Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [254]
At Kerlingarfjöll ( winter 894 2132, summer 664 7878; www.kerlingarfjoll.is; sites per tent €7, sb €25-33, linen €60, chalet €250; mid-Jun–Sep) there are a handful of huts and houses with a total space for around 90 in sleeping bags. There’s also a large campsite, a restaurant and hot tubs. Check the website for a detailed list of local hikes and tours.
Hrútafell
This relatively tiny 10-sq-km ice cap 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 geothermal area of fumaroles and multicoloured hot springs (it’s important to stay on the boardwalks to avoid damaging this sensitive area). Located 30km north of the Kerlingarfjöll turn-off (and 93km north of Gullfoss), Hveravellir is the ‘hub’ of the Kjölur route and the finishing point of the Kjölurvegur hike (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 luscious human-made bathing pool. Another hot spring, Eyvindurhver, is named after the outlaw Fjalla-Eyvindur (see the boxed text). Hveravellir is reputedly one of the many hideouts 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, during one 18th-century winter.
In summer, a petrol station is open at Hveravellir – the only one along the Kjölur route. The SBA bus stops here for 40 minutes. Visit www.hveravellir.is for detailed information about activities and hikes in the area.
Hofsjökull
Hofsjökull, east of the Kjölur Pass, is the third-largest ice cap in the country, measuring 995 sq km. A massive volcanic crater lies underneath the ice.
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SPRENGISANDUR ROUTE
To Icelanders, the name Sprengisandur conjures 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 offers some wonderful views of Vatnajökull, Tungnafellsjökull and Hofsjökull, 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 at Rte 842 near Goðafoss in northwest Iceland. You’ll pass through a red metal gate as the road turns into F26. There’s a billboard-esque poster explaining the sights and finer points of the route, and 2km later you’ll happen upon one of Iceland’s most photogenic waterfalls, Aldeyjarfoss. Churning water bursts over the cliff’s edge as it splashes through a narrow canyon lined with the signature honeycomb columns of basalt (see the boxed text, for more info).
After the falls, the Sprengisandur route continues southwest through 240km of inhospitable territory all the way to Þjórsárdalur. There are two other ways to approach Sprengisandur, both of which link up to the main road about halfway through.
A cheery notice at a nearby campsite toilet block reads:
Iceland is a harsh land and does not suffer fools. Rugged terrain and ever-changing weather have led many to their graves.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
From early July to early September, Reykjavík Excursions runs the 14/14a bus along the Sprengisandur route from Landmannalaugar to Mývatn at 8.30am on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday (10 hours). In the other direction, they depart from Mývatn at 8.30am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Although it’s a scheduled bus, it’s used as a ‘tour’, with extended pauses at Hrauneyjar, Nýidalur,