Fimmvörðuháls Trail

Two-day high-altitude crossing between Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull to Þórsmörk

The Fimmvörðuháls trail is a 25-kilometre route connecting Skógar with Þórsmörk, crossing the high pass between Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers at an elevation of around 1000 metres. Most hikers do it as a two-day route, staying in a hut at the midpoint on the pass. The upper section passes through one of the most dramatic landscapes in Iceland: glaciers on both sides, lava fields from the 2010 eruption still partly bare and new-looking, and views in clear weather that extend across the entire south coast.

The trail is well-marked but requires appropriate equipment — waterproof layers, good boots, and some basic navigation ability. Weather on the pass can change from clear to whiteout in an hour, even in summer. The lower sections on both the Skógar and Þórsmörk sides involve river crossings that can be difficult in early summer snowmelt. Check conditions before setting out and consider booking the mountain hut in advance for the midsummer period.

things to do sight park wildlife
A story
In April 2010, the trail passed directly through an active eruption when Eyjafjallajökull began erupting through the Fimmvörðuháls pass. The eruption created two new craters and lava flows that were still cooling when the first hikers returned to the route weeks later. The 2010 eruption was minor compared to the full subglacial eruption that followed in May, which shut down European air travel for six days and turned an Icelandic volcano into a globally known word that few people could pronounce.