Name: Hvannadalshnúkur Summit
Brand: Icelandic Mountain Guides
Price: 390 EUR
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.8 (77 reviews)

Itinerary

1
Sandfellsheiði
Time: 4 hr
Trail to the snowline.
2
Glacier
Time: 4 hr
Rope up across the caldera.
3
Summit and descent
Time: 6 hr
Final slope and return.

What to pack

Built for this route's terrain, altitude and number of days. Tick items off as you pack — without the right footwear or hard shell, a guide can refuse to take you up.

0 / 31 packed

Footwear and pack

Broken in before the trip — new boots are the most common cause of an abandoned day.

Stiff B2/B3 mountaineering boots (crampon compatible)
25–30 L daypack
Two pairs of technical hiking socks per day segment
Gaiters (snow, scree and mud)
Light packable bag for spare layers

Clothing layers

Three layers, no cotton. Temperatures can swing 20 °C between valley and summit.

Merino or synthetic base layer, long sleeve (2x on multi-day routes)
Fleece or light insulated mid-layer
Packable insulated jacket
Waterproof, breathable hardshell jacket with hood
Waterproof overtrousers
Hiking trousers plus warm thermal leggings
Warm gloves plus thin liner gloves
Warm hat and sun hat or cap
Buff or neck gaiter

Technical equipment

Your guide office (Icelandic Mountain Guides) rents most of this locally — ask when you confirm your dates.

Climbing helmet
Crampons matched to your boots
Classic mountaineering ice axe
Climbing harness with two locking carabiners
Trekking poles with snow baskets
Headtorch plus spare batteries (alpine starts are in the dark)
Category 3–4 glacier sunglasses

Sun, health and altitude

UV rises roughly 10% every 1,000 m of altitude.

Sun cream SPF 50+ and SPF lip balm
Personal first aid kit: blister plasters, tape, painkillers, antiseptic
Personal medication plus a written list of it
2–3 L of water capacity: bottles or bladder plus insulated flask
High-energy snacks for each walking day
Insurance documents covering mountain rescue up to 2,110 m

Documents and small items

Keep these in a zipped pocket, not the main compartment.

Passport or ID card and travel insurance card
Phone with offline maps and the guide office number saved
Power bank and charging cable
Peak Atlas booking voucher (printed or on your phone)

Boots, crampons, ice axe and harness can usually be rented from Icelandic Mountain Guides in Reykjavík, Iceland — confirm sizes when you agree your dates.

Traveller feedback

Ratings collected from travellers who completed this route with Icelandic Mountain Guides.

4.8

★★★★★

77 ratings

Written reviews for this departure are still being collected. Ask us for references from previous groups before you pay — we will forward them from the guide office.

Hvannadalshnúkur Summit

About this route

Your guide office

What's included

Not included