Hiking 60 miles Alone in Iceland
Kraig AdamsJul 10–13, 2019 · Solo
- Days
- 4 days
- Cost
- The boats are the big cost: Hesteyri out and Veiðileysufjörður back is…
- Lodging
- Tent
Europe · Iceland
Hornstrandir
Westfjords, Iceland
- Distance
- 58.1 mi93.5 km
- Days
- 4 days
- Elevation gain
- 10,577 ft3,224 m
- High point
- 1,631 ft497 m
- Season
- Summer
- Lodging
- Tent
In July 2019 I spent four days backpacking alone across the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, the remote northwest corner of Iceland's Westfjords. A boat dropped me at Hesteyri, I walked about 60 miles with a tent over passes and along empty beaches to Hornvík and the Hornbjarg cliffs, and another boat picked me up in Veiðileysufjörður. There are no roads, no shops and almost no phone signal in the reserve.
Kraig Adams
Effort at this pace: Hard · about 15 mi (23 km) and 2,644 ft (806 m) of climbing a day over 4 days, up to 1,631 ft (497 m). Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.
Where these numbers come from
From Kraig Adams's GPS recording and guide.
From Kraig Adams's GPS
The route, day by day
Elevation0–1,627 ft58.1 mi
From Kraig Adams's GPS. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (EU-DEM) on AWS · Rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors
Tap a day for his map of it
The film
Watch it first
Hiking 60 miles Alone in Iceland
Before you go
The basics
- Start
- Hesteyri (boat from Ísafjörður)
- Finish
- Veiðileysufjörður (boat back to Ísafjörður)
- Usual difficulty
- A little harder than usual: no trees, but swampy, muddy and marshy in places, fords, snow on the passes, and a surprising amount of climbing for a coastal walk
- Best time
- Summer. Scheduled boats run about June 1 to late August
- Permits
- No permit is needed in summer. From 1 March to 15 June and from 1 September to 1 November you must register your trip online with the reserve before you go.
- Getting there
- What I did. I flew into Reykjavík and then took the quick flight on a very small plane from the city's domestic airport to Ísafjörður, a lovely little town between the fjords. The opening shot of my film is me landing there. You hop on a little shuttle that takes you around the water into town. You could also take a bus or rent a car, but I don't recommend it.
Nearest airport: Ísafjörður (IFJ), from Reykjavík's domestic airport - Lodging
- Tent
From Kraig Adams's guide
Costs and gear
What it cost
The boats are the big cost: Hesteyri out and Veiðileysufjörður back is…
What Kraig carried
a small backpack · REI Passage tent · Nemo sleeping bag · a sleeping pad · pants and a shell · a beanie · my old boots · Sawyer Squeeze and 20 more.
From Kraig Adams's guide
Safety
Rescue numbers
- Emergency: 112. If you can't connect, try 599-0112; from a satellite phone, +354 809 0112 (112 Iceland, 2026). Phone numbers don't give you signal, and there's almost none in the reserve. A satellite messenger or personal locator beacon is the real backup.
Phone signal
- There's really no cell service in Hornstrandir.
- You have to be very precise and have good planning for getting picked up.
Insurance
- A GHIC or EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance.
- Get travel insurance that suits your trip, including the hiking you plan.
Bail-out points
- Day 1, Hesteyri to Aðalvík. Hesteyri and Sæból both have boat landings, and there's a ranger at Hesteyri in summer. There are no scheduled boats you can just catch, so an early exit means waiting at a landing for a pre-booked boat, or calling for help from somewhere with signal. The Látrar emergency shelter is about 3 miles past my camp.
- Day 2, Aðalvík to Fljótavík. Látrar has an emergency shelter and an unequipped airstrip, and boats serve Aðalvík (Sjóferðir, on its Aðalvík days). Fljótavík also has an unequipped airstrip. As on every day, any exit needs a pre-arranged boat or a call for help.
- Day 3, Fljótavík to Hornvík. Hlöðuvík has an emergency shelter, and boats land there on request. Hornvík has a ranger in summer, an emergency shelter and scheduled boats (Borea and Sjóferðir). There's also an old route from Hlöðuvík south over Kjaransvíkurskarð to Hesteyri (14 km, 6 to 7 hours, cairns), if Hesteyri is where your boat can reach you.
- Day 4, Hornvík to Veiðileysufjörður. Hornvík has the ranger house, an emergency shelter and scheduled boats, so it's the best place on the whole route to end early. Once you're over Hafnarskarð, Veiðileysufjörður is the boat landing.
From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
Their films and versions
Creators who've done it
1 creator so far: Kraig, 4 days, tent.
Hiking 60 miles Alone in Iceland
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Typical: 4 days (the hike's facts).
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Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Hornstrandir?
I walked from Hesteyri to Veiðileysufjörður in four days and three nights, about 58 miles, and I hike faster than most. For most people a 6 to 7 day version split at the campsites is a better trip, with time for weather and for Hornbjarg.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How much does Hornstrandir cost?
The boats are the big cost: Hesteyri out and Veiðileysufjörður back is ISK 29,800 with Borea, or ISK 28,800 with Hornstrandaferðir (Hesteyri ISK 13,900, Veiðileysufjörður ISK 14,900). Starting or ending at Hornvík is ISK 19,300 each way with Borea.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
When is the best time to hike Hornstrandir?
Summer. The scheduled boats run from about June 1 to late August, and rangers are at Hesteyri and Hornvík. I went July 10 to 13, 2019, and still crossed snow patches on the passes.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Do you need a permit for Hornstrandir?
No permit is needed in summer. From 1 March to 15 June and from 1 September to 1 November you must register your trip online with the reserve before you go.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Where do you sleep in Hornstrandir?
In your tent, and only at the designated campsites, such as Hesteyri, Sæból, Fljótavatn, Hlöðuvík, Hornvík and Veiðileysufjörður. Two of my camps were not at campsites, so don't copy them. The orange emergency shelters are for emergencies only.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How do you get to Hornstrandir?
Fly from Reykjavík's domestic airport to Ísafjörður, then take a boat into the reserve. You book both the boat in and the boat out. In 2026 a one-way boat to Hesteyri or Veiðileysufjörður was ISK 13,900 to 14,900.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.