that sheep seem
to outnumber people; that you haven’t run across a McDonald’s for many a mile. Well, you
ain’t seen nothing yet. Here there are practically no services, accommodation, hot-dog stands,
bridges, mobile-phone signals or guarantees if something goes wrong. Gazing across the
expanses, you could imagine yourself in Tibet or Mongolia or, as many people have noted,
on the moon. And those aren’t overactive imaginations at work – the
Apollo
astronauts
actually trained here before their lunar landing.
This isolation, in essence, is the reason that people visit. Although some travellers are
disappointed by the interior’s ultrableakness, others are humbled by the sublime sight of
nature in its rawest, barest form. The solitude is exhilarating, the views are vast, and it’s
immensely tough but equally rewarding to hike or bike these cross-country routes.
Historically, people used the trails as summer short cuts between north and south, if
with heavy hearts. Myths of ghosts and fearsome outlaws spurred travellers along the
tracks with all speed. Today it’s probably wiser to worry about the weather. Conditions can
be fickle and snow isn’t uncommon, even in mid summer. Good warm clothing, and face
and eye protection from gritty, wind-driven sand are particularly important. Road-open-
ing dates given in this chapter depend on weather conditions – check www.vegagerdin.is
for the latest information.
THE INTERIOR
TOP FIVE
Go swimming inside a volcano: the warm
turquoise waters of
Víti crater
(p308), at the
Askja caldera, make for unique holiday snaps
Get an easy taste of the highlands on
the
Kjölur Route
(p300), a scheduled bus
shortcut between Reykjavík and Akureyri
Marvel at icy sculptures in the
Kverkfjöll ice
caves
(p309), carved out of the glacier by
steaming hot springs
Pity the melancholy ghosts and outlaws
on Iceland’s longest, loneliest north–south
track, the godforsaken
Sprengisandur
Route
(p302)
Pay homage to the Queen of Mountains,
Herðubreið
(p306), before exploring the
desolate volcanic wastes at
Askja
(p307)
Herðubreið
Sprengisandur
Route
Kverkfjöll
Ice Caves
Askja
Caldera &
Víti Crater
Kjölur Route
300
T H E I N T E R I O R • • K j ö l u r R o u t e ( K j a l v e g u r )
lonelyplanet.com
Driving Routes & Mountain Huts
This chapter covers the main interior driv-
ing routes and attractions (although see p280
for the popular Landmannalaugar–Þórsmörk
trek; and see p276 for the Fjallabak Nature
Reserve).
Most of the routes described in this chapter
are strictly for high-clearance 4WD vehicles.
It’s recommended that vehicles travel in pairs,
so if one gets bogged or breaks down the other
can drag it out, fetch help or carry all passen-
gers to shelter. Carry lots of supplies, espe-
cially if you are only taking one vehicle, rather
than the recommend two. There are very few
petrol stations in the highlands – you should
fill up whenever you find one.
Almost all mountain huts in Iceland are
operated by
Ferðafélag Íslands
(Iceland’s Touring As-
sociation;
%
568 2533; www.fi.is; Mörkin 6, IS-108 Reykjavík)
.
Ferðafélag Akureyrar
(Touring Club of Akureyri;
%
462
2720; www.ffa.est.is; Strandgata 23, Akureyri)
operates all
the mountain huts and most camp sites along
the Askja Way. It’s wise to reserve accommoda-
tion in advance, as huts are usually booked out
in summer. For more details about mountain-
hut accommodation, see p314.
largest icecap, Langjökull, calves into the lake
and creates icebergs, adding to the beauty of
this spot.
In the marshy grasslands northeast of
Hvítárvatn is Ferðafélag Íslands’ first hut,
Hvítárnes, built in 1930. The hut is believed
to be haunted by the spirit of a young woman.
If a female camper sleeps in one particular bed
(the bunk on the west wall past the kitchen), it
is said she will dream of the ghost carrying two
pails of water. From the Kjölur road, where the
bus will drop you, it’s an 8km walk along the
4WD track to the hut.
Kerlingarfjöll
Until the 1850s Icelanders believed that this
mountain range (12km southeast of Rte 35 on
Rte F347) harboured the vilest sort of outlaws.
It was thought they lived deep in the heart of
the 150-sq-km range in an isolated Shangri-
la–type valley. So strong was this belief that it
was only in the mid-19th century that anyone
ventured into Kerlingarfjöll, and it was only in
1941 that the range was properly explored by
Ferðafélag Íslands.
It’s certainly dramatic. The colourful land-
scape is broken up into jagged peaks and
ridges, the highest of which is Snækollur
(1477m), and it’s scattered with hot springs.
There are plans to harness the geothermal
energy, although no industrial buildings scar
the landscape here to date.
