Storurd Trail Head

It does not take long before the valley opens below the path, with the sea behind it, and the view keeps widening all the way to the pass. Most of the work is that climb. What comes after is the reason people walk it: from the pass a branch drops to a clear blue lake set among boulders, and the path loops around the water. The boulders at Storurd are the size of houses, split apart and left standing in the grass.

• Creek crossings: a few creeks cross the trail. After rain you will need to take your boots off at one or two of them.
• Snow: snow can still lie on the trail in late June, without being deep enough to call for crampons.
• Toilets: there is a toilet at the Njarðvík trailhead.
• Routes: the walking routes are well marked from the trailhead onwards.

The car park at Njarðvík is the trailhead itself. The walking routes lead off from it, so the hike starts where you leave the car, with no approach path to cover first. From there the trail climbs towards the pass. The lake is a branch off the main route at the far end, added on rather than reached separately.

Better: summer, after dry weather — the creeks are lower and you keep your boots on.

Avoid: the days after heavy rain, when the crossings mean wading barefoot more than once.

Snow can still lie on the path in late June, so the later part of summer gives the driest walking. The view over the valley and out to sea builds the higher you go, which makes the climb the point rather than the price.