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Trip Difficulty

 

 

Based on the collective experience of our guests and guides we have come up with a rating system specific to our terrain. Also loosely based on other rating systems. We hope that this will help give you an idea of the trip difficulty is to make sure the trip is right for you. You can also see our Glacier trip comparisons here.

1 out of 5: Easy

  • All ages above 10 years old
  • Someone in fair walking condition, able to walk for 2 hours with short breaks at a low pace of 2-3km/hr (1.2-1.8mi/hr)
  • Trails generally in good condition, glacier travel on generally very low angle
  • Very little elevation gain, max 250m (820ft) over a distance of 2km (1.2mi).

2 out of 5: Easy+

  • All ages above 10 years old
  • Someone in good walking condition, able to walk for 2-3 hours with short breaks at a low pace of 2-4km/hr (1.2-2.5mi/hr)
  • Trails generally in good condition, glacier travel on a generally very low angle.
  • Very little elevation gain, max 250m (820ft) over a distance of 2km (1.2mi).

3 out of 5: Moderate

  • All ages over 14 years.
  • Someone in good hiking condition, able to walk for 4 hours at a low or moderate pace of 2-4km/hr (1.2-2.4mi/hr)
  • Trails generally in good condition, glacier travel partly on uneven ground.
  • Moderate elevation gain +300m (-1000ft) over a 3km (1.8mi) distance

4 out of 5: Difficult

  • For all ages above 18 years old.
  • For someone in good hiking condition.
  • Trails generally in fair conditions, some off the path travel, glacier/snow travel on uneven ground with some challenging sections.
  • The pace is adjusted to guest fitness but generally, our elevation gain is around 300m/hr (1000ft/hr) with a walking pace of 2-4km/hr (1.2-2.5mi/hr).
  • Increased distance. We recommend guests have the ability to cover 20km a day on rugged trails and snow.

5 out of 5: Hard

  • For all ages above 18 years old.
  • For someone in very good hiking condition.
  • Trails generally in fair conditions, large sections off the path travel, glacier/snow travel on uneven ground with some challenging sections.
  • The pace is adjusted to guest fitness but generally, our elevation gain is around 300m/hr (1000ft/hr) with a walking pace of 2-4km/hr (1.2-2.5mi/hr).
  • Duration - one should feel comfortable to travel for 10-15 hours a day.
  • Increased distance. We recommend guests have the ability to cover 20km (12.5mi) a day on uneven trails and snow.
  • Significant increase in elevation. (For example, the Hvannadalshnjúkur hike covers over 24km (15mi) distance with 2000m (6500ft) elevation gain and descent in a day.)
  • Some technical difficulty should be expected.