Nauthusagil

Nauthusagil is a gorge cut so tightly into the hillside that in places the walls are barely more than a shoulder width apart, and the way up it is along the stream itself, using a fixed rope and a short ladder at the steeper steps. Rowan trees grow out of the cliff overhead, some of them old, because the gorge protected them from grazing sheep - which is why patches of woodland in Iceland survive in ravines and nowhere else. At the top is a small waterfall in a chamber. The whole thing is half an hour up and back for anyone comfortable with wet feet and a rope.

What's there

• Walls a shoulder width apart - the gorge narrows to almost nothing.
• A rope and ladder route - the way up follows the stream.
• Old rowans overhead - trees that survived because sheep could not reach them.
• A fall in a chamber at the top - the end of the scramble.

When to go

June to September; ice makes the ropes unsafe in winter. One to two hours.

Practical notes

This is a wet scramble, not a walk, and boots that can be soaked are essential. The rock is slippery and the rope is not maintained to any standard. It floods after heavy rain and should be skipped then. Parking is a few spaces on gravel.

Nearby

Seljalandsfoss is west on road 249; Thorsmork lies beyond the fords.

Key facts