At
Ásgarður
(
%
894 2132; www.kerlingarfjoll.is; sites
per tent Ikr900, sb Ikr2200-2700, bed linen Ikr900;
h
mid-
Jun–Sep)
in Kerlingarfjöll, there are 12 huts and
KJÖLUR ROUTE (KJALVEGUR)
If you want to sample Iceland’s central
deserts but don’t like the idea of dangerous
ford crossings, the 200km Kjölur Route has
had all its rivers bridged. In summer there’s
even a scheduled bus that uses it as a shortcut
between Reykjavík and Akureyri.
Rte 35 starts just past Gullfoss (p120),
passing between two glaciers before emerg-
ing near Blönduós on the northwest coast. It
reaches its highest point (700m) between the
Langjökull and Hofsjökull icecaps, near the
mountain Kjalfell.
The Kjölur Route is greener and more in-
teresting than its counterpart, Sprengisandur.
However, it was historically the less popular of
the two, thanks to the general belief that it was
infested by fearsome outlaws. The route has
altered slightly since it was first established;
the older track lies a few kilometres west of
the current one.
The Kjölur Route usually opens in early
June.
THE INTERIOR
houses with space for 120 people in sleeping
bags. There’s also a large camp site, a restau-
rant and hot tubs.
Hrútafell
This relatively tiny 10-sq-km icecap rises 800m
above the surrounding landscape. It sits on
top of Hrútafell mountain, which is a
móberg
peak – shaped like a birthday cake due to
subglacial volcanic eruptions. From the Kjölur
Route, as soon as Hrútafell comes into view
look on the eastern side of the road for a cairn
shaped exactly like a Hershey’s Kiss!
Hveravellir
Hveravellir is a popular and enticing geother-
mal area of fumaroles and multicoloured hot
springs (it’s important to stay on the board-
walks to avoid damaging this sensitive area).
Located 30km north of the Kerlingarfjöll
Hvítárvatn
The pale-blue lake Hvítárvatn, 45km northeast
of Gullfoss, is the source of the glacial river
Hvítá. A glacier tongue of Iceland’s second-
THE INTERIOR
Grimsstaðir
To Akureyri
(10km)
i
ju le
Ösk
848
0
0
50 km
30 miles
H
Gistiheimilið
Kiðagil
To Akureyri
(53km)
85
842
Blöndulós
App
roac
h
lonelyplanet.com
daá
llum
á
á
Fjö
kuls
te
Jö
ou
ð
rlan
Eyjafjö
r
ður
F821
F26
Aldeyjarfoss
Gra
fa
F752
lur
Ro
ute
ót
Sk
já
l
fa
nd
af
lj
60
F752
1
F903
F578
F735
Hveravellir
Geirsalda
Old Gæsavatnaleið
(Running Blind)
Fjórðungsvatn
Route
Hvannalindir
Snæfell
(1446m)
Snæfellsskáli
Sigurðarskáli
F909
Þjófadalir
Kjalfell
Hofsjökull
Gæsavötn
Tungnafellsjökull
Kverkfjöll
Eiríksjökull
N�½idalur
(1083m)
Innra-hreysi
F26
Hrútafell
Beinahóll
Kjölur
Route
(800m)
Þverbrekknamúli
F347
Ógön
gu
r
F550
La
æfel
lR
ra
flj
ou
ót
te
F902
F910
Laugafell
(879m)
F910
Sn
te
Langjökull
Route
Brú
Laugafell
F881
Sp
ren
gis
r
du
an
F910
Bá
rða
rda
ou
K
an
did
alu
r
R
r
52
a
ú
t
M�½vatn
1
f
j
ö
R
Varmahlið
r
ð
u
ÓDÁÐAHRAUN
Möðrudalur
1
901
F923
r
Ferjufjall
S
ur
rð
fjö
ga
ka
68
Kverkfjöll
ó
St
F905
l
Kjö
See Herðubreið Askja
F88
Region Map (p305)
Svartárkot
Þórsteinsskáli
Botni
Bræðrafell
ur
an
ris
du
Rou
te
Route
r
pr
oa
ch
Ap
Herðubreið
F910
Öskjuvatn
Askja
Dreki
Aðalból
35
Ingólfsskáli
G
tna
leið
a
va
te
æs
Rou
Þrándarjökull
Geldingafell
Egilssel
Goðahnúkar
Kerlingarfjöll
Vonarskarð
Pass
Hvítárnes
Hvítárvatn
Ásgarður
Þórisjökull
Versalir
Old Sprengisandur
Route
Jökulheimar
Kvislavatn
Hágöngulón
Þjórsárver
New Sprengisandur
Nature Reserve
Route
Kverkfjöll
(1860m)
See Kverkfjöll
Map (p309)
Grímsvötn
(1719m)
Hofsjökull
Múlaskáli
Kollumúli
Hagavatn
35
VATNAJÖKULL
1
Stafafell
Geysir
To Reykjavík
(16km)
Gullfoss
n
Tu
F228
Dynkur
Þórisvatn
aá
gn
Fögrifjöll
(1060m)
Laki Ro
ute
Esjufjöll
(1522m)
Jöklasel
Höfn
Hv
ítá
Hrauneyjar Highland
Centre & Hótel Highland
F208
SKAFTAFELL
NATIONAL
PARK
Fjallabak
Reserve
Veiðivötn
Herðubreid
Lookout
Eldgjá
Fjallabak
Route
Laki
(818m)
1
A T L A N T I C
O C E A N
T H E I N T E R I O R
301
Selfoss
Hekla
Landmannalaugar
(1491m)
Hrafntinnusker
THE INTERIOR
302
T H E I N T E R I O R • • S p re n g i s a n d u r R o u t e
Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com
KJÖLURVEGUR TREK
A good preparation for more challenging interior trekking routes is the easy and scenic Kjölurvegur
trek from Hvítárvatn to Hveravellir. The trail follows the original horseback Kjölur Route (west of
the present road), via the Hvítárnes, Þverbrekknamúli and Þjófadalir mountain huts.
