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Askja – Herdubreid – Herdubreidalindir Highland Route

Region: Highland
Coordinates: 65.0397476° N 16.6280359° W

About Askja – Herdubreid – Herdubreidalindir Highland Route

PLEASE NOTE: 4X4 vehicles only!

This part of the interior, the so-called Sprengisandur route, is the longest stretch between the South and the North and is passable by 4wd vehicles during summer. It is mostly very desolate and barren. Only where there is water, sparse vegetation can be found. In earlier times, when people were more superstitious than they are nowadays and believed in ghosts, giants, elves and outlaws, the few who dared use this route rode as fast as possible through and sometimes exhausted their horses. The word for to exhaust in Icelandic is “sprengja”, hence the name of the area. The present route lies further east than the original one and the distance between the last farm in the South and the first one in the North is approximately 250 km.

The greatest obstacles en route are the unbridged rivers, which have to be forded. They swell when it is warm and the glacial melting increases and when it rains much they can become very dangerous for those who have no experience. On a fine day this route is simply unforgettable because of the scenic beauty all around.

Route F-88

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Highland Routes

Highland travel guide

For information on road conditions, see https://www.vegagerdin.is/en or call the Road Administration Information Line (+354) 1777