A Guide to Glymur

Glymur is undeniably one of Iceland’s most superb and rewarding hikes. The trek is fairly labour intensive, but the view you get is definitely worth the sweat. Glymur is the second tallest waterfall in Iceland, measuring 198 meters. It’s located about an hour’s drive north of Reykjavik at the inland tip of the Hvalfjördur Bay. It’s a perfect adventure to kick off or wrap up any drive along the Ring Road.

This post is a not-so brief guide to hiking Glymur, based on our experience hiking it ourselves in May 2016. I’ll also give you a number of tips to get the most adventure for your sweat!

First things first: to get to Glymur from Reykjavik, take Highway 1 heading North. In Saurbaer, turn left onto Highway 47. Once you reach the point where the highway begins to curve back toward the ocean at the innermost part of the bay, you’ll see a dirt road on your right. Turn off and drive until you hit a small unpaved parking lot. Be careful, the road isn’t the best and you don’t want to end up damaging your car (if you’re renting and got sand and gravel protection, you can worry a bit less. Coming soon: a post about renting/driving in Iceland).

Now you find yourself standing in the dusty parking lot, shouldering your pack filled with snacks, a water bottle, and a pair of spare socks. As you walk through a small gate at the far end, you’ll notice there are few signs indicating the path up to Glymur, but it’s fairly simple.

You can choose to climb up either the right side or the left side of the falls. Without a doubt, ascend on the right side: you will get the best view of the falls.  You don’t want to labour all the way up the left side to realize you can’t see much. I have a friend who did this and he found the hike far less enjoyable than we did.

Now, if you’re planning on making it all the way up to the top of the falls, you might want to ford the river and descend on the opposite side. In my opinion, this is the absolute best way to do this hike if you’ve got time, energy, and a good pair of hiking shoes. Again, I recommend ascending on the right side. There are a few other reasons for doing this, which we’ll explore shortly.

First off, as I mentioned earlier, the right side gives you the best view of the waterfall. The climb up is essentially a series of steep climbs that crest to short plateaus, then occasionally descend again a bit before climbing upward again. Each plateau offers a new perspective on the surrounding area that build up nicely to the final spectacular view of the falls. As a bonus, to go up the right side, you have to go through a small cave and cross the waterfall runoff on a log at the start. That makes for a nice warmup adventure to get your spirits up and your blood pumping before the long trek ahead. Hiking down the right side would require you to walk along the half-foot wide log with post-hike spaghetti legs. Not ideal to stay dry.

The log is on the bottom right, and you can see the start of the climb, dotted with a few people.

Be warned, this hike is not easy and it is not for the faint of heart. Some parts of the trail can be treacherous, especially when wet. Remember to take your time and go at your own pace. You don’t want to be so exhausted by the time you reach the top that you can’t enjoy it or you make a mistake and hurt yourself (e.g. slip and fall down the cliffside). There are occasionally some guide ropes you can hang on to on some of the steepest slopes.

There's Glymur! So majestic.

Make no mistake, the risks are worth the reward. The higher up you climb, the less you see fellow hikers. People start to turn around and head back down. But not you, and not us! We’re here for adventure and we’re gonna get it. The view gets progressively more impressive as you make your way up. The waterfall itself is spectacular, and you get a really good view about ¾ of the way up the right side. In fact, there is a small, grassy trail that takes you closer to the falls (from where this picture was taken), but it is slippery and narrow so be vigilant. As you continue to go up, pause and turn around every so often; you start to be able to see over top of the adjacent mountains, the bay Hvalfjördur, and finally the Atlantic ocean. If I’m being honest, I think what made me fall in love with the Glymur hike was the breathtaking panoramic view you get of the area more than that of the waterfall itself.

Oh man, look at that ocean. And over the top of the cliffs on the left. Spectacular.

The falls are just as impressive from the topmost point of the hike, which brings you above the head of the falls. The water is cold and fresh. And cold.

Now that you’ve essentially gone as high as you can go, you must ford the river. Did I mention the water was cold? Fording the river may not be as easy as it sounds. I can only comment on water levels in spring, which may be higher due to snowmelt. When we went in late May, the water ran at least a foot and a half deep so it’s impossible to cross without getting water in your boots (unless yours are knee-high hiking boots, though I’ve yet to see those sold in stores). Also, don’t bother walking upriver in hopes of finding a better place to cross. The seemingly narrow river gaps between land patches upriver are tempting, but water runs deeper there, so you’ll end up soaked regardless. Yes, I’m speaking from experience.

Side Story Time! As you can probably deduce, we had some trouble figuring out how to cross. We knew it was possible prior to the hike, we just didn’t know how to do it without drenching ourselves and, more importantly, my camera. Be smarter than I was and bring waterproof containers for your valuables and socks just in case! The river rocks are extremely slippery. After several failed attempts, a snow angel, and other assorted shenanigans, we noticed a group of Icelandic people who had joined us at the top. We (conspicuously) observed them as they forded the river... When in Rome, do as the Romans. More accurately, when in Iceland, do as the Icelandic people: summon your inner Viking, take off your shoes and socks, and wade into the freezing water. The local folk must have thought we were an amusing sight as we crossed. Once they were safely on the other shore, they shouted instructions over the sound of rushing water, telling us where it was easiest to set foot. One of the young men even took a few pictures of us crossing and later emailed them to us. Thanks, Bjorgvin!

Cross at about 50-70 meters from the edge of the falls, where the water was fairly shallow and the bedrocks large and flat. Take your time to avoid slipping on the rocks, but also don’t take too long to cross so you don’t lose sensation in your feet and lower legs. You might also want to bring a small microfiber towel to dry your feet before slipping your socks and shoes back on.

After pausing a few minutes to rub a bit of life back into your feet start the trek down the left side. The climb down is far less exciting than the climb up - the second reason it’s better to ascend on the right side. The third reason is a bit unusual; it allows you to better see the way you came when you climbed up. It’s incredibly satisfying to see the entirety of what you climbed from afar. It also makes for a great picture to show people back home, especially when you manage to catch a few hikers making their way up. I’m sure you’ve experienced that disappointing moment after a trip when you show someone a picture of some mountain you climbed, and the scale of the mountain just cannot be grasped from the photo. It’s easier to understand, however, if you show them a picture of a cliff and proceed to zoom in x47 to show the tiny red speck of someone’s coat on the edge of the cliff.

See what I mean? You can get a better grasp of the scale of the climb from the left side of the falls.

The left side has a lot more loose rocks and sand, that makes it unfortunately easy to slip; you end up spending most of the hike down staring at our feet. That said, remember to pause and look up once in a while and take in the vistas... you know, if that’s your thing. We were content with crude jokes and singing songs.

It’s a tough hike, but you’re left feeling fantastic and accomplished. It is definitely one of my favourite activities on that trip, and I look forward to doing it all over again whenever I’m in Reykjavik again.

Gen