From the Hvítárvatn turn-off it’s 8km along the 4WD track to Hvítárnes hut. From there you
follow the Fúlakvisl river (14km) to Þverbrekknamúli hut. Continue between the river and Kjalhraun
lava field to Þjófadalir hut (14km). A possible detour here is across the lava field to Beinahóll. The
final day is a 12km walk to Hveravellir, where you can soak in hot springs. Overall, the marked
route is easy to follow and huts are four to six hours apart.
The route can be done in three days at a leisurely pace. Access is by the Kjölur bus (see below),
but remember to reserve a seat for the day you want to be picked up.
turn-off, Hveravellir is the ‘hub’ of the Kjölur
Route and the finishing point of the Kjölurve-
gur Trek (see the boxed text, above).
Among its warm pools are the brilliant-
blue Bláhver; Öskurhólhver, which emits a
constant stream of hissing steam; and a lus-
cious human-made bathing pool. Another hot
spring, Eyvindurhver, is named after the out-
law Fjalla-Eyvindur (see the boxed text, p303).
Hveravellir is reputedly one of the many hide-
outs of this renegade, who spent much of his
life hiding from his enemies in the highlands.
On a small mound near the geothermal area
are the ruins of a shelter where he’s believed
to have holed up with his wife, Halla, and their
family during one 18th-century winter.
There are two busy huts here, owned by
Hveravallafélag.
Þjófadalir
(N 64°48.900’, W 19°42.510’; sb Ikr1200) Sleeps
12. About 12km southwest of Hveravellir on Rte F735.
Hveravellir
(sb Ikr1980) Two huts with a total of 55
sleeping-bag spaces.
Getting There & Away
Daily from 18 June to 7 September a scheduled
bus run by
SBA-Norðurleið
(
%
Akureyri 550 0700,
Reykjavík 550 0770; www.sba.is)
drives between Reyk-
javík and Akureyri (Ikr8600, nine hours). It
sets off at 8am from both ends, stopping briefly
at Geysir, Gullfoss and Hveravellir.
In summer 2WD vehicles may be able to
travel on this route, but it’s not recommended
as there are rivers to ford if you venture off
the route and your hire-car insurance will be
invalid if anything goes wrong. Drivers with
4WD vehicles will have no problems.
Of all the interior routes, Kjölur is probably
the best for cycling and hiking. For a humor-
ous account of a bike trip on the Kjölur Route,
read Tim Moore’s
Frost on My Moustache
(see
p21 for details).
Hofsjökull
THE INTERIOR
Hofsjökull, east of the Kjölur Pass, is the third-
largest icecap in the country, measuring 995
sq km. A massive volcanic crater lies under-
neath the ice.
Sleeping
Mountain huts along or just off the Kjölur
Route are maintained by Ferðafélag Íslands,
except for the huts at Hveravellir, which are
run by
Hveravellafélag
(
%
894 1293; www.hveravellir
.is)
. All have toilets and a kitchen, and most
have running water. From south to north,
they are:
Hagavatn
(N 64°27.760’, W 20°14.700’; sb Ikr1200) Small
hut near the southern end of Langjökull, about 15km off
the Kjölur Route by 4WD track. No running water.
Hvítárnes
(N 64°37.007’, W 19°45.394’; sb Ikr1800) Has a
warden in July and August; hut sleeps 30.
Þverbrekknamúli
(N 64°43.100’, W 19°36.860’; sb
Ikr1800) About 8km west of Innri-Skúti hill, or about 4km
east of the mini-icecap Hrútafell. Sleeps 20.
SPRENGISANDUR ROUTE
To Icelanders, the name Sprengisandur con-
jures up images of outlaws, ghosts and long
sheep drives across the barren wastes. The
Sprengisandur Route (F26) is the longest
north–south trail and crosses bleak desert
moors that can induce a shudder even today
in a 4WD!
Sprengisandur may be less interesting than
Kjölur, but it does offer some wonderful views
of Vatnajökull, Tungnafellsjökull and Hofs-
jökull, as well as Askja and Herðubreið from
the western perspective. An older route, now
abandoned, lies a few kilometres west of the
current one.
The Sprengisandur Route proper begins as
Rte 842 near Goðafoss in northwest Iceland.

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