Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.07.2016, Síða 66

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
peaks’ base. These are Hafnarfjall
(höfn: “harbour”; fjall: “moun-
tain”), the ruins of a large central
volcano (some four to six million
years old), including the obscure
remains of a caldera and a small
intrusion of pure gabbro rarely
seen in Iceland. It is customary to
climb to the low peak facing the
sea, or to summit at the highest
peak (Gildalshnúkur, the second
to the east), by hiking along the
ridge above Route 1 (a path is found
most of the way). This route is de-
scribed here. A more demanding
route is a three-peak-circle, start-
ing with a climb of the northern-
most peak (the summit to the left
when facing the mountain at the
starting point in the bowl-shaped
valley among the peaks). The tour
requires safe route-finding in
scree and along cliff ledges, as well
as finding a narrow cleft leading
through the cliffs of the first peak.
Route character
A great hike close to the capital
area with fine views.
Route description
Before the Borgarfjörður bridge
and the town of Borgarnes, look
for a gravel road to Háumelar. The
route starts at a small river that
flows from the huge cirque in Haf-
narfjall. Follow the right-hand riv-
er bank into the cirque until you
reach a tiny concrete dam. Right
of the dam, the trail to the top is
a quick find. Climb the long ridge,
safely and steadily (be aware of
long drops on the side above the
highway). The small peak at the
end of the ridge is sometimes
coined as “the end” of the hike,
but you can head for the next and
much steeper summit, still more
or less on a trail. No hands-on
climbing, though. From up there,
you may look far and wide over
land and sea (bring a handy map
along so you know what you’re
looking at).
Difficulty rating: 4
Overall rating: 7
SHARE & LINKS: gpv.is/hi9
Hafnarfjall: Fun
climb at the
highway
Words ARI TRAUSTI GUÐMUNDSSON
Photo RAGNAR TH. SIGURÐSSON
66 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 9 — 2016TRAVEL
Elevation:
844m
Ascent time:
2.5-3 hrs
Length:
6-7 km
Map no.:
26
Elevation diff-
erence: 800 m
As you drive the ring road towards
Vík and Höfn, you’ll see some in-
triguing “inland islands” tower-
ing up from the flat coastal lands
along the way. One of the most
prominent of these is Hjörleif-
shöfði—a 221m tuff island that
rises from the flat glacial meltwa-
ter sand plains of Mýrdalssandur,
just east of Vík. It’s thought that
Hjörleifshöfði was once surround-
ed by water, but it now sits 2km
inland from the sea.
If you’ve the time to stop for
a look, there’s some interest-
ing history attached to the place.
Hjörleifur, after whom the island
is named, was the foster brother
of Ingólfur Arnarson, commonly
thought of as the first Nordic
settler of Iceland. The two each
settled their own homestead, but
Hjörleifur was apparently killed
by his Irish slaves, who fled to
what are now known, for them,
as the Westman Islands, where
they were hunted down and killed
by the vengeful Ingólfur. A grave
reputed to that of Hjörleifur, and
named Hjörleifshaugur, sits on
the top of the island.
Later, a farm was founded on
the land next to the island, and
stayed there until 1936, when it
was swept away by glacial flood.
After that the farm’s buildings
were moved from the sand to the
island’s crest. It was considered a
good farming spot because of its
rich soil, the wild birds that could
be hunted, and the sea bird eggs
that could be collected by foraging
the cliffs. Today, as well as a great
view of the surrounding region,
the gravesite and the farm ruins
are still visible. There are a few
paths to the top, with the easiest
route found at the southwestern
edge.
On The Road: Hjörleifshöfði
By JOHN ROGERS Photo ART BICNICK