Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [260]
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KVERKFJÖLL ROUTE
As its name suggests, this 108km-long route creeps southwards to the amazing Kverkfjöll ice caves. It connects Möðrudalur (65km east of Mývatn, off the Ring Road) with the Sigurðarskáli hut, 3km from the lower caves, via the F905, F910 and F902. The petrol station at Möðrudalur is the last place to fill up.
Along the way are several sites of interest, including the twin pyramid-shaped Upptyppingar hills near the Jökulsá á Fjöllum bridge, and the Hvannalindir oasis where there is – you guessed it – another of good ol’ Fjalla-Eyvindur’s winter hide-outs! He even built a rather hi-tech sheepfold at this one, so the animals could visit the stream without having to face the elements. Hvannalindir lies about 20km north of the Sigurðarskáli hut.
After visiting Askja (Click here), you can follow up with a trip to Kverkfjöll by driving south on Rte F902.
The large Sigurðarskáli hut (Kverkfjöll Hut; 863 9236; N 64°44.850’, W 16°37.890’; sb Ikr3000, sites per person Ikr900, service fee Ikr400) has comfortable sleeping accommodation in a new hut and a well-maintained campsite.
The road to Kverkfjöll usually opens around 19 June, which is much earlier than the route to Askja. If you are planning to visit Kverkfjöll, it’s good to get there early because there’s a higher chance of accessing the caves (warmer weather = tumbling ice blocks and bouts of glacial melting). Ask the warden first about cave conditions and for recommendations for a successful exploration of the area.
Kverkfjöll
Kverkfjöll is actually a mountain spur capped by the ice of Kverkjökull, a northern tongue of Vatnajökull. Over time, it’s also come to refer to the hot-spring-filled ice caves that often form beneath the eastern margin of the Dyngjujökull ice.
The glacier water at Kverkfjöll is actually quite clean compared to other glacial runoff in Iceland. At spots it can be a tad silty, so you may want to carry a bit of your own water as well. If you are travelling at the beginning or end of summer the glacial water will be completely frozen over.
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Lower Kverkfjöll Ice Caves
Besides being the source of the roiling Jökulsá á Fjöllum, central Iceland’s greatest river, Kverkfjöll is also one of the world’s largest geothermal areas. The lower Kverkfjöll ice caves lie between 2km and 3km from the Sigurðarskáli hut, a 15-minute walk in each direction from the 4WD track’s end.
Here the hot river flows beneath the cold glacier ice, clouds of steam swirl over the river and melt shimmering patterns on the ice walls, and there you have it – a spectacular tourist attraction. Perhaps this was the source of the overworked fire-and-ice cliché that pervades almost everything ever written about Iceland. Huge blocks of ice frequently crash down from the roof – don’t enter the ice caves or you risk being caught in their heated combat. Also, the giant blocks of ice can alter the entrance to the cave – it’s best to ask where the safest access point is currently located (there’s only one point of entry, and it’s not an issue if you are on a tour). There can be a danger of sulphur inhalation further inside the cave.
Upper Kverkfjöll Ice Cave & Hut
From the lower ice caves, the tours continue up onto the glacier itself. Guided tours hike through the gap between glacial fingers and stop at a nunatak called Chocolate Hill for a pause. Chocolate Hill earned its name because British explorers would eat chocolate bars to boost their energy for the climb and would leave their wrappers behind. It is extremely dangerous to mount the icy tongues before Chocolate Hill – wardens have not marked a path here as the topography is always changing.
From here it’s a stiff three-hour hike climbing up and looping back down around Langafönn to reach the upper ice cave and geothermal area, where sulphur and rhyolite silt combine with the steam heat to create some of the gooiest mud imaginable. The cave has many entry points and is larger than the lower ones, but unfortunately you cannot