아이슬랜드 스코가포스(Skógafoss), Fimmvorduhals Trail

 

I’ve done some beautiful hikes in my life, but NOTHING compares to the Fimmvörðuháls hike.

Fimmvörðuháls is a hiking trail that passes through the most dramatic scenery that Iceland has to offer – including countless waterfalls, glaciers, and volcanoes.

Starting at Skogafoss in South Iceland, the trail takes you along the Skogar river, and then between the Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull glaciers before ending in Thorsmork. If that isn’t one impressive resume, I don’t know what is!

Fimmvörðuháls literally translates to five-cairn pass which is represented in the middle of the hike with the carin’s that help mark the trail.

I completed this glorious trek last summer in July 2016 and let me tell you, I was ready to do it again the very next weekend!

BUT this hike should not be taken lightly.

We had a pretty crazy experience actually – cramming what could be a 10-12 hour hike into 8 hours and some pretty harsh weather conditions.

Still, there’s nothing like the feeling of climbing through mountains with some of the best views in the country!

Read on for the ultimate guide to planning your Fimmvörðuháls trek.

Hike Details

• Distance: 25 km/13 miles
• Time: 8-12 hours (can be done in one day, or split into two days – read below)
• Difficulty level: challenging
• Elevation: 1068 meters/3504 feet
• Contents: 26 waterfalls, 2 volcanoes, 2 glaciers
• Starting point: Skogafoss waterfall
• Ending point: Thorsmork (obviously you can also complete this the opposite direction!)

When to go

Weather and highland access determines the availability for this hike. Often times there is still snow along the trail, making for unsafe conditions. The best time to hikeFimmvörðuháls is June through early September.

However, don’t let the whole “middle of summer” thing fool you. Temperatures in the highlands are always colder than the coast, so you can expect around 40°F (5°C).

Before you start the trek, make sure to check the weather for Fimmvörðuháls.

How to get there

Most people will start by camping overnight at Skogafoss, which I would suggest doing.

We decided to make the round trip from Reykjavik.

This is where things get surprisingly tricky.

The hike starts at Skogafoss, but the busses that take you out of Thorsmork ONLY drop off at Seljalandsfoss, which is 30 minutes away.

Our solution was to take two vehicles, meet at Seljalandsfoss, and then drive together to Skogafoss.

We left Reykjavik at 7am and started the hike by 10:30. The plan was to be at Basar by 6pm for which we had pre-purchased our tickets.

(Another option is to check the Reykjavik Excursions bus schedule going from a) Þórsmörk to Seljalandsfoss and then b) Seljalandsfoss to Skógar, get your vehicle and drive back home to Reykjavík/continue on the Ring Road.)

Lastly, I suppose hitchhiking is an option, but never a guarantee!

*Make sure to check the bus schedules BEFORE you start your hike! The last bus usually leaves at 8pm, so unless you want to stay overnight in Thorsmork, you need to have the hike completed by then. You can buy your tickets in advance or on the bus.