Slyppugil - Þórsmörk

About Slyppugil - Þórsmörk

Slyppugil is one of the gullies cut into the slopes of Þórsmörk, the sheltered valley in southern Iceland named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Þórsmörk sits ringed by three glaciers — Eyjafjallajökull, Mýrdalsjökull and Tindfjallajökull — and the mountains around it block the worst of the Atlantic weather. The result is a valley noticeably greener and milder than the black sand plains and open highland just beyond it.

Gullies like Slyppugil are what make walking here so varied. Meltwater and centuries of erosion have carved narrow ravines into the ridges, and the paths threading between them climb quickly from birch scrub and moss onto bare volcanic ridgelines with views over the braided glacial rivers below. Distances are short, but the ground is steep and loose in places, so proper boots matter more than stamina.

Getting to Þórsmörk is the part that catches visitors out. There is no paved road in. The route crosses unbridged glacial rivers — the Krossá above all — and their depth changes through the day as the glaciers melt, so a crossing that looked easy in the morning may not be by late afternoon. Ordinary rental cars are not suitable and standard rental insurance does not cover river crossings. Highland buses and guided super-jeep tours run through the summer season and are the practical way to visit.

Conditions change quickly. Check the forecast and river levels before setting out, and remember that the shelter making Þórsmörk so green also makes it easy to underestimate the weather waiting on the ridges above.