Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Note that the Gæsavatn route (the F910 from Nýidalur to Askja) weaves its way
across some quite appalling terrain close to Vatnajökull's northwestern flanks, including
a number of dangerous rivers. Get local advice if you're thinking of taking this route,
and only travel in convoy.
Laugafell hot springs
No set hours • Free
The grey waters of Fjórðungsvatn , a small lake on the F26 some 15km north of
Nýidalur, mark the junction with Route F752 , which runs northwest to the Ringroad at
Varmáhlið (see p.218). The main feature along the way is Laugafell hot springs , some
30km from the F26 junction, a geothermal area with a bathable hot pool said to have
been first used by a household who fled to this desolate spot during a medieval
outbreak of plague. here are huts here offering bunk space in summer.
Aldeyjarfoss
Up at the northern end of the F26, Aldeyjarfoss is a lively waterfall framed by a blaze
of twisted basalt columns. Despite being close to the green slopes and scattered farms
of the relatively fertile Bárðardalur valley, the sand and lava terrain surrounding the falls
is bleak in the extreme, with the water providing the landscape's sole source of
movement and colour.
8
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
SPRENGISANDUR
By bus Reykjavík Excursions ( W re.is) cross Sprengisandur
between Reykjavík and Mývatn three times weekly in each
direction between July and August. The journey takes 11hr
30min and costs 17,600kr. A connecting service from
Landmannalaugar links with Reykjavík-Mývatn buses at
Hrauneyjar. Landmannalaugar-Mývatn takes 10hr and
costs 13,300kr.
By car Allow at least eight hours if you're driving the F26
yourself - which is nothing compared with the week it
took for the first car to traverse it in 1933.
ACCOMMODATION
Laugafell hut T 854 9302, W ffa.is. Two huts sleeping
35 people in bunks (sleeping-bag only); one dates to the
1940s and is a bit primitive, but the newer one has toilets
and a basic kitchen. There's also a camp site with showers
but no k itchen. Closed Sept-May. Bunks 5000kr ; camping
1500kr
Nýidalur hut T 860 3334, W fi.is. Two hostels sleeping
120 people in bunks, with kitchen, showers and toilets. The
campsite has shelter sheds for cooking and eating. Rangers
here can fill you in on hiking trails around the
Tungna fellsjökull i ce cap. Closed Sept-May. Sleeping bag
5000kr ; camping 1500kr
Kjölur: Route 35
Running between Gullfoss in the south and the Ringroad near Varmahlíð, at 200km
long Kjölur is the shorter of the two inland routes across Iceland. Pioneered by the
earliest settlers and recorded in the Book of Settlements , Kjölur was always considered a
safer route than Sprengisandur, though it passes between the Hofsjökull and Langjökull
icecaps and was also abandoned after the death of a large party in 1780. Today it
qualifies as a highway - if any Interior route can claim to be one - with buses, coaches,
four-wheel-drives and even ordinary family sedans bouncing along it during the
summer months. All the rivers have been bridged, but be aware that Kjölur's rough
gravel track is still capable of shredding tyres, tearing of exhausts and puncturing
sumps: keep your speed down, especially if driving conventional, low-slung vehicles.
Check with your rental company to see if they allow their vehicles along this route
before attempting the drive in a hired car.
FROM TOP THERMAL POOL ABOVE ; KVERKFJÖLL ICE CAVES P.314 >
 
 
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