It is one of the driest parts of the country yet, during the winter months, it is covered in snow, transforming the scene once again. This is the time to travel by superjeep as Kerlingarfjöll is a very interesting destination in the winter as well.
See From Sea to Sea
It is little wonder that Kerlingarfjöll is a popular place to stay in summer though, as many people love to enjoy the wonders of nature along with the peace and tranquility it offers. The area is big enough that its solitude is rarely interrupted by another hiker and yet, amazingly, there
is mobile phone access, so you are never far from modern life, should you need to communicate. From the peak of the 1477 metre-high Snækollur mountain, you can see the seas in both the north and south on a clear day, which makes the summit second to none when comparing the size of area one can see from it.
Formed in Fire
Born in a volcanic eruption, Kerlingarfjöll is a relatively young range of mountains, unusually created from ryolite, liparite and both dark and bright tuff stone about 10,000 years old. This is what gives it its constantly changing colouring, depending on the light, the sun and the time of day. When it was being created, there was a glacier covering the mid highlands. In some places, it seems tuff stone burst through the ice, becoming covered with lava. Kerlingarfjöll is at the centre of a system of volcanoes, with one of the most powerful hot spring areas in Iceland. It is a very active geothermal area still, with plenty of warm streams and pools flowing out from different parts of the mountain range. Some of the geysirs have melted the glacial ice and created impressive arches, caves and ice rocks.
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Melting Treasures
Geologists from ma ny pa rts of t he world come to see its treasures - some of which, according to Dr. Simon Carr of the Dept of Geography at Queen Mary College, University of London, could disappear in a matter of a couple of decades, ma k ing it a ll the more imperative to visit and enjoy its wonders while they are still there. Until 2000, this used to be one of Iceland’s most popular destinations for a summer skiing school but since that time, no lifts have operated as the snows have melted and the glaciers retreated under the effects of the changing climate. In Spring, the melting snow creates unusual sculptures, swelling the many streams that turn into rivers, flowing in different directions. Amongst them is the mighty Hvítá that gives the Gullfoss waterfall its power and makes it such a magnet for tourists. Yet, it all begins here, in the area around Kerlingarfjöll. -ASF
Kerlingarfjöll Árnessýsla • 801 Selfoss
+354 664 7000 info@kerlingafjoll.is www.kerlingarfjoll.is
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