- A superb climbing expedition in the Land of Fire and Ice
- Climb Hvannadalshnukur the highest peak in Iceland
- Exciting ascent of Hekla the most active volcano in Iceland
- Weird and wonderful Fjallabak landscapes
- A trekking and easy climbing holiday with a breathtaking variety of mountain scenery
Classic volcano climbing holiday adventure in Iceland, walking in the land of fire and Ice. A simply breathtaking variety of Icelandic mountain scenery makes this one of the most unusual climbing expeditions on offer. From the exuberant city of Reykjavik, our walking and climbing adventure begins with the easy climb of Botnsulur(1095m / 3593ft) overlooking Lake Thingvellir. The explosive Hekla is our next climbing goal and involves a testing 1000 metre / 3280 feet climb, across ash and snow, to reach its fissured, steaming summit. After Hekla, we then make the spectacular crossing of the wildly volcanic highland region of Iceland, the Fjallabak, with our rugged 4x4 vehicles at times almost submerged as we ford several rivers en route. A stop-off at the famous Landmannalaugar hot pools is obligatory. Arriving at Skaftafell, our day's walking among the Kristinartindar peaks provides good views of Vatnajokull Icecap and of our ultimate climbing objective, Hvannadalshnukur, the highest mountain in Iceland. With 24 hours of daylight, the long and straightforward climb to Iceland's high point certainly carries no risk of our being benighted! With our climbing objectives achieved, we then have the option to explore the amazing Skaftafell National Park, famous for it's variety and quantity of sea-birds. This amazing walking and climbing holiday adventure to Iceland draws to a close with a visit to the Skogarfoss waterfall and a dip in a geothermal pool.
Trip Guide
This is a most unusual climbing holiday in Iceland, providing a mix of sightseeing, exploration and quite challenging day-hikes and day-climbs. We tackle our objective peaks in order of their difficulty and the type of terrain that we will encounter during their ascents will vary from good paths across open moorland, to rocky scree and wide snow slopes. While Mount Botnsulur will involve a straightforward hike of about 5 hours, Hekla will be a 7 to 8 hour day and Mount Hvannadalshnukur will involve an early start and at least a 12 hour day. The ascent of Hekla is across rough terrain, including recent lava flows and the upper slopes are snow-covered. Crampons and an ice-axe will need to be carried and may be used, depending on the prevailing conditions. On Hvannadalshnukur, the upper part of the ascent traverses the Oraefajokull Glacier and the group will climb roped together across easy-angled snow slopes. You do not need to be an experienced winter climber to join this holiday but you need to be a strong walker and have plenty of stamina. We will teach basic snow and ice walking techniques on Mount Hvannadalshnukur.
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