Þórsmörk

Þórsmörk is the one highland valley that sits an hour from the Ring Road, and it is the hardest of them to drive to. The F249 leaves route 1 just west of Seljalandsfoss and runs up the Markarfljót outwash through several unbridged rivers to the Krossá, which the Ferðafélag Íslands page read today calls "the infamous and often dangerous river Krossá". The same page: "Only experienced drivers on jeeps and other robust 4x4 vehicles should drive to Þórsmörk and then only with great care". The planning answer for most hire cars is the highland bus from Hvolsvöllur, which fords the rivers in a vehicle built for them.

Safetravel.is, read today: "Know that no insurance covers any damage of a vehicle while crossing a river!"; "The current and depth of the rivers are constantly changing and rivers often become impassable"; and F-roads "are usually closed mid September until June/July". The FÍ wardens take calls on river conditions.

The practical line: the FÍ Skagfjörðsskáli hut at Langidalur sleeps 73, is listed at 17,000 kr., and is "usually open and staffed from early May to early October", the exact dates depending on the Road Administration's F249 decision; "camping is not permitted in Langidalur until May 20". Two other hut operators are in the valley and are not compared here. No fuel, no shop, no reliable phone signal in the valley; fill and shop at Hvolsvöllur.

How long: the Valahnúkur climb is two hours; the Fimmvörðuháls crossing from Skógar is a full day and ends here. Quiet midweek; weekends in July fill the huts.