Hoffellsfjoll Viewpoint

The subject is Hoffellsjökull. The glacier tongue comes down from the Vatnajökull ice cap, and a lake with floating icebergs sits at its foot. Ridges and valleys frame it on both sides.

The retreat of the ice is plain from here. Bare rock stands where the glacier used to be, and meltwater runs through changing patterns of ice.

This is one of the quieter glacier overlooks in the country. There are no coach parties and no commercial set-up of any kind, and often almost nobody else at all. Short walking paths lead off to different angles over the glacier, and several hiking trails start from the same place.

• Vehicle: the access road is rocky, uneven and bumpy. A 4x4 with high clearance is the vehicle for it, and some drivers consider an F-road-approved car necessary.
• No facilities: no café, no toilets, no shelter. Bring what you need with you.
• Weather: conditions here shift quickly. Layers and sturdy footwear are worth having even if the drive in was clear.
• Trails: several hiking routes start at the viewpoint, so it can be a start point rather than a stop.
• Crowds: this is not a coach stop. There are no tour groups, and often nobody else on the spot.

The approach is by car. The last stretch runs on gravel — rocky, uneven and slow, and long. In dry conditions the road has been driven in a 2WD, but it is hard work; a high-clearance 4x4 makes it straightforward.

The drive ends at the viewpoint itself, and the walking starts there. Short paths lead off to different angles over the glacier and the lake below, and several longer hiking trails begin at the same place.

Better: dry, settled weather.

Avoid: driving in after rain in a low-clearance car.

The access road is the reason for both. In dry conditions it has been managed in a 2WD, slowly and with difficulty, and that qualifier does the work. Clear air matters for the view as well: the glacier tongue and the icebergs in the lake are the whole point of the drive, and low cloud takes them away.