Reaching Iceland's highest summit, Hvannadalshnjúkur, at 2110 metres above sea level, is an impressive feat for any hiker!

​

The hike starts at the car park at Sandfell and intially follows a winding path up to the top of Sandfell. There the path fades and we head for the moraines of Öræfajökull, reaching the glacier's edge at about 1100m elevation. Before starting up the glacier, we rope up, and from there is a long, but gentle slope up to the edge of the Öræfajökull caldera. We cross the caldera to reach the base of the summit, which is the steepest part of the hike. Standing on the highest point is always a special feeling and on clear days, the views are second to none. The descent follows the same route.

​

• Duration: 10-15 hours

• Distance: 25 km

• Ascent/descent: 2000m

• Difficulty: Challenging

​

A mandatory meeting with the guide takes place the day before the hike. There we go over a detailed plan for the hike, weather and conditions on the mountain, hand out required gear and answer any questions. Starting time is decided in the meeting, but generally between 3 and 5am. Bring all the equipment you plan to carry on this meeting and all clothes you plan to wear.

​

Note that for safety reasons, we do not take a rope team of less than three on the summit. If you are alone, but wish to do the hike, another guide must be hired to get the minimum of three on the rope team.

​

Though the Sandfell route is by far the most common one, there are more routes to reach the highest point of Iceland. Contact us for more information on those if you are interested. 

​

The conditions on this hike are highly variable, based on snow conditions, and the amount of snow present. In late season, the hike can become very tricky as snow bridges collapse. This can make the route longer in both distance and duration.