DIMMUBORGIR to HVERFJALL

Northern Iceland

DISTANCE

7 km

out and back

TIME

ELEVATION

Altitude max: 1113m

ESSENTIALS

SEASON

(of the report)

YOU'LL NEED

Micro Spikes
Good hiking shoes
Winter gear
Thermos flask

BEFORE GOING:

Check the weather. How original right? You'll be in a country where mother nature is particularly powerful and unpredictable. Moreover Iceland has the most complete and accurate website : https://en.vedur.is/
In Iceland people are used to snow and well prepared for it, what about you? The first question you should ask yourself is if you're ready to drive on snow and ice, as well as against strong winds, snowstorms...basically in extreme weather. There's an essential website to monitor road conditions in - almost - real time: http://www.road.is/..I can understand that you'd prefer to avoid that kind of situation but then you shouldn't go to Iceland during the winter or just don't drive.
Remember that even if you can call emergency numbers it might take them time to reach. I suggest to always have in your car: a thermos flask with hot tea/beverage, a shovel, water and some blankets...in case it takes a lot of time. Again, they're well organised and have a website that will give you advices and actual alerts on weather hazards : https://safetravel.is/
MICROspikes are essential if you want to walk around and hike in Iceland during winter time. Without them it could be complicated for you to even leave the car as everything is frozen at some places, included roads (cf. pictures). It is well known that you have to wear multiple layers, but for winter I will recommend focusing on good quality cloth that will protect you from the biting cold and blizzard.
This is a hike and road trip you have to be prepared for. As you can see, Iceland offers a lot of informations through different websites so there's no excuses! This country's weather is stronger than you.

START - DIMMUBORGIR

You'll start from Dimmuborgir (parking lot) where you can walk between huge lava formations with a "Lord of the Rings" vibe. There are several hiking paths that are really easy and enjoyable. That's already the point where you will need your micro spikes. In fact, you might even have to put them on in the parking lot as it was pure ice when we were there.

We planned first to only explore Dimmuborgir's but after having Hverfjall on sight we decided that we would try to reach it. The first 15 minutes you'll progress through different lava formations making the distance go by pretty fast as you admire the landscape. As long as you're walking in Dimmuborgir paths will be marked.

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Then will start the second portion of this hike and that's where it will get more complicated to find the trail. During winter time there are few people hiking which makes it less obvious. However it should be recognisable with the help of trail poles, if they're not recovered by snow. There's approximately 40 minutes of hike - if you manage not to get lost - to reach the F road that is going around the volcano's base. This road was pure ice (c.f. picture) and as it was more exposed to strong winds which made it difficult to progress .

I can't tell if it's because it was winter but after a long observation of Hverfjall we didn't found any official trail going up to the summit so we just picked a face that didn't look so bad, and where the signs asking not to climb outside the trail stopped. Later on, we discovered that there was an official trail going up but from what we understood it's only practicable during summer months (or months without snow).

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So yeah, after 20 minutes of walking on an iced F road with strong winds in our faces, we picked a random place on the west side of Hverfjall and started to climb. To be honest the ascend was super quick (15 minutes) but not nice as the texture we were walking on was uneven and formed of rocks, ice & snow. My fear of heights caught me 10 meters before reaching the crater/summit but it was mostly because of the wind and I finally did manage to go up there anyway!

As you can see in the pictures below we were rewarded with beautiful views, so check the weather before to make sure you'll enjoy it too. Although it looks like a perfect blue sky day, we only stayed at the top for 5 minutes as the wind was stronger and colder up there.

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We returned to the Dimmuborgir's parking lot in 1h25 and had the chance to enjoy a beautiful sunset. Iceland offers one of the most photogenic light but as soon as the sun goes down you'll instantly feel the temperature drop. I advise to check the sunset times during winter months, so that you can adapt your hiking time.

I started with this hike in Iceland because this is one of my favorite memories ever! It's hard to explain only with words that's why I love to add pictures. I know, it may look crazy cold out there - and it honestly was - but with the right gear and attitude you'll feel blessed to be in such a wild and powerful nature!

Love it? Protect it!

Thank you for reading until the end :)