Kjölur (Route 35) is one of the most treacherous roads traversing Iceland's interior.

Understand

Map of the 165-km trail

A slope on the trail

The road has probably been used since the discovery of Kjalvegur and is one of the historic routes in Iceland. It was used as a travel route to Þingvellir to Alþing, but now runs west of the piste between Gulfoss and Blönduós, still used by many travellers willing to cope the challenge.

Most of Kjölur is still an unpaved road, but the river crossings have now been bridged, making the road a bit easier to travel on as fording is no longer necessary. The road covers a distance of 165 km, but is only drivable during summer, from the end of June to mid-September.

Prepare

You will need a good 4WD to do this trail, but as all river crossings are now bridged, you don't necessarily need a very good one, just a 4WD that can traverse rough gravel conditions. Check with the car owner or car hiring business, which should know whether the vehicle can cope.

Before leaving, check the road conditions and weather on road.is (current conditions). The entire website is in English, so you don't need to use a machine translator from Icelandic to English.

Get in

Getting into the southern end of the route from Reykjavík takes a little more than 1.5 hours, with a distance of 116 km (72 mi) to the Gulfoss waterfall.

Drive

Gullfoss - Hvítárvatn - Kerlingarfjöll

Starting from Gullfoss, the route first leads through a ground moraine landscape over the 1 Bláfellsháls Pass (elv. 610 m) and past 2 Bláfell, a table volcano. From the pass, there is a beautiful view over the glacial lake Hvítárvatn to the west, which is about 30 km² (12 sq mi) in size and 84 m (276 ft) deep. Langjökull's glacier tongues used to reach into the lake and calve. Whooper swans and pink-footed geese can be observed at the edge of the lake, a boggy grassy landscape. Shortly after crossing the bridge over the Hvítá River, you come to the junction F336. This goes to Hvítárnes, a hiker's hut by the lake.

To the west lies the Langjökull glacier (1355 m), to the east you can see the colourfully shimmering Liparit mountains of Kerlingarfjöll, the highest peaks of which are Snækollur (1482 m) and Loðmundur (1429 m).

Sidetrip to Kerlingarfjöll (F347)

Kerlingarfjöll

The Kerlingarfjöll (Old Woman Mountains) can be reached via a 10 km long track, which branches off the route 35 to the east. In Kerlingarfjöll there is a summer ski area and a shelter. From Kerlingarfjöll, the track continues up into the mountains to Hveradalur.

Kerlingarfjöll is one of the most beautiful geothermal areas in Iceland – many solfatars and fumaroles can be found along the small stream that has eaten its way deep into the yellowish, heavily weathered rhyolite. The area continues deep below Hofsjökull.

Kerlingarfjöll - Hveravellir

Back on Kjölur, the trail leads to the highest point of the route, Fjórdungsalda (673 m). At this north/south watershed (Kjölur just means "watershed" in Icelandic) there is a memorial stone commemorating the founder of the Icelandic Hiking Association. Now the landscape is changing and sand is gaining the upper hand. Drive to Hveravellir via Þjófadalavegur (F735). The track continues towards Langjökull.

Hveravellir

The "mini volcano" in Hveravellir

The Hveravellir geothermal area, on the northern edge of the Kjalhraun lava field, covers an area of 450 km². The multicoloured sinter deposits at Blahver, the largest spring in the area, are interesting. The most beautiful body of water here is Fagrivher where clear, turquoise water can make you feel tempted to a relaxing bath (minus the cold temperatures).

Hiking trails in Hveravellir lead to the Strýtur volcano with its striking craters or through the green valleys of Þjófadalir on the edge of Langjökull.

Hveravellir - Blönduós

North of Hveravellir, the landscape gradually changes to heathland and tundra. You pass the "longest fence in Iceland", erected to prevent the spread of sheep diseases. Once you have crossed the Dúfnefsfell, you come to the Árnarbæli hut, from there you have a beautiful view of Langjökull, Hofsjökull and to Kerlingarfjöll. You'll leave the high valley of Kjölur, as it slowly becomes greener and numerous sheep can be seen on the humpback meadows. You'll then pass the small Cafe Áfangi, where horse riding trips are occasionally offered. At the southern end of the Blöndulón lake district is Áfangafell with a small parking lot and a beautiful view. Due to the reservoir, the slope was rerouted here and the streams and rivers were bridged. The Blöndulón, which has been dammed since the late 1980s, is now the fourth largest lake in the country at over 56 km² (22 sq mi). The Blandá power plant generates 150 MW of power at a waterfall height of 288 m. The Kjölur slope ends around the power station.

Stay safe

See also: Interior (Iceland)#Stay safe

Go next

• Sprengisandur is another road crossing the interior of Iceland.