Kaldidalur Valley
Kaldidalur Valley
4.5
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Maria Solange O
Farroupilha, RS30 755 contributions
sept. 2024 • En famille
Iceland is a must-see country for nature lovers. The Kaldidalur Valley is a mountain road that offers views of the mountains, glaciers and volcanic landscapes. Too pretty!
Écrit le 1 octobre 2024
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.
Peter B
Jersey City, NJ45 contributions
oct. 2022 • En couple
This spontaneous shortcut turned into perhaps the most unforgettable drive I’ve ever undertaken. Let me start out by saying that if you don’t have at least a half tank of gas and a 4-wheel drive SUV, don’t even think about taking this adventure mountain pass from Thingvellir to Husafell or vice versa; there is a high chance you’ll get in trouble on this route courtesy of the numerous potholes, rugged terrain, and absence of civilization here. In fact, chances are if the road is even open your rental car company has explicitly stated in its agreement to keep off as its one of the most dangerous highland passes in Iceland and, thus, a huge source of liability for the agency. Having said all that, if you do decide to take this 25 mile unpaved route, you will be treated to an otherworldly and unforgettable experience.
Our unwitting journey here started merely bc of a sign I noticed near the north entrance of Thingvellir National Park that simply stated that Husafell was 40 Kms (25 miles) away in this direction. We had just exited the park around 5:15 and knew that we had about 1.5 hours of daylight left to get to our hotel in Husafell that night. I had checked my GPS driving directions and it offered up a roundabout western route that was slated to take 2 hours; this supposed shortcut, mysteriously not even included as a viable route on my Google Maps, seemed to offer a much quicker and more direct option. Being old school, I decided to go the old-fashioned way and trust the sign! What could possibly go wrong??!!
The first two miles offered up no hints whatsoever of what was to come. It was a winding, albeit paved, road that didn’t seem any different than some of the stretches I’d taken earlier along the southern route of the Golden Circle. The weather was partly cloudy with even some hints of sunlight, and we even saw another car pass us from the other direction. The rugged scenery was stunning, and it soon became apparent that this mysterious road seemed to be leading towards the glacier highlands in the northern horizon. Still, what could possibly go wrong??!
We got our first answer after only about 3-4 miles or so when the paved road abruptly ended and became a dirt road with numerous potholes. It was only at this point that I realized exactly why the GPS had not even shown this route and the potential challenges that lay ahead (HINT: if in doubt, trust your GPS!!!). I had plenty of gas so I could still turn around, take the 20 min or so hit on wasted time, and still make it to Husafell, anxiety-free. But no. I am a stubborn man who loves following his gut - sometimes over reason - and I felt a certain ego and pride as a superior driver who could handle any road conditions I encountered, being from New England. So I went on, vowing to drive the rest of the way much more carefully at about half speed (15-20 mph).
As the sun dipped towards sunset, the elevation rose, the road conditions deteriorated, and the highlands glacier got nearer. At this point, I took my first picture of the landscape to my left (attached) and became aware of just how desolate this place was: no trees, no green, no more vehicles, no communication towers or lines. Just strewn rocks along the mountainside on the left, with the glacier getting closer on the right. The vehicle thermometer showed that the temperature was steadily dropping, and it soon reached freezing. Looking around, I couldn’t help but admire this raw, rugged landscape. It resembled something from the Wastelands of the North in the Chronicles of Narnia, from my childhood. Or north of the Wall from the more recent Game of Thrones. Or a video clip from the Rover on Mars. Or the moon.
We climbed above the clouds as darkness set in, and then it started snowing - first lightly, but then heavily as we climbed further up the pass. At this point, I took another photo (attached). I also realized that it was time to slow down some more and REALLY keep my eyes on the increasingly indiscernible road bc the potholes were no longer the biggest problem; there was a very real chance now of getting the tires stuck in deeper snow if I didn’t accelerate the vehicle enough on the climb…or to skid off the ridge if I drove too recklessly.
At this point, the journey had clearly turned to a matter of life and death with regards to driver error, so I couldn’t even enjoy the scenery anymore. My significant other managed to somehow get a signal and call Hotel Husafell to tell them what was happening and to send help in case we didn’t make it within the hour (the operator’s initial reply to the call was, “Can you turn around?” and when we replied no bc we were too far along and on the ridge line, about 10 miles away, she simply told us to be extremely careful the rest of the way). The good news, however, was that I soon realized that we weren’t climbing anymore and that we had reached the peak of the pass. It wasn’t snowing quite as hard anymore, and I had gotten more confident with driving in this snowy terrain by the time the descent began. Once that descent towards Husafell started, I relaxed a bit and took in the glacier scenery again to my right, through the night, clouds, and snow. It was just a matter of time before we made it to the paved road again at Husafell. It was about 2 hours and 25 miles later, and we had not seen a single vehicle on the road the entire time since that first car at the very start of it!
