Weekly bulletin from Safetravel
Weather and conditions on the main roads:
Extreme rain predicted today from Vík to Reyðafjörður until tonight. Rivers and creeks are already at max compasity so with the forecasted rain for the next few days, levels of rivers and creeks are expected to grow even more! This increases the chance of land- and mudslides! Ring road no. 1 was closed in Berufjörður, just north of Djúpivogur so conditions are according to that! There will be strong winds in some parts of north east Iceland and the highlands today until after noon!
Heavy winds also forecasted in the south on Friday from Seljalandsfoss to Skógafoss and from Skaftafell to Jökulsárlón – stay updated with the forecast!
Tourists often mistake 4x4 for a vehicle that can take on all terrain, which is of course not the case and this must be explained as damages can cost thousands of dollars.
Drivers who get stuck in rivers have to get themselves out at own expense – there‘s no insurance in the world that covers damage linked to crossing a river. Illegal to drive off-road!!
Conditions in the highlands:
Conditions in the highlands are a lot different than on lowlands these days! Numerous areas are getting freezing night temperatures and even snow so it‘s important that travelers are equipped and ready for that – especially those heading for hikes and camping!
Fjallabak: Big puddles on the roads that people have to treat like fords! Fjallabak south is only for modified vehicles due to the rain and Fjallabak north is only for bigger jeeps! Dacia Dusters, Grand Vitara or similar vehicles should not attempt to cross the rivers today or tomorrow!
Lakagígar: Big puddles and the fords have become impassible for regular traffic (smaller and bigger 4x4!) It’s only for modified vehicles for the next few days!
Sprengisandur: Wardens and rangers have left Nýidalur so the area is now unoccupied. F910 is highly NOT recommended as it doesn’t take a lot of snow to make it impassible! River levels may rise!
Kjölur: Rough after the summer – drivers should drive slowly!
Kaldidalur: Rough after the summer – drivers should drive slowly!
Askja: Smaller 4x4s should take route F905-F910 instead of F88 due to sketchy ford in Lindaá – it‘s 65 cm deep and loose. F910 by Krepputunga is like a washboard! Rangers present until end of September.
Kverkfjöll: Sigurðarskáli is now closed and locked, the area is unoccupied and no service to be found!
Conditions in popular tourist sites:
Þórsmörk: No rental cars allowed in Langidalur/Húsadalur. All rentals should go to Básar. Rivers have risen quite a bit and have become questionable! Only modified cars or drivers with experience should go over Krossá river. Steinholtsá and Hvannaá rivers have been an issue only for the fact that people choose the wrong spots to cross! Hiking conditions in Þórsmörk are not good and visibility is VERY limited!
Landmannalaugar: Roads are quite rough and very wet. All cars should park their cars in the parking lot before the river as it’s become troublesome for even bigger busses! Hiking on most trails not recommended in wet weather like now – visibility very limited!
Geysir og Gullfoss: Nothing remarkable about the conditions.
Dettifoss og Selfoss: Road 862, west side of the canyon is very narrow– 4x4 road! Road 864 is rough and should be approached with care.
Goðafoss: Nothing remarkable about the conditions.
Látrabjarg: Don‘t go too close to the edge – it‘s very loose and sensitive.
Rauðisandur: The mountain road to the beach is very narrow and steep, without any protective rails. Can be scary and challenging for a lot of drivers.
Reynisfjara: is always dangerous due to the unpredictability of the waves. It‘s not every wave – it‘s every 7th or 10th or 12th wave that goes alot further up the beach than the rest making it difficult to assess danger upon arrival. There are no rocks in the ocean that break the waves and only a few meters of shore there‘s an underwater cliff so the pulling factor of these already powerful waves becomes evern greater. On top of this the sand is very fine ash which makes it extra difficult to get away from these waves.
Same applies to Kirkjufjara beach, it‘s CLOSED due to this fact and also Djúpalónssandur in Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Conditions on hiking trails:
Esjan: Good chance of low visibility on the top. Otherwise trails are in good conditions.
Skaftafell: Weather for the next days is not ideal for longer hikes that require some elevation gain. Hike to Svartifoss will be ok. Dress according to the weather – prepared for rain!
Laugavegur: Cold temperatures and strong winds! Important to have good gear and warm clothing along with a shell to protect against rain and wind! Important to have GPS as blind conditions by Hrafntinnusker are common. It will continue to snow there over the next few days, so having proper camping equipment is crucial (4 season tent)! Rivers along the way are likely to rise over the next days! Crossing barefoot not recommended!
Fimmvörðuháls: Winter is coming! Hikers must be prepared for all types of bad weather with proper gear incl. hat and gloves (preferable wool). Wind usually picks up after mid-day and in bad visibility it‘s good to have a GPS! This hike takes 8-10 hours and therefore important that people are in good shape, both mentally and physically. No drinking water can be found after the river so it‘s important to fill up there!
Reykjadalur: Nothing remarkable or unusual about the conditions.
Jökulsárgljúfur: Nothing remarkable or unusual about the conditions.
Víknaslóðir: River levels has risen! Wet from today and cold temperatures expected during the night!
Hornstrandir: Colder temperatures nowadays. No services can be found here so visitors need to be self-sufficient, camp in designated campsites and leave nothing behind! It’s strictly prohibited to light fires anywhere in the area! Eastern part (east of Hlöðuvík) are prone to difficult weather conditions and is dangerous for the thick fog that covers it in N/NE-winds – limits the visibility to 50m. Last scheduled ferry goes on the 27th of September.
Askja and Kverkfjöll: Area around Kverkfjöll is unoccupied so there’s no guidance or info to be found upon arrival.
Lónsöræfi: The road has become impassible for non-modified vehicles as rivers have risen! Hike from route 1 to Múlaskáli is about 20 km. Hikers from the north should contact Snæfellsstofa (470-8330) and hikers from the south should contact Gömlubúð (470-8330).
Kerlingarfjöll: Nothing remarkable about the conditions – fog can hit the area with little to no warning. Important to bring warm clothes!
Glymur: Nothing remarkable or unusual about the conditions.