Iceland
Þórsmörk
A hidden valley of birch forest and braided rivers walled by three colossal glaciers.
Three glaciers loom above the valley rim, and below them, a birch forest of twisted trunks and moss-padded floors stretches between braided rivers of glacial silt. Þórsmörk in south Iceland is Thor's Forest — a hidden valley so sheltered that wildflowers bloom here when the rest of the highlands are still locked in snow.
Þórsmörk sits in a triangle between three glaciers — Eyjafjallajökull (which famously erupted in 2010, grounding European air traffic), Mýrdalsjökull, and Tindfjallajökull. The valley's sheltered position creates a microclimate several degrees warmer than the surrounding plateau, allowing one of Iceland's rare native birch forests to thrive. Reaching Þórsmörk requires fording glacial rivers in a modified bus or serious 4x4, an approach that is half the adventure. The valley is the terminus of the Laugavegur Trek from Landmannalaugar and the starting point of the Fimmvörðuháls Pass to Skógar, which crosses the saddle between Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull through lava fields still warm from the 2010 eruption. Multiple mountain huts provide basic accommodation, and day hikes from the valley floor lead to panoramic ridges.
Friends
The river-crossing approach, the multi-day trekking options, and the hut-based mountain nights — Þórsmörk is a group expedition that delivers on every level.
Solo
Completing the Laugavegur Trek solo and arriving in Þórsmörk — tired, filthy, elated — is one of Iceland's great hiking achievements. The valley rewards the effort.
- Named after Thor — a valley walled by three glaciers: Eyjafjallajökull, Mýrdalsjökull, and Tindfjallajökull.
- One of Iceland's rare birch forests thrives in the sheltered valley microclimate.
- The river crossings to reach it require a modified bus or serious 4x4, adding expedition atmosphere.
- End point of the Laugavegur Trek and start of the Fimmvörðuháls Pass to Skógar.
Grilled lamb chops over a birchwood fire in the shadow of Eyjafjallajökull.
Warm rice pudding with cinnamon sugar served in a rustic mountain hut.
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