At the hotel, we were told by the front office just how dangerous that road was and that even the locals generally avoided that route. The next day, when we took the Into the Glacier tour from Husafell via a proper glacier truck that was equipped for these conditions, we were able to really enjoy this route, anxiety-free. On a blue sky, sunny day…both sides of the valley were just beautiful: Mars-like desolate, rocky terrain on one side (3rd photo attached) and snow-filled glacier on the other. We eventually took a side road towards the glacier, but not before our driver told us how he had been called the previous evening to rescue a bus full of passengers that had become stranded after it had skidded off road and almost off the ridge line to what would have been a catastrophic end. He also mentioned that he was regularly called in to rescue stranded passenger vehicles along the route that had skidded off-road or suffered flat tires after hitting a pothole too hard. I felt like we had truly survived and dodged a bullet!
Our unwitting journey here started merely bc of a sign I noticed near the north entrance of Thingvellir National Park that simply stated that Husafell was 40 Kms (25 miles) away in this direction. We had just exited the park around 5:15 and knew that we had about 1.5 hours of daylight left to get to our hotel in Husafell that night. I had checked my GPS driving directions and it offered up a roundabout western route that was slated to take 2 hours; this supposed shortcut, mysteriously not even included as a viable route on my Google Maps, seemed to offer a much quicker and more direct option. Being old school, I decided to go the old-fashioned way and trust the sign! What could possibly go wrong??!!
The first two miles offered up no hints whatsoever of what was to come. It was a winding, albeit paved, road that didn’t seem any different than some of the stretches I’d taken earlier along the southern route of the Golden Circle. The weather was partly cloudy with even some hints of sunlight, and we even saw another car pass us from the other direction. The rugged scenery was stunning, and it soon became apparent that this mysterious road seemed to be leading towards the glacier highlands in the northern horizon. Still, what could possibly go wrong??!
We got our first answer after only about 3-4 miles or so when the paved road abruptly ended and became a dirt road with numerous potholes. It was only at this point that I realized exactly why the GPS had not even shown this route and the potential challenges that lay ahead (HINT: if in doubt, trust your GPS!!!). I had plenty of gas so I could still turn around, take the 20 min or so hit on wasted time, and still make it to Husafell, anxiety-free. But no. I am a stubborn man who loves following his gut - sometimes over reason - and I felt a certain ego and pride as a superior driver who could handle any road conditions I encountered, being from New England. So I went on, vowing to drive the rest of the way much more carefully at about half speed (15-20 mph).
As the sun dipped towards sunset, the elevation rose, the road conditions deteriorated, and the highlands glacier got nearer. At this point, I took my first picture of the landscape to my left (attached) and became aware of just how desolate this place was: no trees, no green, no more vehicles, no communication towers or lines. Just strewn rocks along the mountainside on the left, with the glacier getting closer on the right. The vehicle thermometer showed that the temperature was steadily dropping, and it soon reached freezing. Looking around, I couldn’t help but admire this raw, rugged landscape. It resembled something from the Wastelands of the North in the Chronicles of Narnia, from my childhood. Or north of the Wall from the more recent Game of Thrones. Or a video clip from the Rover on Mars. Or the moon.
We climbed above the clouds as darkness set in, and then it started snowing - first lightly, but then heavily as we climbed further up the pass. At this point, I took another photo (attached). I also realized that it was time to slow down some more and REALLY keep my eyes on the increasingly indiscernible road bc the potholes were no longer the biggest problem; there was a very real chance now of getting the tires stuck in deeper snow if I didn’t accelerate the vehicle enough on the climb…or to skid off the ridge if I drove too recklessly.
At this point, the journey had clearly turned to a matter of life and death with regards to driver error, so I couldn’t even enjoy the scenery anymore. My significant other managed to somehow get a signal and call Hotel Husafell to tell them what was happening and to send help in case we didn’t make it within the hour (the operator’s initial reply to the call was, “Can you turn around?” and when we replied no bc we were too far along and on the ridge line, about 10 miles away, she simply told us to be extremely careful the rest of the way). The good news, however, was that I soon realized that we weren’t climbing anymore and that we had reached the peak of the pass. It wasn’t snowing quite as hard anymore, and I had gotten more confident with driving in this snowy terrain by the time the descent began. Once that descent towards Husafell started, I relaxed a bit and took in the glacier scenery again to my right, through the night, clouds, and snow. It was just a matter of time before we made it to the paved road again at Husafell. It was about 2 hours and 25 miles later, and we had not seen a single vehicle on the road the entire time since that first car at the very start of it!
At the hotel, we were told by the front office just how dangerous that road was and that even the locals generally avoided that route. The next day, when we took the Into the Glacier tour from Husafell via a proper glacier truck that was equipped for these conditions, we were able to really enjoy this route, anxiety-free. On a blue sky, sunny day…both sides of the valley were just beautiful: Mars-like desolate, rocky terrain on one side (3rd photo attached) and snow-filled glacier on the other. We eventually took a side road towards the glacier, but not before our driver told us how he had been called the previous evening to rescue a bus full of passengers that had become stranded after it had skidded off road and almost off the ridge line to what would have been a catastrophic end. He also mentioned that he was regularly called in to rescue stranded passenger vehicles along the route that had skidded off-road or suffered flat tires after hitting a pothole too hard. I felt like we had truly survived and dodged a bullet!
