East Iceland - Iceland - page 594

BORGARFJÖRÐUR TO SEYÐISFJÖRÐUR HIKE
Wildly wonderful and unexplored, the rugged country between Borgarfjörður and Seyðis-
fjörður makes for one of the best multiday hikes in the region. To plan your journey, pick
up the widely available Víknaslóðir - Trails of the Deserted Inletsmap(Ikr1000), or con-
tact Álfheimar or Borg accommodation in Borgarfjörður if you're looking for a guide. For
hut information along this route, check www.fljotsdalsherad.is/ferdafelag (click on
'Houses').
Day 1 Start at Kolbeinsfjara, 4km outside the township of Borgarfjörður Eystri, and ven-
ture up into the mountains along the Brúnavíkurskarð pass (trail #19 on the map). Turn
south (along trail #21) at the emergency hut in Brúnavík, passing beautiful Kerlingfjall fur-
ther on. After your six-to-seven-hour hike (15km), settle in for the night at the outfitted
farmhouse/campsite in Breiðavík.
Day 2 Next day features another stunning six or seven hours of hiking (13.5km along
trail 30). You'll first walk through the grassy leas below Hvítafjall, then link up with the
4WD track heading south to the Húsavík lodge, where you'll spend the second night. The
land between Breiðavík and Húsavík is infested with hidden people - the elf sheriff lives at
Sólarfjall and the elf bishop lives at Blábjörg further south along the coast.
Day 3 Another 14km of trails are tackled in six to seven hours of hiking (along trail 37)
as the path reunites with the sea at silent Loðmundarfjörður. The 4WD track ends at the
Klyppstaður lodge on the Norðdalsá river delta at the uppermost point of the fjord.
Day 4 The last day links Loðmundarfjörður to Seyðisfjörður (trail 41). At the highest
point of the mountain pass you'll find a logbook signed by previous hikers. As you venture
down into Seyðisfjörður, you'll be treated to a watery fanfare of gushing chutes.
Dyrfjöll
One of Iceland's most dramatic ranges, the Dyrfjöll mountains rise precipitously to an alti-
tude of 1136m between the marshy Héraðssandur plains and Borgarfjörður Eystri. The
name Dyrfjöll means Door Mountain and is due to the large and conspicuous notch in the
highest peak - an Icelandic counterpart to Sweden's famous Lapporten. There are walking
tracks crossing the range, which allow for day hikes or longer routes from Borgarfjörður
Eystri.
Stórurð , on the western flank of Dyrfjöll, is a hiker's paradise, an extraordinary place
scattered with huge rocks and small glacial ponds. Along Rte 94, a number of access trails