3_0615
Trav elling in the highlands
La n d s c ap e a n d g e o lo gy
All roads through the areas just north of Vatnajökull are
classed as highland roads. While some of these are passable
in a smaller 4WD, only a modified, higher 4WD can manage
others. Note that some routes lead over large rocks or require
slow manoeuvring between lava outcrops. The rivers may
rise unexpectedly, becoming treacherous or impassable. Both
road conditions and weather may change suddenly, so you
should prepare for all possibilities and ask rangers for the
latest information about the current situation, weather and
travel conditions. Long-distance hikers should inform a ranger
of their plans. Where there is little traffic, all visitors should
carry with them the most important safety equipment, such as
communication and navigation devices.
As part of an active volcanic zone, the highlands north of Vatnajökull are constantly being reshaped by earthquakes, volcanism,
geothermal activity and the interplay of fire and ice.
Since these highlands are open to people throughout the year,
travel is only restricted by the weather or road conditions.
The Road Administration shows when roads are open on
its website, www.vegagerdin.is/english. Vehicles are only
permitted on the roads on this brochure’s map; driving on
other tracks is prohibited, even if they are visible in the landscape. Since the highland soil is delicate, damage caused by
off-road driving may take decades to heal. Should you witness
any off-road driving, please report it to a ranger or the police.
In winter, however, vehicles may be driven over snow on
frozen ground, both on and off roads, except in the Askja area.
At Drekagil and Herðubreiðarlindir, the Akureyri Touring Club
offers accommodation in huts and campgrounds, while the
touring clubs of Fljótsdalshérað and Húsavík offer similar
services at Kverkfjöll.
Útgefandi/Publisher: Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður/Vatnajökull National Park | Ljósmyndir/Photos: Mikhail Timofeev, Ragnar Th. Sigurðsson,
Rafn Sigurbjörnsson | Forsíðumynd/Cover photo: Kristinn Ingi Pétursson, Holuhraun | Hönnun og uppsetning/Design and Layout: PORT
hönnun/PORT Design | Kort/Map: Fixlanda ehf./Hans H. Hansen | Pappír/Paper: Magno Satin 115g
Prentun/Printing: Prentmet
www.vjp.is
Supported by Friends of Vatnajökull
VAT N A J Ö K U LL
NATIONAL PARK
VAT N AJ Ö KU L S ÞJ Ó Ð G A R Ð U R
FRIENDS OF
Askja and Herðubreiðarlindir rangers: Tel. (+354) 842-4357
Kverkfjöll and Hvannalindir rangers: Tel. (+354) 842-4369
ENJOY YOUR STAY!
In case of an accident or need for assistance,
call or message the 112 National Emergency Number.
• Take nothing with you except pictures and memories;
leave no more than faint footprints.
• Keep pets on a leash and remove any waste they leave.
• Off-road driving is entirely prohibited.
• Never remove plants, disturb animals or geological
formations, or pile up cairns.
PLEASE KEEP THE FOLLOWING IN MIND
VATNAJÖKULSÞJÓÐ GARÐUR
ASKJA AND KVERKFJÖLL
History
With its spooky, barely passable lava outcrops, its chilly,
dangerous glacial rivers and its treacherous outlaws,
Ódáðahraun has long awakened fear among Icelanders. In
the old days, people avoided the area whenever possible,
though that did not prevent them from telling memorable
stories about natural and supernatural phenomena.
The well-known outlaw Fjalla-Eyvindur spent the winter
of 1774–1775 at Herðubreiðarlindir. He lived there alone,
without his wife Halla, and felt it was the worst winter in
his long period of exile. It is said that he also lacked fire,
but he was able to survive on dried horse meat, angelica
roots and birds. Eyvindarkofi, his lava shelter, can still be
inspected near the accommodation hut called Þorsteinsskáli,
at Herðubreiðarlindir.
It is thought that Fjalla-Eyvindur and Halla stayed at Hvannalindir for quite a few years. They lived off the land, eating
angelica and geese, and keeping sheep. Several ruined
constructions can be seen around the edge of the Lindahraun
lava field. Hvannalindir was a good place for a refuge since
few people dared to cross the area’s dangerous glacial rivers.
The hideout ruins at Hvannalindir have been preserved, and
are now protected as a national heritage.
Highlands North of Vatnajökull Park
MAP
HISTORY
INFORMATION
HIKING TRAILS
Welcome to Vatnajökull
National Park
Vatnajökull National Park, established in 2008, encompasses
all of Vatnajökull glacier as well as extensive areas around it.
Today’s park covers about 14% of Iceland, and it is one
of the largest national parks in Europe.
In general, national parks are protected areas that are
considered unique because of their nature or cultural
heritage. The uniqueness of Vatnajökull National Park
stems primarily from the great variety of landscape
features created by the joint forces of rivers and glacial
ice, combined with volcanic and geothermal activity.
