High Peaks of Iceland

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Detailed itinerary:

Day 1

Climb Mt. Botnssúlur. Gullfoss waterfall and Geysir Hot Springs.

Mount Botnssúlur: (1095 m)

Estimated travelling time: 5-6 hours
    

The day starts with a pick up from your accommodation in Reykjavík at 08:00. We will head towards Þingvellir national park where we will loosen up with an ascent of Mt. Botnssúlur, followed by a visit to Gullfoss waterfall and Geysir hot springs for a glimpse of these renowned sights. Our ascent of Mt. Botnssúlur starts near the deep canyon of Glymur, Iceland´s highest waterfall which drops about 200 m into the narrow gorge below. The climb is straightforward but ends on a lovely ridge to the summit. In clear weather, this summit, just as all the others, offers outstanding views. In this case over the steaming volcano Hengill, the Vestmann islands off the south coast of Iceland and Þingvallavatn, Iceland´s biggest lake.

The double waterfall, Gullfoss, fed by Hvítá glacier river, plummets down 32 metres, the sheer volume of water making it so spectacular and powerful. The Geysir hot spring area offers a great variety of colorful hot springs, steaming vents and hot pools who are fun to explore. Please note, if the walk takes us longer than expected, we may need to cut these visits short.

Day 2

Climb Hekla Volcano

Mount Hekla: (1491 m)

Estimated travelling time: 6-7 hours

Today we climb Mt. Hekla, Iceland´s second most active volcano, that takes the shape of a beautiful volcanic ridge. We start our climb from the north side of the mountain, from the edge of the most recent lava field from the year 2000. In this are we get to experience great lunar landscape of black volcanic sand and rocks. The variations in the lava and vegetation shaped by the forces of erosion create a colorful and unusual scenery. The view from the top of Mt. Hekla is wide and beautiful, over the deserted highlands of Iceland.

Day 3

Glacier Day on one of the outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull Ice Cap

Estimated travelling time: 4 - 6 hours

Today we spend the day on one of the outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull ice cap. It is a good way to practice the skills we need for the forthcoming ascent of Mt. Hvannadalshnúkur. On the outlet glacier we will find ourselves surrounded by ice and high mountain ridges. This is a fun day on ice as we traverse across the glacier, and a great way to get close up to the big mountains around Skaftafell national park. Having completed our training, we now have the flexibility to make our ascent of Mt. Hvannadalshnúkur on any of the days to come, according to weather forecast.

Day 4

Climb Laki Volcano

Mount Laki: (818 m)

Estimated travelling time: 4 -5 hours

Today we head for the craters of Laki, where in 1783 a 25 km long fissure opened and molten lava started to flow out of the ground, forming around 130 craters and massive lava fields. This natural disaster devastated huge areas of pasture killing over 50% of Iceland´s livestock. This remains Iceland´s greatest eruption. Today these craters are mostly covered with green moss which makes a great contrast to the black underlying lava. Our ascent takes us to the highest og the Laki craters.

Day 5

Climb Mt. Kristínartindar

Mount Kristínartindar: (1126 m)

Estimated travelling time: 7 -8 hours

We set off from the campsite through a beautiful arctic birch forest, past Svartifoss waterfall, famous for its black basalt columns that frame the waterfall. We continue crossing the open moorland of Skaftafell to get to the foot of Mt. Kristínartindar. The true summit is reached by a rocky path, which finally gives way to magnificent views over the surrounding mountains, including Mt. Hvannadalshnúkur, our goal for the nex day. We are now embraced by beautiful summits and the white giant of Vatnajökull ice cap. We return to the lowlands by a circular route.

Day 6

Climb Mt. Hvannadalshnúkur

Mount Hvannadalshnúkur: (2110 m)

Estimated travelling time: 12 -14 hours

Our aim for the day is Iceland´s highest peak. It is an unforgettable experience to look out across the frozen world beyond, and the arctic ocean to the south. We go for a very early start as the days walk is likely to take around 12-14 hours. Well, but with 24 hours of daylight we have plenty of time. We start hiking at sea level, almost, and walk up for about 1000 metres to get to Öræfajökull glacier. Here it´s time to rope up and possibly take our previous crampon training into action as we weave our way around the crevasse riddled ice cap. The last section of our journey to the summit is quite steep and can be quite challenging. But the reward will hopefully be awesome views across Iceland in all directions.

Day 7

Visit Jökulsárlón, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss

Today we make a leisurely start after our long and hard days hike the day before. We head for the coast to visit Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, famous for its majestic icebergs that have been thrown into the lake by a calving outlet glacier that runs into it. Seals can often be seen, sticking their heads above the water surface, curiously looking out for colorful visitors. We stop there for a while to enjoy the scenery. Then we´ll head towards Reykjavík, making some stops by Skógarfoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls. We will take you back to your accommodation in the city upon our arrival.

Disclaimer:
All hiking trips are undertaken on the responsibility of its participants. Arctic Adventures does not assume any responsibility for accidents which are caused by its customers or can be traced to there own actions. Participants may have to sign a waiver before undertaking all trips stating that they realize that all outdoor activities carry an inherit risk.