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32,000 km Of Wetland Trenches!
Hangikjöt (smoked lamb), kindur (sheep) and skyr (like thick yogurt)—these are some Icelandic words that pop up when you hear someone mention farming in Iceland. Iceland has a long agricultural tradition. Around 1850, about 90% of the population worked as farmers, helping…
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Kálfstindar: Take Your Pick
Elevation: 824 m Ascent time: 2.5-3.5 hrs Length: 4 km Map: 37 Elevation difference: 600 m The mountain A tuya or stapi mountain is a subglacial volcanic structure on top of a short volcanic fissure. If a longer, subglacial volcanic fissure opens…
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Slumbering Volcanoes In Iceland
“No one can predict where, or with what force, an eruption might commence.” Currently, some of the 30 volcanic systems in Iceland, most of them with a large central volcano, show signs of unrest. It is ever thus, but a greater or…
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Keilir: The Cone
Elevation: 378 m Ascent time: 1.5-2.5 hrs Length: 3.5 km Map: 27 Elevation difference: 280 m One of the first sights that greets a visitor to Iceland is a cone-shaped mountain a few kilometres east of the main road from Keflavík to…
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Hestskarðshnjúkur: Unique Fjord Scenery
Elevation: 855 m Ascent time: 1.5-2.5 hrs Length: 2-2.5 km Map: 61 Elevation difference: 735 m The mountain The pretty triangle-shaped summit opposite a small fjord from the picturesque town of Siglufjörður is not a common climb, but it is a fine…
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Hafnarfjall: Fun climb at the highway
Elevation: 844m Ascent time:. 2.5-3 hrs Length: 6-7km Map: 26 Elevation difference: 800m The mountain A cluster of peaks rises to over 800 metres west of the Skarðsheiði massif and close to the town of Borgarnes (www.borgarbyggd.is). Iceland’s Ring Road skirts the…
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Harnessing Volcanoes in Iceland
Over and over again, news reports highlight the possibility of an undersea cable, connecting Icelandic power plants to the UK grid. This expensive device would transmit 500-1,000 megawatts, enough to supply a single large city with electricity. One can look at that…
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Hekla: The Medieval Gate To Hell
Elevation: 1491 m Ascent time: 3.5-5.0 hrs Length: 7-8 km Map: 57 Elevation gain: 1040 m Iceland’s best-known volcano Hekla (1491 m) proudly stands as a dominant backdrop of the vast Southern Lowlands. It is a centre of a volcanic system, containing…
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The Cold Creeps In
When it finally set in last November, Iceland was seemingly headed for another severe winter in comparison to the years between 1998 and 2013, in a near to perfect chilly tandem with 2014. On the dark morning of December 1st, a raging…
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Don’t Take Hiking Lightly
Hiking is a popular recreational sport in Iceland. People by the thousands are on the move in the vicinity of Reykjavík on a good day. While many hike on rather flat ground, mountain hikes have gained popularity over the last two decades.…
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Hiking In Kerlingarfjöll
The fine group of peaks known as Kerlingarfjöll were named after a high rock pillar that is said to be a female troll who was turned to stone as she was hit by daylight back when her kin roamed the country. The…
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For The Hikers: Four Fine Summits
From the hundreds of mountain hikes and climbs (both equipped and un-equipped) Iceland has to offer, I have chosen to spotlight four mountains that should be suitable for most hikers. The hikes are intended for the late spring to early autumn months,…
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Where Are The Glowing Rocks?
As you would expect, many visitors to Iceland are more than eager to view the country’s famous volcanoes. They may, however, be surprised to discover little more than rugged, cold lava flows and non-smoking volcanoes. These are of course fine sights, but…
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Exploring The Reykjanes Peninsula
You may have noticed while looking at a map of Iceland that the Reykjanes Peninsula, where the Keflavik International Airport is situated, has a familiar shape. It looks like a boot, like a miniature version of good old Italy. You might find…
