Slættaratindur
880 m
Faroe Islands
Also known as Слайтаратиндур, СлаттаратиндурAlso known as
Слайтаратиндур · Слаттаратиндур
- Elevation
- 880 m
- Prominence
- 880 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jun–Aug
- Routes
- 1
RegulationReported 7 Sep 2026
Landowners charge foreign visitors a 200 DKK access fee to hike Slættaratindur; two signs direct visitors to a payment website. The fee funds a planned new path (target 2027), toilets, water and electricity; the owners said the mountain might otherwise have to close.
dailynorthern.com
Routes
1Sources differ: T2+ (short scramble through the notch below the summit) (Outdooractive community route)
The standard short ascent of the Faroes' highest summit: from the roadside car park on the Eiðisskarð pass road (about 390 m), up a steep grassy slope, a clearer path along the shoulder and a short scramble through a notch onto the flat summit. About 3.6 km and 490 m of ascent return, 2–3 hours.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 1.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +492 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 880 m
- Time Up
- 1h 52m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 13m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the small gravel car park on the Gjáarvegur road over the Eiðisskarð pass, about 7 km from Eiði and 6 km from the Funningur–Gjógv junction (about 390 m). Climb the ladder over the fence and head up a broad, steep grassy slope, often wet and slippery, for about half an hour. Higher up a clearer, gentler path leads up the shoulder to just below the summit cliffs. The path then loops round to the back of the summit block, crossing scree on a faint path to a notch, where a few moves with the hands lead onto the summit. The top is a broad, flat plateau of about 1,000 m², which gives the mountain its name ('flat summit'); in clear weather the whole archipelago is in view, including the sea stacks Risin and Kellingin to the north. Allow about 1¼ hours up. Return the same way; stone arrows mark the way back into the notch. The route is not waymarked, and low cloud covers the summit about half the time: carry a map or GPS track and be ready to wait for clearing or turn back. Since 2026 the grazing-land owners charge foreign visitors an access fee, paid online via QR-code signs at the trailhead.
Start
Eiðisskarð car park389 m
- SSL bus 200 (Oyrarbakki–Eiði) uses the pass road; the car park is not an official stop but drivers may stop on request
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eiðisskarð car park → Slættaratindur | 1.8 | 492 | 0 | 1h 52m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Eiðisskarð car park389 m
- Summit: Slættaratindur880 m
Key Passages
- Steep grassy slope above the fence ladder
- Scree traverse and notch below the summit
- Flat summit plateau
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest point of the Faroe Islands (880 m), a flat-topped summit in northern Eysturoy reached in about an hour from a mountain pass road. On a clear day the whole archipelago is in view; half the time it is in cloud.
Slættaratindur, 'the flat summit', rises between the villages of Eiði, Funningur and Gjógv in the north of Eysturoy. Its summit is a broad plateau of about 1,000 m² above steep grass slopes and cliffs; Gráfelli (856 m), the second-highest Faroese peak, stands just to the north-east. From the top, in clear weather, you can see across all the islands, including the sea stacks Risin and Kellingin off Eysturoy's northern tip.
Because the road over the Eiðisskarð pass starts at about 390 m, the ascent is short: under 500 m of climbing and 2–3 hours for the round trip, with steep wet grass, a faint path in places and a few scrambling moves through a notch below the summit. The real challenges are the weather and navigation; there are no waymarks and fog arrives quickly.
The land is privately owned by about 30 farming families who hold the grazing rights. Heavy visitor numbers have eroded the slopes, and in 2026 the owners introduced an access fee for foreign hikers to fund a new path and trailhead facilities.
Climbing Notes
Any reasonably fit walker can manage the ascent from the Eiðisskarð pass in good weather; allow 2–3 hours. Wear boots with good grip for the wet grass and scree, and carry waterproofs, a warm layer and a GPS track or map, as there are no waymarks. If the summit is in cloud before you start, wait for it to clear or try another day. From November to April the path is icy and invisible under snow and the pass road is not maintained, so winter ascents are for experienced parties only. Pay the access fee online before or at the trailhead (QR-code signs); guided hikes are offered by local operators.
History
The height was revised from 882 m to 880 m in recent surveys. Climbing Slættaratindur on midsummer night (around 21 June) to watch the sun barely set is a Faroese tradition. In September 2026 the Faroese press reported the landowners' new 200 DKK access fee for foreign visitors, which a government minister publicly supported; the landowners said a sustainable new trail is planned to open in 2027.
Season
Best Jun–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Snow and ice; pass road not maintained in winter
- Feb
- Snow and ice; short days
- Mar
- Winter conditions
- Apr
- Ice and snow patches possible
- May
- Long days; snow mostly gone
- Jun
- Long days; midsummer ascent tradition around 21 June
- Jul
- Main season; frequent fog
- Aug
- Main season; frequent fog
- Sep
- Shortening days, more wind and rain
- Oct
- Unsettled; early snow possible
- Nov
- Ice; path hidden under snow
- Dec
- Winter conditions; very short days
Access & Permits
- Permits
- Slættaratindur entrance ticketRequired
Access fee charged by the grazing-land owners to foreign visitors (200 DKK as reported in September 2026); bought online via slattaratindur.fo or QR-code signs at the trailhead. The landowners also sell a one-night camper van parking ticket.
slattaratindur.fo
- Fees
- Entrance ticket for foreign visitors: 200 DKK (reported September 2026)
- Rules
- Private grazing land owned by local farming families; keep to the path and do not disturb sheep
- The Eiðisskarð pass road is not maintained in winter
- Getting There
Eiði (also Funningur and Gjógv)
Vágar Airport (FAE)
- By car: from Tórshavn or Vágar via the Eysturoyartunnilin or the Streymin bridge to Eiði, then the Gjáarvegur road over the Eiðisskarð pass; small free roadside car park
- SSL bus 200 (Oyrarbakki–Eiði) uses the pass road; drivers may stop at the car park on request
Hazards
- Weather
- Exposure