Iceland: Kirkjufell

0 ft

Elevation

Iceland

Country

Days

Easy

Difficulty

Early May

Start

Late June

End

About the Mountain

WHY CLIMB IT?

You’ve undoubtedly seen images of Iceland’s most famous mountain, Kirkjufell (1,519 ft), but did you know that you can climb it? Unlike other bucket-list mountains, Kirkjufell doesn’t reach high above the clouds or require a multi-day expedition to stand on its summit. Instead, it’s a 2- to 3-hour round trip, challenging only for those who have issues with vertigo. Much of the thin trail is along steep ridges, where a misstep would leave you tumbling. So it’s best to have good footwear, avoid rainy conditions, and take care when passing others.

“We weaved up this volcanic ziggurat on exposed grass terraces until after about an hour the path stopped in front of a cliff.”

- Robert Craig

Kirkjufell is located in Western Iceland on the Snæfellsnesnes peninsula, near Grundarfjörður. As it’s around 70 miles away from Borgarnes, which is on the Ring Road, you can turn the climb into part of an extended road trip, visiting all the natural wonders Iceland has to offer. You don’t even need to leave Grundarfjörður to get started. Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall is within walking distance of the town.