GUNUNG · Iceland

Eyjafjallajökull

Eyjafjallajökull (ás. 'Gletser Pegunungan Pulau Lautan' — Eyja=pulau, fjalla=pegunungan, jökull=gletser/es)

Information

Elevation: 1.651 m
Country: Iceland (IS)
Location / Range: Eyjafjöll — Suðurland (southern Iceland), between Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) and Þórsmörk, south coast
Mountain type: Ice-cap stratovolcano — a 2.5 km caldera dome wrapped in the Eyjafjallajökull glacier; famous for its 2010 eruption that paralyzed European air travel for weeks
Volcanic?: Yes — volcano
Coordinates: 63.6333, -19.6000
Difficulty: Moderate–strenuous; the normal route (from Skógar or Þórsmörk) is about 8–14 km one way, with about 1,400 m of ascent from the coast to the summit, 5–8 hours up; the summit glacier requires crampons in winter/early summer; in summer (July–August) the climb is non-technical but physically demanding
Best Season: July–September (the summit glacier is safest and the approach trek most open; Þórsmörk is accessible); avoid winter and early spring except with full glacier equipment and experience
Permits & Rules: No formal permit; climbing is free; the F249 road (Þórsmörkvegur) to Þórsmörk requires a 4WD and river crossings; using an experienced local guide is recommended for the glacier route because of crevasses and orientation on the ice cover
Hazards: Active volcano — last eruption 2010 (and recurring periods of seismic activity); nearby Katla activity can affect Eyjafjallajökull; a crevassed glacier at the summit; jökulhlaup (glacial floods) during or after an eruption; weather changes drastically; thick fog on the summit glacier; strong winds at altitude; check vedur.is before climbing

Description

Eyjafjallajökull (1,651 m) is a glaciated stratovolcano on Iceland's south coast that became the world's most-mispronounced name when its April–May 2010 eruption sent an ash plume into the stratosphere and paralysed European aviation for nearly a week — the biggest disruption to European civil aviation since World War II, stranding more than 10 million passengers. But before 2010, Eyjafjallajökull was already known as one of Iceland's most beautiful and accessible volcanoes: its 2.5 km-wide summit caldera is draped in a glacier that caps the dark volcanic slopes like a white crown, with the iconic Skógafoss waterfall thundering down its western base. The 2010 eruption was preceded by earthquakes from December 2009, beginning spectacularly on 20 March at the Fimmvörðuháls fissure — producing lava fountains that drew thousands of spectators — before the summit caldera itself erupted on 14 April and blanketed Europe in ash. Today Eyjafjallajökull is calm again and a popular hiking destination: the route from the coastal village of Skógar climbs past iconic waterfalls, across volcanic highlands, and up a glaciated ridge to the summit, with panoramas encompassing Þórsmörk, Mýrdalsjökull (Katla), and Iceland's south coast stretching to the sea.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Rute Skógar — Pendakian Puncak via Air Terjun dan Dataran Tinggi (Fimmvörðuháls)

Berat; pendakian panjang dengan kenaikan ketinggian signifikan ~1.400 m; gletser puncak memerlukan crampons; sangat dianjurkan menggunakan pemandu untuk seksi gletser kaldera

16.00 km +1400 m 8–12 jam pulang-pergi dari Skógar

The most popular route to Eyjafjallajökull's summit departs from the coastal village of Skógar (~100 m) on Iceland's south coast, at the foot of the iconic Skógafoss waterfall. The trail heads east following the Skógá river gorge past a succession of beautiful waterfalls — known as the 'waterfall trail' — for the first ~5 km, gaining ~600 m of elevation. Above the waterfall zone, the trail enters the open volcanic highland of Fimmvörðuháls (~1,000 m): this is the area of the first eruption in March 2010, now leaving two lava craters and new black lava flows named Magni and Móðir. From Fimmvörðuháls, the trail turns west along the ridge toward the lower slopes of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. The glacier section begins around 1,200 m — crampons and a guide are strongly recommended; the ice is thin and uneven with hidden crevasses. The summit caldera (1,651 m) is a 2.5 km-wide ice plateau; on clear days the panorama encompasses Þórsmörk, Mýrdalsjökull, and the south coast all the way to the sea.

Route Segments

1

Skógar (~100 m) → Puncak Deretan Air Terjun (~700 m)

⏱ 2–3 jam 700 mdpl

Jalur tertata mengikuti tepi sungai Skógá melewati 20+ air terjun, termasuk Skógafoss (60 m) di bawah; seksi paling indah dan paling populer; tidak ada teknis khusus
2

Dataran Tinggi Fimmvörðuháls (~700–1.000 m)

⏱ 1,5–2 jam 1.000 mdpl

Dataran tinggi vulkanik terbuka; kawah Magni dan Móðir (sisa letusan Maret 2010) dapat dikunjungi di sini; angin kencang umum; tanda jalur mungkin tidak jelas di cuaca buruk
3

Lereng Bawah Gletser → Bibir Gletser (~1.000–1.200 m)

⏱ 1–1,5 jam 1.200 mdpl

Medan makin curam dan berbatu sebelum menginjak tepi gletser; ini batas di mana crampons mulai diperlukan; pemandu sangat dianjurkan dari titik ini
4

Gletser → Kaldera Puncak Eyjafjallajökull (1.651 m)

⏱ 1–2 jam (dengan gletser) 1.651 mdpl

Gletser tipis dengan crevasse tersembunyi — selalu bersama pemandu atau tali roped-up; plateu kaldera lebar 2,5 km; sering berkabut; orientasi bergantung GPS/kompas; panorama luar biasa di cuaca cerah

Source

Climbing Experiences

Hiking Eyjafjallajökull offers a unique blend of this century's most iconic volcanic history and extraordinary natural scenery. The most popular route from Skógar passes a cascade of waterfalls tumbling down black volcanic slopes, then climbs onto open volcanic plateaus before stepping onto the summit glacier. Climbers describe the moment of first setting foot on the caldera ice as deeply 'surreal' — standing on the same volcano that once halted all of European aviation. Best season is July–August when the summit glacier is safest; checking vedur.is before departure is mandatory.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.