UKC

Hi! We're thinking about a trip to Iceland later in the year, and are looking at Hornstrandir as a possibility.

The general idea would be to fly in to Reykjavik, head out to Hornstrandir, stomp around for a few days camping and gawping at scenery, puffins, arctic foxes etc, get back to civilization and then head gradually back to Reykjavik via a couple more days of walking and sightseeing.

Various questions for people who've been: how long does it take to get out there, and what's the usual routine? How far ahead do you have to book boats etc and how expensive are they? Are there reasonable buses the rest of the way? Could you hire a car somewhere in the North West for the trip back and then drop it off back at Reykjavik?

Also any advice on maps, guidebooks etc for the peninsula itself?

Thanks!

In reply to Ramblin dave:

I may be out of date on this one but when I was in Iceland it worked out better to fly around rather than use cars. Buses weren't to bad actually but never did any long distance journeys. I think you would be looking at either Gjogur or Isafjordur as the closest; unless someone else knows better. I will admit though we decided against heading that way and went elsewhere so I only did some research before decided against it.

On a different note We did hire a car once but be careful the roads are not UK mainland type but just gravel tracks so there is a chance budget options aren't the way forward and you would be better with a 4x4(but having said that I help a french chap who had got stuck but to be fair he had gone off the main track didn't have the diff lock on).

In reply to Fobbit169:


Sad to say, most roads are now tarmac, including in the NW to judge from recent maps.

To the OP: there's a lot of useful info on the internet but it takes a bit of digging out and not all of it's reliable, though presumably that's part of the attraction of going to a remote place. Ferðafélag Íslands do quite a useful map series and there's one devoted to Hornstrandir, iirc. The series is available in the UK. Beware though, the paper is not strong and Iceland is wet! Paths shown on maps are in my experience elsewhere in Iceland often imaginary on the ground.

There are books on walking in Iceland that you can get in Reykjavík but not, so far as I am aware, from shops in the UK such as Stanfords. One last tip would be to learn to pronounce Icelandic: it helps enormously with map reading and many place names are toponyms, so learning a bit of topographic vocab will help with navigation and add to the fun.

In addition to internet searches, I've found the Lonely Planet guide useful for general travel information.

In reply to Fobbit169:

Not specifically about Hornstrandir, but...
* You need to draw a clear distinction between the 'normal' roads (tarmac or gravel, 2WD perfectly fine) and the 'mountain' roads (rocks, rivers and gravel, need 'proper' 4WD). The latter have an 'F' prefix. It's pretty binary.
* Local flights are quicker than driving - as long as the local weather/geology doesn't doesn't shut them down. Last time I was there both winds and volcano conspired to make cars a better (only) choice. Unless you are on a tight schedule, driving on the normal roads is easy and you get to see a lot more of Iceland.
* Car hire isn't cheap in Iceland, but worth it (IMHO) to give you the flexibility to adapt your plans to the conditions. Iceland has lots of 'conditions'.

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Yeah. Its awesome. I cant wait to go again.
Way I did it was...
Reykjavik, then bus to stykkishólmur, ferry to Breidafjordur. Bus picks you up either straight off the ferry, or a day later, but there is a lovely campsite/hotel a few clicks down the road.
The bus takes you to Isjafjordur, then just rock up and charter a boat; they're quiet regular in the summer, though occasionally booked up I believe.
Then, we were dropped off at Latravik (Adalvik bay), on the peninsula, then told we were to be picked up five days later at Hornvik.
Highlight?
No sheep on the peninsula, pools full of the largest trout I've seen. You can drink the water straight out the pools, and I have never tasted such pure pure water in my life.
The abandoned US military base on Straumness is seriously spooky.
Arctic foxes running under your feet and playing with you.
The beach strewn with logs that have floated from Siberia, weird.
Waterfalls galore, wild camping, pure isolation, stunning views over the Denmark strait.
Watch out for trolls. Seriously.

Map is
https://www.icelandtoyou.net/maps/195-hornstrandir-iceland-activity-map.htm...

Not very accurate, make sure you can use the old compass properly and are able to read the land relative to the map. Easy to get lost

Me with foxes is
youtube.com/watch?v=84UQ4wDZvmU&

In reply to Ste Brom:




Not sure if this one is any better: it at least covers the peninsula at a larger scale.

http://www.stanfords.co.uk/Home/Product-Detail/Hornstrandir_9789979330400.h...

Like the fox video!

In reply to Marek:


Good point. To the OP: if you do hire a 2WD check the small print because usually you invalidate your insurance if you get into trouble on an F road. If you want to take the risk, ground clearance is often more important than having 4WD, unless you are going to ford big rivers or drive on sand.

In reply to Ramblin dave:

I went there about 25 years ago on one of Dick Philips tours. The mans a legend.

Contact Details:
Dick Philips Whitehall House Nenthead Alston CA9 3PSTel: 01434 381440

In reply to Ramblin dave:

We flew to Reykjavik. Then car to nordefjiorde. Then boat to the northernmost point then a few days trekking back south to get picked up again.

Wonderful

In reply to Ramblin dave:
Great info, thanks everyone.

The impression I get from the stuff that I've seen so far is that while Hornstrandir is obviously pretty remote, the terrain is comparable to valley walking in the highlands, insofar as paths may be indistinct and/or boggy and the river crossings might get a bit exciting but it's not massively complex and treacherous ground or anything. Is that a fair assessment?

Also, if anyone wants to say we should go somewhere else in Iceland instead for a similar sort of adventure then feel free. We looked at the Laugavegur, but we're pretty much stuck with early August and it looks like it gets pretty busy...

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Paths are posted, poorly, is very boggy in sections, river crossings are definitely hairy, and you can find yourself in some dodgy positions if you are not paying attention. Complex? Being on the coast, the fog rolls in terrifyingly, leading to a false sense of security, though I'm at a loss to compare it to anything on this sceptred isle.

On the eastern side, Seydisfjordur is quite good for a couple of days, with the plus of being able to jump the ferry to the Faroes.

And there is always Snaefell on the west coast....
have a gander.
http://www.fi.is/en/home/

In reply to Ste Brom:
[scrubbed with apologies]

In reply to Ramblin dave:

good for you

In reply to Ste Brom:

Sorry, I'm slightly out of sorts tonight and probably took that as more patronizing than it was meant to be.

Thanks for all the advice!

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Ah, it looks like there's a newish Cicerone book for Iceland in general from the tireless Paddy Dillon. That could be helpful...