Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.08.2018, Síða 14

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Iceland 2018
14
Over The Misty
Mountains
A hike to Þórsmörk over the
famous Fimmvörðuháls pass
Words: Christine Engel Snitkjær Photos: Bjarni Þór Hjaltason
The name of the river ‘Krossá’
sounds like ‘cross,’ as in the
symbol that signifies Jesus
Christ and which marks count-
less graves within the Christian
community. Appropriately, this
river is the graveyard of cars in
the Þórsmörk region of Iceland.
The cars go in and they never
return.
Although I have not ‘crossed’
the ‘Krossá,’ I have a feeling that
crossing any river with a car is
a dangerous pastime. So when
my friends Ásdis, Arnþór, and I
come across a river in the mid-
dle of the road on our way to the
Básar campsite, I am certain we
have taken a wrong turn some-
where. We cannot possibly be
meant to enter the river. We’re
only at the beginning of our
camping and hiking adventure
weekend in Þórsmörk and we are
already lost, I think to myself.
Arnþór calls Ásdis’s father,
who has already made it to the
camp in another car with the
rest of the family, and must
know how to get there.“Yes,” he
says, confirming that this is the
right way.
The great krossing
As we cross the river, Arnþór
and Ásdis exchange nervous
remarks in Icelandic. Between
utterances such as “hvað segir
þú?!” and “rólegt!!” I hear the
word “snakk,” interpreting this
to mean that if we get stranded
in the middle, at least we’ll have
snacks. We make it across, but
it turns out to be the first river
crossing of many, and I’m glad
we brought a 4x4.
After countless crossings
and a shaky gravel road expe-
rience, Ásdis, Arnþór, and I ar-
rive at Básar. Ásdis’ family have
already set up their tents, and
we’re left to enjoy the view of the
misty mountains. We go to bed
early—the following day, we con-
quer Fimmvörðuháls.
Up and away
Fimmvörðuháls is the name
of a hiking trail that winds up
between the glaciers Eyjafjalla-
jökull and Mýrdalsjökull. Clock-
ing in at 23 kilometres, and filled
with steep stretches as the trail
climbs to its peak of 1000m, this
is no Sunday stroll—as I’ll soon
discover.
The next morning, we take
the gravel road to the small vil-
lage of Skógar (population: ca.
25) which marks the start of the
Fimmvörðuháls trail. The grand
waterfall of Skógafoss greets hik-
ers as they climb past it and up
into the foothills of the high-
lands.
As we commence the hike and
move further and further away
from civilisation, mist begins
to cover the landscape in a mys-
terious white blanket. The lush,
green hills become dim and the
sound of waterfalls is the only
Distance from
Reykjavík:
159km
How to get there:
Route One South, turn onto
Þórsmerkurvegur at Seljalandsfoss South