Fimmvorduhals Trail

Fimmvorduhals crosses the pass between Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull, about 25 kilometres from Skogar to Thorsmork with roughly a thousand metres of climb, and it is normally done in one long day. The first section follows the Skoga river past a long series of waterfalls - more than twenty, most of them unnamed. Higher up the route passes the craters Magni and Modi, thrown up in the first phase of the 2010 eruption in March, before the main event under the ice cap that grounded European air traffic. The ground there was still warm for years afterwards. The descent into Thorsmork is steep on loose ground.

What you actually see

• Waterfalls up the Skoga - more than twenty on the first climb.
• Magni and Modi - craters formed in March 2010, named afterwards.
• A pass between two ice caps - Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull.
• A steep descent to Thorsmork - loose ground into the birch.

When to go

July to early September, when the pass is clear of snow. One long day.

Honest expectations

This is a serious day - a thousand metres of ascent, exposed high ground, and weather that turns fast. Snow lingers on the pass and navigation is hard in cloud. Buses from Thorsmork run only in season and must be booked. Doing it in trainers is how people get into trouble.

Nearby

Skogafoss is at the southern trailhead; Thorsmork is at the northern.