The vast
splendour of Iceland’s highland desert provides the setting for
the tour, and given that some 80% of the country’s area is
uninhabited and lies over 400 metres above sea level, there is
plenty of it.
Despite the distance covered, the route we take allows plenty of
time for frequent stops to enjoy the ever changing landscapes of
glaciers, gravel and sandy deserts, lakes and lava fields.
A long drive
featuring many natural wonders as you pass the highland road
Sprengisandur, where few small unbridged rivers will be crossed.
Sprengisandur means a certain part of the
Highlands
of Iceland between the
glaciers
Hofsjökull
and
Vatnajökull
as well as the highland
road traversing this region.
The
Sprengisandur highland road is with its 200 km the longest of the
Icelandic highland roads. Like the
Kjölur
and the
Kaldidalur
highland roads, Sprengisandur is also a very old connection
between the north and the south of the island. It has been known
since the times of first settlement.
Origins of the name: People had to cross the desert fast with
their horses, to "spring" over it, so as to get new grass and
water for themselves and the animals. There has also been a lot of
superstition about it. Stories about bad ghosts and criminals were
told, so that the old tracks were no more in use for some time.
In the middle of the track there is a small oasis with a hut of
the Icelandic Hiking Club: Nýidalur.
In
Nýjadal, it is ideal to have a lunch break and walk in the green
valley.
