Grjótskálarhnjúkur
1,214 m
Iceland
- Elevation
- 1,214 m
- Prominence
- 1,001 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Approximate line — not for navigation
An automated check found that parts of this line could not be matched to mapped trails, so it may stray far from the real route. Use it for planning only, with a map and a guidebook.
Why? 8 check notes
- danger scan: Grund → Grjótskálarhnjúkur: straight line 4175 m (limit 200 m)
- danger scan: Grund → Grjótskálarhnjúkur: sustained 38° > 35° on a straight line
- last routed vertex 4175 m from the summit (closed by straight)
- 100% straight-line fallback
- 100% approximate geometry
- low confidence 0.2
- Grund → Grjótskálarhnjúkur: straight (snap_failed; DEM rejected: no path below 35° between the endpoints, 4.2 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Grundarhnjúkur, Gerðahnjúkur, Skessuhryggur
Sources differ: 4 boots (of 5) (Ferðafélag Íslands 2022 trip schedule (FFA trip), via search excerpt)
The only published outing that reaches the 1,214 m high point of the mountains east of Eyjafjörður: Ferðafélag Akureyrar's big loop from the farm Grund in Höfðahverfi up Grundarhnjúkur and Gerðahnjúkur, along the airy Skessuhryggur ridge to the summit dome near Blámannshattur, and back via Benediktskambur. 13 km, about 1,300 m of ascent; a full day.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- ≈ 4.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- ≈ +1,228 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,214 m
- Time Up
- ≈ 4h 41m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- ≈ 3h 05m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the farm Grund in Höfðahverfi, on the Grenivík road about 4 km north of the Ártún campsite; ask permission to park. Climb east up the steep hillside to Grundarhnjúkur, the southernmost peak of the range above Höfðahverfi, and continue north-east to Gerðahnjúkur. From Gerðahnjúkur the route follows Skessuhryggur ('troll-woman's ridge'), a long crest with a very wide view over Eyjafjörður, Fnjóskadalur and the Kinnarfjöll, to the broad summit dome at 1,214–1,215 m. OSM names this top Grjótskálarhnjúkur, after the stony cirque Grjótskál below it; local sources describe the same high point as the top of Skessuhryggur next to Blámannshattur (about 1,198 m). Ferðafélag Akureyrar's loop continues from the summit towards Benediktskambur, the northernmost peak of the group above Grýtuskál, and then descends west back to the start. The club ran it in early May, when snow still covered the upper ridge; in summer the ridge is mostly rock and scree. There are no marked paths: route-finding, steep grass and scree slopes and possible snow cornices on the ridge in spring are the main difficulties.
Start
Grund17 m
- None to Grund; buses run from Akureyri to Grenivík on some days (not verified).
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grund → Grjótskálarhnjúkur | 4.2 | 1,228 | 33 | 4h 41m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Grund17 m
Private farm; ask before parking
- Summit: Grjótskálarhnjúkur1,214 m
Key Passages
- Steep ascent to Grundarhnjúkur
- Skessuhryggur ridge
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 20%Overview
The 1,214 m high point of the mountains on the east side of Eyjafjörður above Höfðahverfi, a broad dome at the end of the Skessuhryggur ridge next to Blámannshattur. Little-visited and unmarked; the local touring club climbs it on a 13 km, 1,300 m loop from the farm Grund.
Grjótskálarhnjúkur (the name used in OpenStreetMap, after the stony cirque Grjótskál below it) is the highest point of Grýtubakkahreppur, the district around Grenivík on the east shore of Eyjafjörður. It sits on the long ridge Skessuhryggur, just north-east of the better-known Blámannshattur (about 1,198 m), about 11 km east-south-east of Kaldbakur. Local sources describe the 1,214–1,215 m high point as the top of Skessuhryggur rather than by this name. With about 1,000–1,100 m of prominence it is one of the most prominent mountains in north Iceland, rising directly from the farmland of Höfðahverfi to the west and from the valley of Fnjóskadalur to the east.
There are no marked paths. Ferðafélag Akureyrar's occasional guided loop climbs from the farm Grund over Grundarhnjúkur and Gerðahnjúkur and along Skessuhryggur to the summit, returning via Benediktskambur: a big day with a very wide view over Eyjafjörður, Akureyri, Tröllaskagi and the Kinnarfjöll.
The mountains here are steep, cut by cirques and gullies, and hold snow well into early summer. Weather on the ridge is often much colder and windier than in the fjord.
Climbing Notes
Suitable for fit, experienced hillwalkers comfortable with long, steep, unmarked ascents and navigation in cloud; 1,300 m of ascent over 13 km means a full day. Until about June, snow on the upper slopes calls for an ice axe and crampons and awareness of avalanche and cornice risk; in midsummer the ridge is mostly scree and rock. The easiest way to go is with Ferðafélag Akureyrar when the trip is on its programme. Ask at Grund before parking or crossing hayfields.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; very short days; avalanche risk on steep slopes
- Mar
- Ski-mountaineering only, for experienced parties
- Apr
- Snow cover; ski or crampons
- May
- Spring snow on the ridge; Ferðafélag Akureyrar has run the loop in early May
- Jun
- Snow lingering high up; long days
- Jul
- Best conditions; little snow
- Sep
- Shorter days; first snow possible
Access & Permits
- Rules
- The approach crosses private farmland in Höfðahverfi; ask permission at Grund before parking and keep off hayfields
- Getting There
Grenivík; Akureyri (about 35 km by road) for services
Akureyri Airport (AEY)
- Car: from Akureyri on Route 1 east over or under Vaðlaheiði, then Route 83 (Grenivíkurvegur) north through Höfðahverfi to the farm Grund
- No public transport to the trailhead was verified
Hazards
- Weather
- Avalanche
- Cornices
- Exposure