West Iceland · Reykjadalur, Miðdalir, Dalabyggð · Hiked September 2026

Grafartindar

From a birch-lined gorge to broad summit views over western Iceland

Grade breakdown

Physical 830 m ascent over 11.7 km; steepest climb 49% (26°)
Navigation A faint sheep path along the canyon, then open slopes over a couple of humps to the summit plateau, which is featureless with no cairn marking the highest point.
Technical Moderate exposure on the canyon edge while working through the birch (avoidable further into the birch thicket); a steep drop on the far side of the summit ridgeline; scree on the descent into the dip and on the traverse below the minor top.

How we grade

Time: 6 h (5 h moving)
Length: 11.7 km
Ascent: 830 m
High point: 869 m
Route: Out and back
Season: Summer, fall
Popularity: Low
Hazards: Exposed

How we measure

Shaded-relief map of Grafartindar with the route — GPS TRACK AS HIKED SEP 2026 · Elevation: ÍslandsDEM (Náttúrufræðistofnun / Landmælingar Íslands, CC BY 4.0)

Overview

Grafartindar, "the peaks of Gröf", is a cluster of four tops above Reykjadalur in Miðdalir, named after the farm at the turn-off from Route 60. From the valley road you climb beside the Reykjagil gorge, through overgrown birch along its edge and past a waterfall, then over a couple of false summits to a broad summit plateau, and return the same way. It takes about three hours to reach the top. On a clear day the views are expansive, with Baula's cone to the south, Hvammsfjörður, the inner arm of Breiðafjörður, to the northwest, and the glaciers of Eiríksjökull and Langjökull to the east.

Photos 13

The route

1 Reykjadalur road 0.0–1.7 km · +26 m · 4 photos

Start near the main road, Route 60. Follow the dirt road ENE past the sheep roundup pens, then around its bend into Reykjadalur.

0.0–1.7 km · level, heading ESE · 61 → 87 m (2%)

Terrain Dirt road up the valley floor.

The sheep roundup pens beside the road at 0.1 km (Fellsendarétt on the LMÍ map, Grafarrétt in local directions).

The dirt road up Reykjadalur at 1.3 km, with the Reykjadalsá alongside.

Intersection · 1.7 km · 87 m

Pass a summer house, then a stream on the right. Leave the road and start the ascent up the grassy east bank of the stream. No stream crossings on this route.

The Reykjagil stream leaving its gorge at 1.7 km, where the ascent leaves the road for the grassy bank.

Terrain Follow the faint sheep path as it leads up along the deepening canyon, with some overgrown birch to brush against.

Birch on the steep bank at the mouth of the Reykjagil gorge, looking down to Reykjadalur; photographed on the return at 9.9 km.

2 Up beside the Reykjagil gorge 1.7–4.0 km · +602 m · 3 photos

1.7–4.0 km · steep climb, heading SSE · 87 → 689 m (26%)

As you emerge from the birch, start angling left (southwards), still following the canyon edge. 2.0 km

Hazard A bit of moderate exposure on the canyon edge as you work through the birch. It can presumably be avoided by going further into the birch thicket.

View A delightful waterfall on your right.

The waterfall in the Reykjagil gorge, across red autumn heath; photographed on the return at 9.61 km.

Terrain Underfoot it gets a little rocky, with some scree.

Terrain The slope mellows and underfoot it is mostly moss and low shrubs. 2.0 km

View In good visibility, the couple of humps that make up the ascent are right in front of you.

Moss, low shrubs and autumn heath at 2.2 km, with the humps of the ascent ahead.

Terrain The moss starts to thin out as the slope steepens. 2.6 km

The slope mellows a bit. To your right, the earlier narrow canyon widens into a valley that separates this ridge from another ascending ridge, which eventually meets this one. 2.9 km

View At the bottom of that valley the stream still has a series of waterfalls.

Terrain Underfoot there are still patches of moss, but otherwise it is dirt and rocks, and not uncomfortable to climb on.

