Kerlingarfjöll

Kerlingarfjöll is a rhyolite massif in the middle of Iceland, rising to 1,477 m off the Kjölur highland route. Its colours are the draw: the rock runs red, ochre and pale pink, streaked yellow and green where minerals leach from the hot ground. At its heart is Hveradalir, one of the country's most spectacular geothermal areas — a valley of steaming vents, boiling mud and hot streams cut by walking trails. Long off-limits, and for decades a summer ski area, it is now a summer-only hiking destination reached over rough F-roads, from short loops to multi-day traverses.