Kverkfjöll mountain range is the rugged jewel of the northern highlands

Kverkfjöll on the northern edge of the massive Vatnajökull glacier is a place I have wanted to see for a very long time. Still, since it is one of the most remote destinations in Iceland, I was not expecting to visit Kverkfjöll this summer. But when my wife and I got a Facebook message from her brother inviting us to join them on a trip up there the day after, well, we decided to jump at the change.

From whale watching to a highland adventure at Kverkfjöll

We were sitting in a whale-watching boat from our friends at Elding when we got the message, approaching Reykjavik harbor. The plan was to meet up at Hrossaborgir close to Lake Myvatn at 13.00 the day after. There we would jump into the Land Rover they had borrowed for the trip. So we rushed to get supplies, booked accommodation for the night at the cozy Guesthouse Brekka in the lovely Aðaldalur valley, and drove north.

Lost highlands

The Icelandic highlands are fascinating to me. One big reason for my fascination is that the highland interior was lost to us Icelanders for a large part of our history. The ancient highway of Kjölur is the most famous example. People used to take this highland route frequently to get between the north and south of the country. With the climate getting colder over the centuries after the settlement in the ninth century (if you believe the ‘official sources’), taking the Kjölur route became rarer. Then the brothers of Reynistaður perished on Kjölur in a storm in early winter 1780. This entirely avoidable tragedy dissuaded travelers from embarking on Kjölur for a very long time. Kjölur was considered a cursed path.

Moving south

The settlers seem to have had no qualms about traveling in the Icelandic highlands. There is an intriguing legend of a settler called Bárður who had put his farmstead in the north-eastern valley of Bárðardalur. The book of Settlements states that he became disillusioned with the valley named after him. Bárðardalur simply means the valley of Bárður. Bárður decided to cross the highlands with all of his people and livestock. After 250 kilometers, Bárður and his crew reached their future home in the southeast at Núpar. Some believe that the massive volcano Bárðarbunga in the Vatnajökull glacier is named after him. This legend is just that, but it is known that people would frequently trek across the highlands in the middle ages.

Hugged by a furry friend

The drive from Aðaldalur valley to Reykjavik was smooth. Although we arrived late, I had it in me to go for a 10K run first thing the morning after. The run was delightful; the weather was gorgeous, and as I was running by the highway, I was ambushed by a friendly country dog who caught up with me and hugged me (!). The dog ruined my average pace, but this was heart-warming indeed.

Of course, we headed to Húsavík for a quick dip into Geosea Baths. Then we drove to the Hrossaborg, where we parked our KIA and stepped into the mighty Land Rover.

Trucking through the Icelandic desert

My brother-in-law did a great job driving the demanding Land Rover on the extremely rugged road. I was impressed with his handling of the vehicle and his coolness when we were fording rivers. Our first stop on the way was the gorgeous oasis of Herðubreiðarlindir. More on that delightful place later. It just suffices to say that Herðubreiðarlindir is a required stop on the way to Kverkfjöll.

River runs through it

There is no way I can do the exotic and rugged highland landscape on the way to Kverkfjöll justice. In one place, we stopped where the monster of a glacial river is channelled through a narrow canyon. The brown glacial river thunders with tremendous force through the rocky and narrow opening. This region receives little rainfall and is truly an Icelandic desert. I believe the explanation is that the glacier absorbs most of the precipitation leaving most of its surrounding area high and dry (pun intended).

Luxury accommodation in the middle of nowhere

When we finally reached Kverkfjöll, I was blown away by how grand the hut there is. It is just amazing that this impressive and cozy building is right here in the middle of nowhere. It is called Sigurðarskáli, and its first iteration was built in 1972. My wife and I are always extremely fortunate and we got a private room for ourselves. It was very cosy indeed.

Free guide to the geology of Kverkfjöll

Kverkfjöll is part of the Vatnajökull national park. The reason for the trip was that my brother-in-law and his wife were visiting their daughter, the ranger Þorgerður María Þorbjarnardóttir, who I interviewed for Stuck in Iceland recently. Having her as a guide was terrific. Most days in the summer, a park ranger leads a guided tour around the area. The ranger teaches travelers about the geology of this rough land.

The massive glacier has shaped everything, first by carving the terrain with its relentless advance, and with global climate change, it sadly rapidly retreats. Þorgerður explained all of this, and a cool segment of her tour was when she showed us her rock collection, which summarizes the local geology quite nicely. We did quite a lot hiking when staying at Kverkfjöll, this rugged area is just perfect for exploring.

Kverkfjöll is the mountain range with a gap

Kverkfjöll is named after a large gap. The gap divides it with high mountain tops on each side of the A crawling glacier pours down this opening. We saw the tragic remains of what once was a massive ice cave in the crawling glacier. The ‘cave’ is now is nothing more than a small opening over the warm river, Volga (which means ‘lukewarm’) that originates in the large glacial geothermal area of Hveradalir. Legend has it that once two 4X4 Econoline vans fitted into the ice carve that once was carved by the warm river in winter. If you are still a climate change denier, you need to see this sad monument to the folly of humanity.

Blessed by the Bishop

The Sunsets at Kverkfjöll can be spectacular. So Þorgerður took me on a short hike up the 1100 meters (3600 feet) high Virkisfell which is right above the hut. The incline was sharp, so we were slightly out of breath when we reached the top. So we sat down and got a good look at the delightful view. Firstly, Þorgerður pointed me to. the ‘the Bishop.’ This saintly figure is a rock formation that looks a lot like a bishop in full regalia. He adorns the aptly named Biskupsfell (Bishop Mountain).

Catch magical midnight rays of the highland sunset

The glacier and the mountain range are the ‘main event.’ But in the distance looms the Holuhraun lava field from the 2014 eruption. The Queen of Icelandic mountains, Herðubreið, adorns the horizon with the Dyngjufjöll mountain range, the stunning shield volcano Trölladyngja and the pyramid-shaped Upptyppingar. But I cannot describe the fiery sunset that remade the whole landscape with its rays and shadows. You will have to witness this yourself.