The slope steepens again. 3.2 km

Emerge from the steep slope onto a relatively flat plateau. Another false peak should be visible right in front. Keep right a little for a mellower ascent line. 3.4 km

Looking back down the broad ridge of moss and loose stone to Reykjadalur, at 3.4 km, with Hvammsfjörður, the inner arm of Breiðafjörður, on the horizon to the NNW.

Continue ascending gently SSE. The round top is in view ahead. 3.9 km

View To the south, the silhouette of Baula.

3 Over the humps to the summit 4.0–5.9 km · +180 m · 5 photos

4.0–5.9 km · climb, heading ESE · 689 → 869 m (10%)

Continue on a flat plateau. 4.1 km

The round top at 4.4 km, with a rock outcrop on its right shoulder.

Start another climb, for the peak plateau. Aim slightly right of the rock formation you see at the top, which makes the ascent a little more direct. 4.5 km

Reach the ridgeline. The highest point should now be visible about a kilometre ahead; follow the ridgeline to it. 4.8 km

Hazard A steep drop on the other side of the ridgeline.

From a small top on the ridge, descend slightly into a dip before the final climb. 5.0 km

The rocky crest at the small top of about 825 m, with a steep scree drop on the left.

Terrain Some scree, both on the descent into the dip and on the traverse.

The scree dip beyond the small top, and the final climb to the summit plateau.

Emerge onto a plateau. Keep your heading to reach the highest point. 5.4 km

Summit · 5.9 km · 869 m

The plateau is featureless and no cairn marks the highest point, so explore at will, then turn back the same way.

The summit plateau at 869 m: broad, featureless, no cairn.

View Expansive, far-reaching views: Baula, glaciers to the east, Breiðafjörður (its inner arm, Hvammsfjörður) to the NW, Hrístindahnúkur to the NW and Kerlingarnef to the north.

Baula's cone to the south, from the summit.

4 Return the same way 5.9–11.7 km · −807 m · 1 photo

5.9–7.8 km · descent, heading WNW · 869 → 693 m (-9%)

Back along the ridge the way you came.

On the return, if you do not want to climb the scree slope back up to the minor top, you can cut across the scree slope below it. 6.8 km

Hazard The traverse is less than comfortable because of the scree.

The pointed top of about 825 m from the 855 m top at 6.3 km; the return traverse skirts its south flank on scree.

7.8–10.2 km · steep descent, heading NNW · 693 → 84 m (-25%)

The descent retraces the ascent line, down beside the canyon and through the birch to the road.

10.2–11.7 km · level, heading WNW · 84 → 62 m (-1%)

Terrain Dirt road back down the valley.

Route options

Drive the valley road Shorter skips km 0.0–⁠1.7 and 10.1–⁠11.7 8.4 km

With the landowners' permission to drive into the valley, the walk is 1.7 km shorter each way.
Scree traverse below the 825 m top Variant km 6.8–⁠7.1

On the return, cut across the scree below the minor top instead of climbing back over it.
East ridge Variant Not walked

The hike can also be done on the eastern ascending ridge, but it starts in dense birch thickets that have to be negotiated.

Logistics

Directions

Turn off Route 60 just north of the farm Gröf onto the dirt road that runs SE into Reykjadalur, past the sheep roundup pens.

Parking

Beside the dirt road at its start, by the sign and the cattle grid.

Directions in Google Maps 64.97043° N, 21.55048° W

Access

A sign at the start of the road, from UMF Æskan and the landowners, says that Grafarlaug is closed, that camping in Reykjadalur is prohibited and that unauthorised access is prohibited. The sign looked old and the road was open across a cattle grid. We took it to be aimed mainly at vehicles heading for the pool, and walked the road rather than driving it.

Facilities

None

The start: the dirt road into Reykjadalur crosses a cattle grid beside the sign from UMF Æskan and the landowners.

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