Bláfjöll - Grindarskörð - Kaldársel - Ásvellir
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 16.05 mi
- Elevation gain
- 469 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Very difficult
- Elevation loss
- 2,011 ft
- Max elevation
- 1,644 ft
- TrailRank
-
60
4.4
- Min elevation
- 78 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Time
- 4 hours 4 minutes
- Coordinates
- 3003
- Uploaded
- September 23, 2013
- Recorded
- September 2013
near Garðakauptún, Höfuðborgarsvæði (Lýðveldið Ísland)
Viewed 13681 times, downloaded 194 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Another track full of superlatives. This one takes you from the Bláfjöll ski resort all the way down to Hafnarfjörður. Long descends and technical, great view and amazing lava formations. Add in a few jumps over deep lava fiscures and you've got one amazing ride.
Start at the Bláfjöll ski resorts just above the track that leads to the cave Þrjíhnjúkahellir. There's not much of an actual track but you follow the blue sticks in the ground. The first 3 km are fairly slow. There is not much of a track and mostly you have to find your own way across the grass. About half way through this first section you pass a wreck of an airplane which crashed there during WWII.
After about 3 km you approach a wide valley and from there the track is clearly visible moving upwards to the pass. This makes for some fun technical riding and avoiding the sharp lava rocks. Near the top of the track (Grindarskörð) you pass the volcano crater Stóribolli to your left (which is probably worth the short hike, if only for the view from the top).
The descend which follows is steep, technical with lots of loose gravel. The jagged edged lava rocks on both sides make sure to keep you focused as a fall here is going to hurt. After the steepest drop (about 150-200m or so) has been mastered you continue on a long descend, over flat lava beds, which stretches all the way down to the routs of Helgafell about 5 km. Endless fun and loads of lines to choose from. The drop from Helgafell down to the car park in Kaldársel is fast and fun.
After a short water break its well worth looking for the small track that goes down along the river. Not so flowy at first, but it picks up speed later and turns in to very fast and twisty singletrack which ends at the lake Hvaleyrarvatn.
The last section from Hvaleyrarvatn to the swimming pool Ásvallalaug starts with a big climb. Another cool (but surprisingly technical) single track down the hill untill you reach the pool.
All in all a very variable and fun tour. Probably the longest constant downhill section I've come across in the area.
Check out the video. (Unfortunately the steepest downhill section was missing from the footage. Guess that calls for another run :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkzb_jlCbJ4
Rating: 1-5 points
View: 4 points
Difficulty: 4
Technicality: 5
Flow: 5
Overall 4,5 points
Start at the Bláfjöll ski resorts just above the track that leads to the cave Þrjíhnjúkahellir. There's not much of an actual track but you follow the blue sticks in the ground. The first 3 km are fairly slow. There is not much of a track and mostly you have to find your own way across the grass. About half way through this first section you pass a wreck of an airplane which crashed there during WWII.
After about 3 km you approach a wide valley and from there the track is clearly visible moving upwards to the pass. This makes for some fun technical riding and avoiding the sharp lava rocks. Near the top of the track (Grindarskörð) you pass the volcano crater Stóribolli to your left (which is probably worth the short hike, if only for the view from the top).
The descend which follows is steep, technical with lots of loose gravel. The jagged edged lava rocks on both sides make sure to keep you focused as a fall here is going to hurt. After the steepest drop (about 150-200m or so) has been mastered you continue on a long descend, over flat lava beds, which stretches all the way down to the routs of Helgafell about 5 km. Endless fun and loads of lines to choose from. The drop from Helgafell down to the car park in Kaldársel is fast and fun.
After a short water break its well worth looking for the small track that goes down along the river. Not so flowy at first, but it picks up speed later and turns in to very fast and twisty singletrack which ends at the lake Hvaleyrarvatn.
The last section from Hvaleyrarvatn to the swimming pool Ásvallalaug starts with a big climb. Another cool (but surprisingly technical) single track down the hill untill you reach the pool.
All in all a very variable and fun tour. Probably the longest constant downhill section I've come across in the area.
Check out the video. (Unfortunately the steepest downhill section was missing from the footage. Guess that calls for another run :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkzb_jlCbJ4
Rating: 1-5 points
View: 4 points
Difficulty: 4
Technicality: 5
Flow: 5
Overall 4,5 points
Comments (6)
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Accurate description, highly recommended for those who like it rough :)
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Ótrúlega fjölbreyttur og áhugaverður slóði í fallegu landslagi. Torfarinn og hægur framan af en verður hraðari þegar komið er niður úr Grindarskörðum.
Great spot, description and photos. Been hiking in Iceland in the past and definitely must return with my mtb. Thanks for sharing!
--Andy
Fantastic ride! Thanks for the great description and for WIKILOC, without which this would prove difficult to carry out without an expensive guide. Had a few difficulties picking up the trail again at Kaldársel and went through a few tyre tubes on the top section, but epic ride all in all. Riding the old lava tunnels in the mid section was super cool.
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Frábær leið,var mjög hissa á að við sprengdum aldrei :)
I have followed this trail View more
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Easy to follow
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Experts only
Moss that is not supposed to be biked on, rough lava, loose lava. Did more walking than biking. Almost no visible trail to bike after for the first km from Blafjoll but there are guiding stakes. Felt like this is more a hiking trail than a MTB trail.