Trail #19 Brúnavíkurskarð

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Historical Significance · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers

Parking is free by the trailhead, but it is recommended to park by the Puffin Marina to see the birds before you go. If you're doing the whole Víknaslóðir trek, then leaving a car at the final point of the trek (by Þverá river) before setting off or having someone drop you off is recommended.

This trail is the first leg of the journey when you run through Víknaslóðir. It follows the old country trail, taking you from Borgarfjörður eystri over Brúnavíkurskarð mountain pass and down to the first deserted inlet, Brúnavík, which was abandoned in 1944 during World War II.

The trail starts off with a moderately steep climb up the hill from the trailhead, going pretty much straight up the hill towards the pass. As you climb further, the trail starts to snake a bit, passing through wetland, herbaceous meadows and rocky alpine grassland. The hill tapers off as you reach the summit, with only a short steep section before the top. At the top of the pass, you're flanked on one side by the jagged cliffs of Mt. Geitfell with some incredible views back toward Borgarfjörður eystri and down into Brúnavík.

The trail leads directly downward and is quite steep and rocky in places. At first it's not bad, but there are some places which require secure footing. After about a kilometer of descent, the trail suddenly gets quite a lot more steep and snakes down with tight turns and steep grades.

Finally, before you reach the meadows above the ruins of the old farmhouse, you need to go down one rocky step about 1.5 meters high, which requires using both hands and feet. Just by this rocky step is a very interesting little waterfall. As you come down from the rocky step, you're almost there and you'll see the ruins of the old farmhouse, along with a small orange cabin. This cabin is an old emergency hut which also marks the end of the trail.

Going down to the beach is recommended!