The park administers not only the region within it but also
protected areas at its edges, including Herðubreiðarlindir
and Hvannalindir. Working at various sites over the summer,
park rangers provide information on nature and local
conditions, as well as offering daily trips with an emphasis
on interesting educational points and the personal
experience of their guests.
Arctic River Beauty
Chamerion latifolium
Kverkfjöll – a meeting point of ice and fire
Holuhraun was, until recently, a small lava field just north of
Vatnajökull. In mid August 2014, extensive earthquake activity
began in Bárðarbunga, and two weeks later a large eruption
started north of the outlet glacier Dyngjujökull. Magma, which
originated deep within the Earth’s crust, pushed its way to the
northeast, moving far below the icecap, along Bárðarbunga’s
fissure system until it reached the surface some 5 km north of
Dyngjujökull. The new eruption in Holuhraun lasted for almost
six months, ceasing at the end of February 2015. It was the
largest lava eruption in Iceland since the Skaftár Fires (Laki)
in 1783–1784, and it produced about 1.4 km3 of lava, covering
about 85 km2. Large volumes of volcanic gasses were released
during the eruption. The highest concentrations were close
to the eruption site, but increased levels of sulphur dioxide
(SO2), which can be damaging to health, were noticed in many
parts of Iceland. The new Holuhraun lava has a very rough
surface which is difficult to traverse, so access is restricted to
the marked hiking trails. This is to ensure visitor safety, and to
protect the fragile new environment.
Askja central volcano is in the Dyngjufjöll mountains, which
were piled up by repeated eruptions under Ice Age glaciers.
The main caldera was formed at the end of the last glaciation,
after massive quantities of tephra (ash) had been thrown
from the magma chamber beneath these mountains. The
Pink-footed goose
Anser brachyrhynchus
N AT ION A L PA R K
Bárðarbunga is a large central volcano located beneath the
northwestern part of the Vatnajökull icecap. The Bárðarbunga
volcanic system is the longest one in Iceland, and its fissure
system extends long distances to the southwest and northeast. The volcano itself is hidden by ice, but it has a large
caldera filled by glacial ice up to 850 m thick.
In 1907, three Germans travelled to Askja for scientific
research into the 1875 eruption. Two of them, Walther von
Knebel and Max Rudloff, went out onto Öskjuvatn lake on a
boat on 10 July, never to be seen again despite a thorough
search. The weakness of their canvas boat was seen as a
possible reason for their disappearance.
sudden loss of magma from this chamber meant that its
roof began to collapse, forming a deep, circular depression
which is called a caldera in many languages and an askja
in Icelandic. Lava from later eruptions at the edge of the
caldera gradually filled it to a large degree. In 1875, however,
a powerful eruption from a fissure at the southeast corner
of Askja threw out 2.5 km3 of material in the space of a few
hours. This event involved similar developments to those
that had formed the main caldera, Askja, and produced the
light-coloured pumice which now typifies the area around
Dyngjufjöll. The explosion crater Víti was formed near the end
of this eruption. Afterwards, the roof of the magma chamber
began to collapse where the new eruption had occurred, as
before in the main caldera. This smaller caldera, however,
was very deep and filled up with water during the next few
years, producing Öskjuvatn, which at a depth of about 220 m
is Iceland’s deepest highland lake. Since then, several minor
Askja eruptions have occurred: a few small ones between
1922 and 1929, and the latest one at Vikraborgir in 1961.
In summer 2014, a large rockslide fell; it originated in the
Suðurbotnar area in the southeast rim of the main caldera
and fell into Öskjuvatn. It is one of the largest known rockslides since the settlement of Iceland, and it triggered a
tsunami in the lake. The wave reached a height of 20–30 m
above the lake surface and travelled up to 400 m across shore
areas. The rockslide’s volume was enormous, and it raised the
surface of Öskjuvatn by about 1–2 m.
Kverkfjöll is a central volcano with two ice-filled calderas. It
is divided into an eastern and western range of peaks by the
outlet glacier Kverkjökull. In the western range, the valley of
Hveradalur is a true meeting point of ice and fire, since it is
one of Iceland’s most powerful high-temperature geothermal
areas. As geothermal water melts the glacier ice, big ice caves
form. One such cave is located where the river Volga flows
from the glacier snout, but this cave changes continuously due
to ice movements and melting.
Eruptions at Kverkfjöll and Bárðarbunga, and beneath Dyngjujökull, have been associated with large floods in the river
Jökulsá á Fjöllum for thousands of years. The largest floods,
so-called catastrophic floods, have shaped the landscape from
the river’s source below Dyngjujökull, all the way to the coast
in Öxarfjörður.
table mountain which was created by repeated eruptions when
the land was covered by ice up to 1,500 m thick during the last
Ice Age glaciation.
Hvannalindir is the name of a unique oasis in the otherwise
barren Krepputunga area.
F lo r a a n d fau n a
Ódáðahraun is an area characterised by distinctive geological
formations, sand plains and vast lava fields which were
erupted from various volcanoes at differing times.
