Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ÞÓRSMÖRK HIKES
The main walk from Skagfjörðsskáli starts at the next bay east from the hut at
Slyppugil
, a
gradually widening, wooded gully which you follow uphill to the jagged east-west ridge of
Tindjöll
. The trail then weaves along Tindfjöll's gravel, landslip-prone north face to the solitary
spire of
Tröllakirkja
, before emerging onto open heath at Tindfjöll's eastern end: the double-
tipped cone 2km northeast is
Rjúpnafell
, which can be climbed up a steep, zigzag path to its
824m summit - give yourself at least five hours for the return hike from the hut. Alternatively,
cross the heath to descend back into the valley down Tindfjöll's southern slopes via
Stóriendi
;
the path is intermittently pegged and often seems to be leading off the edge, but always
reappears, with some fantastic views of Þórsmörk's eastern end along the way. You end up down
at river level approximately 2km from your starting point; this circuit takes around four hours.
The most obvious local excursion from Básar is straight up
Réttarfell
, the peak above, via a
low saddle - the path is easy to follow though tiring. The next peak east of Réttarfell, and
connected by a walkable 5km ridge, is 805m
Útigönguhöfði
. Views from the top are
stupendous but be warned, the final section is incredibly steep, with chains to help you. Give
yourself four hours from Básar for the round trip.
One final option is to hike from Þórsmörk to Skógar in around ten hours, via the site of the
2010 eruption at
Fimmvörðuháls (see p.130).
2
sudden glut of vegetation and colour is striking. Valahnúkur's summit makes a
brilliant place to orient yourself, with views out over the flat riverbed's interlaced
streams to where the rough hills opposite, buffed in green, are suddenly terminated by
Mýrdalsjökull's blue-white mass.
South of the Krossá
The landscape south of the Krossá is dominated by steep, green, looming slopes
ultimately rising to the Eyjafjallajökull ice cap. The first target here is the river-level
Básar
hut, ranger station and campsite, reached either by bus (some terminate here) or
from Skagfjörðsskáli via a footbridge over the Krossá - though at the time of writing
this had washed away, replaced by a mobile pontoon. Note that under no
circumstances should you attempt to wade across the river's main channel; people have
drowned doing this. Básar marks the start of the
trail to Skógar
, though the warden
here has excellent suggestions for shorter hikes within Þórsmörk.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
ÞÓRSMÖRK
By bus
Þórsmörk's main bus stop is at Húsadalur, but some
services continue to Básar - check with the driver.
Destinations
Hella (2 daily; 1hr 45min); Hveragerði
(2 daily; 2hr 25min); Hvolsvöllur (2 daily; 1hr 35min);
Reykjavík (2 daily; 3hr 20min); Selfoss (2 daily; 2hr 15min);
Seljalandsfoss (2 daily; 1hr).
By car
Aside from hiking in from Skógar
or Landmannalaugar,
the only way to reach the reserve is via the 30km-long Route
249/F249 off the Ringroad at Seljalandsfoss. The last half of
this is a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive-only route, and
can be quite an adventure in itself, crossing a handful of
broad glacial rivers - often impassable in bad conditions -
and passing rapidly shrinking Steinsholtsjökull, before
reaching the reserve's western end at Húsadalur.
INFORMATION
Tourist information
Wardens at Skagfjörðsskáli and Básar
provide the latest information about weather and hiking
conditions. Make it clear if you haven't had much hiking
experience, as many trails in the park require some scrambling
and wardens can be rather blasé about di
culties.
Maps
Mal og menning's 1:100,000
Landmannalaugar-
Þórsmörk-Fjallabak
map includes
a 1:50,000 Þórsmörk
sheet on the back; combine this with hiking association
maps (available from the huts and Húsadalur bus stop).
The latter are too inaccurate to use alone, but do show
the trails - which are only vaguely pegged on the
ground.
Supplies
The closest shops are at Hvolsvöllur or Vík, so
bring everything you need with you.
FROM TOP
ÞÓRSMÖRK
P.125
; ERUPTION AT FIMMVÖRÐUHÁLS
P.128
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