Bláhnjúkur
About an hour's climb.
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Landmannalaugar is an area in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve in Iceland's Highlands, known for mountains in yellow, orange, green and grey and for natural hot springs. It lies at the edge of the Laugahraun lava field, one of the finest walking areas in the country, and the famous Laugavegur trail starts here. The lava field formed in an eruption around 1477. The Iceland Touring Association runs a mountain hut here for hikers, and trails climb from it. Among the best known are Bláhnjúkur, the Blue Peak, in about an hour; Brennisteinsalda, the Sulphur Wave, through the lava; and Ljótipollur, a crater lake about four hours away. Only seasonal summer roads reach it. You see slopes striped with colour, broken by white snow in early summer, and rivers running through black gravel valleys. The site has a campsite, a hut and horses, and at the edge of the lava is a hot spring where men and women bathe together, so know that beforehand. Cotton grass may flower white beside the streams in summer. The area is 141 km in a straight line east of Reykjavík. Mountain roads are gravel and cross rivers, so a strong four-wheel drive or a seasonal bus is essential, and do not come in an ordinary car. The season is short, usually early summer to early autumn. Weather changes quickly, so bring warm clothes and a map, and keep to the paths to protect moss and soil.
About an hour's climb.
Lava from about 1477.
A long walk starting here.
Fjallabak Nature Reserve, Iceland's Highlands
No, roads cross rivers, so take a strong four-wheel drive or a seasonal bus.
Usually early summer to early autumn, so check the roads.