The annual precipitation north of Vatnajökull is one of the
lowest in Iceland. The moist southerly winds seldom manage
to bring precipitation over the high icecap of Vatnajökull,
leaving its north side dry.
Herðubreiðarlindir and Grafarlönd are oases created in the
Ódáðahraun wasteland by springs flowing from under the
lava fields and providing water for plants to prosper. Often
called the Queen of Icelandic Mountains, Herðubreið is also
considered to be Iceland’s national mountain. It is a volcanic
Since this area is so high and dry, there is very little contiguous vegetation. The few plants growing here and there
are usually those typical of gravel flats and alpine regions.
However, this is not true of the oasis where the vegetation
is lush compared to the bleak surroundings. Various willow
species and garden angelica, Angelica archangelica, are
prominent, but some other flowering plants such as arctic
river beauty, Chamerion latifolium, also occur. In addition to
the many species of moss to be found in the lava, numerous
kinds of lichens stand out.
You are almost certain to notice snow buntings, Plectro
phenax nivalis, in the area. At the green oases of Herðubreiðarlindir and Hvannalindir, the pink-footed goose, Anser
brachyrhynchus, has become well established. Other birds that
visit or breed in the area include the golden plover, Pluvialis
apricaria; white wagtail, Motacilla alba; red-necked phalarope,
Phalaropus lobatus; meadow pipit, Anthus pratensis; purple
sandpiper, Calidris maritima; Arctic tern, Sterna paradisaea;
and ptarmigan, Lagopus muta. Long-tailed ducks, Clangula
hyemalis, can be seen on lakes, and at Herðubreiðarlindir there
are other duck species as well as red-throated divers, Gavia
stellate and whooper swans, Cygnus Cygnus.
Askja, Öskjuvatn lake and Víti
Routes and trails which may include lengthy
rough, difficult sections, and obstructions
such as unbridged brooks or small rivers,
loose gravel, steep sections, and so forth.
Routes and trails involving obstacles and
difficulties, such as sizeable unbridged rivers,
steep slopes and cliff barriers, which may
prove hazardous to the inexperienced or in
poor conditions.
RED:
Challenging
BLACK:
Difficult
Hb-2 Lindahraun lava 1.7 km
Lava, Eyvindur’s hideout, navel lichens, moss.
Hb-1 Álftavatn 3.5 km
Plants, birds, lava.
H er ð u b r e iða r l i n di r
A-4 Dreki – Nautagil 6 km, rise in elevation 100 m
Good view, hyaloclastite and lava formations, plants.
A-3 Up into Drekagil 0.6 km
Hyaloclastite formations, lava, hardy plants, waterfall.
Caution! Risk of rock and mud slides during snow thaws.
A-2 Dreki – Dyngjufjöll – Víti 8 km,
rise in elevation 500 m
Good view south and into Askja, lava formations, tephra.
A-1 Vikraborgir-Öskjuvatn 2.5 km
Askja eruption history, Víti, Öskjuvatn, visitors’ guest book
at the monument to the Germans. Caution! The descent
into Víti is slippery, and rock and mud slides may occur.
As k ja a nd D r ek ag i l
For the most part good trails with a smooth
surface, without any significant obstructions
or difficulties.
BLUE:
Easy
HIKING TRAILS
Information about hiking trails in the new Holuhraun lava field
is available from park rangers.
H o l uh rau n ( ne w lava )
Ö-3 Askja (Vikraborgir) – Dyngjufell 13.6 km
A trail continues from Dyngjufell north to
Suðurárbotnar.
Ö-2 Bræðrafell – Drekagil 20.4 km
Ö-1 Herðubreiðarlindir – Bræðrafell 18.3 km
As k ja Tra i l
K-4 Sigurðarskáli hut – Biskupsfell 9 km
Lava formations, view.
K-3 Sigurðarskáli hut – Virkisfell 2.1 km
Volcanic scoria, lava, view.
K-2 Sigurðarskáli hut – Parking area by icecave 3 km
Lava formations, moraines, vegetation.
K-1 Parking area – ice cave 0.5 km
Proximity to glacier, moraines, glacial river, ice cave.
Caution! Risk of falling ice or rocks
Kv e r k fjö l l
Hv-2 Parking area – Kreppuþröng 2.5 km
View, river running through narrow gorge.
Hv-1 Parking area – ruins 1.8 km
Plants, hideout ruins.
Hva n na l ind i r
Hb-5 Climb onto Herðubreið 2.6 km,
rise in elevation 1000 m
Wide panorama. Caution! Great risk of falling
or sliding rocks.
Hb-4 Junction of Jökulsá and Kreppa 3.4 km
Polished rock outcrops, lava formations, river
junction, plants.
Hb-3 Lava along Lindaá 2.5 km
Eyvindur’s hideout, lava field margin and lava plants,
Lindaá and its gravel banks.