The lonely mountain of Mælifell

There are plenty of mountains in Iceland. Many of them are impressive. But one of the most beautiful mountains you will ever see in Iceland is the lonely mountain of Mælifell. It is situated just north of Mýrdalsjökull glacier. In that glacier, the massive volcano Katla, which recently acquired fame in recent Netflix series, rests uneasily. This pyramid-shaped mountain sits in the middle of the black sand desert of Mælifellssandur in the Syðra Fjallabak region. The pyramid is starkly green in the black wasteland. Moss is the only vegetation that thrives in this unforgiving desert, and it has conquered Mt. Mælifell and keeps it to its self.  

Exercise caution in the Icelandic highlands

To reach Mt. Mælifell, you must cross rivers and streams on mountain tracks, the so-called F-Roads. As always, I recommend caution. If you want to head this way, get to know the route and ensure you have the vehicle and the experience to drive safely in the Icelandic highlands. Even though we had a good 4×4 vehicle, we avoided crossing the Hólmsá river. It meant a detour, but we decided it was better to be safe than sorry (or trapped in a glacial river in a sunken car). We didn’t mind the extra driving. The view was just stunning on the way.

Epic day in the Icelandic highlands

The day Martin Schulz and I reached Mælifell in late August of ’22 was epic. We started from Vík early in the morning, and our mission was clear on that beautiful August day.  We would head up to Fjallabak to Mt. Mælifell, and from there, we would head to the massive Rauðibotn crater. On the way, we would stop by the impressive Axlarfoss waterfall. 

The day was one of the best I have ever traveled in Iceland. We played a medley of heavy metal on the way, and the trusty Toyota Hilux Martin had rented proved again to be a solid choice for this trip. It wasn’t even too bad to sleep in it at Lake Langisjór! 

Incredible beauty on the way to Mælifell

The beauty of the land was just incredible. Imposing mountains with stark ridges and sharp features dominate the landscape, and the bright green of moss contrasts with the black sand of the Icelandic highland desert. 

Mælifell is a two-hundred-meter-high volcano formed in an eruption underneath the nearby Mýrdalsjökull glacier some ten thousand years ago. At that time, the glacier was a lot larger, but now it has retreated, and now the starkly beautiful Mælifell is left covered in moss like the old relic of another age it is. And the glacier still claims ownership of its ancient volcano by surrounding it with streams and rivers made out of its run-off water.