Écrit le 7 décembre 2022
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.
Paco F
Madrid, Espagne14 contributions
juin 2021
Islandia es un país maravilloso, para volver una y otra vez, puede ocurrir cualquier cosa, pero el paisaje siempre se adapta. Vaya con tiempo y organícese a su manera
Écrit le 3 mai 2022
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.
huys25
Amsterdam, Pays-Bas11 369 contributions
sept. 2021
Vanuit Húsafell naar Laugarvatn gereden via de Kaldidalur hooglandweg (F550), die betekent ‘koude dal’. Een 35 km lang weg over puin, gruis en grind. Prachtig weg. Het was zonnig en geen wolken zodat we mooi uitzicht op de gletsjers. Aan het begin van de weg kwamen we langs hetzelfde stukje als de weg met de touringcar naar de Langjökull Glacier gletsjer. Verderop langs de weg kon je vanwege het mooie weer je alle uitlopers van de glacier zien. Deze gravelweg was er goed onderhouden. Maar alleen voor 4WD auto’s toegestaan en zal bij sneeuw afgesloten worden.
Écrit le 2 octobre 2021
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.
Pras499
Cincinnati, OH489 contributions
oct. 2018 • En famille
Make sure you have enough gas and wifi. Not going to lie, thought twice about the trek with our little girls but drove through and liked it.
Écrit le 31 juillet 2019
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.
fisici-mi
Milan, Italie286 contributions
août 2018 • Entre amis
Amazing track between Húsafell and Thingvellir passing just in front of the Langjojkull and other minor glaciers.
The views are impressive with ice on your left hand side and lunar rocky landscapes on the right hand side.
The 40 kms track is rather easy, with no river crossings. In summer it can be done even without a 4WD (I think).
Apart from the glaciers this is the only place I have seen in Iceland where it is possible to drive several kilometres without seeing rivers or lakes or vegetation.
In my opinion a must do
The views are impressive with ice on your left hand side and lunar rocky landscapes on the right hand side.
The 40 kms track is rather easy, with no river crossings. In summer it can be done even without a 4WD (I think).
Apart from the glaciers this is the only place I have seen in Iceland where it is possible to drive several kilometres without seeing rivers or lakes or vegetation.
In my opinion a must do
Écrit le 22 août 2018
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.
Jagof72
Luxembourg216 contributions
juil. 2018
Da die Kaldidalur nicht mehr zu den Pisten gehört, hatten wir uns eigentlich andere Verhältnisse erwartet. Wir sind von Husafell auf die Strecke gefahren und der Aufstieg zum Pass war doch recht holprig. Wir hatten einen Toyota Rav 4x4 und haben uns gefragt wie man es, da es ja offiziell keine Piste mehr ist, mit einem kleinem Mietwagen schafft. Die Landschaft ist superb und wir haben viele schöne Fotos gemacht. Es war sehr windig und raus und rein ins Auto verlangte Kraft um gegen sich die Wagentür durchzusetzen. Aber es war ein tolles Erlebnis!
Écrit le 7 août 2018
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.
rometrips
142 contributions
juil. 2018 • En famille
The Kaldidalur valley is one of the three old highland routes taken by the northern people to join the meetings at Thingvellir. As the road is quite accessible the call it the highland route for beginners. It is a drive of about 30km which takes an hour or so. The landscape is overwhelming. Sometimes moon-like, sometimes dominated by the glacier you ride past.The slow driving forces you to take in the harshness of old day Iceland and what people had to endure. When crossing the 52/F338 it goes further as 550 and asphalt. Step out and set foot on one of the snow tongues you drive past. Easy in a 4wd. On our day and in our weather a 2wd would have made it esily even though i think it not allowed officially. Enjoy.
Écrit le 27 juillet 2018
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.
Barbara S
289 contributions
nov. 2017 • Entre amis
Stunning countryside in the winter with brown earth & grass contrasting with the stark white snow & volcanic rock / put it on your long list of Iceland ‘must do’s’
Écrit le 12 février 2018
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.
juanmaycarol
Madrid, Espagne5 921 contributions
août 2016 • En couple
Se puede recorrer en un coche que no sea 4x4, porque no es una carretera F aunque en algunos lugares diga que sí es. No hay que vadear ningún río, simplemente tomárselo con calma. Nosotros lo recorrimos con un Toyota Yaris.
Écrit le 10 septembre 2016
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.
Can you drive this road in Mid October?
Rédigé le 24 juin 2018
Is this road appropriate for 2WD rental cars?
Rédigé le 13 mars 2016
Most hire companies do not allow 2WD vehicles on mountain roads. It can certainly be driven (outside of winter) with 2WD but it would be at a huge financial risk, and some personal risk too. You have to respect Icelandic nature!!
Rédigé le 22 mars 2018
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