Route Description
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Introduction
This is a fairly straightforward walk on an iconic Icelandic mountain
Conditions
Level walk over lava field, steep climb up loose scree.
Hazards and warnings
The area is somewhat remote, the rock on the upper sections is very loose indeed and the slopes are very steep. A fall on the slope could be serious. Getting off the summit in zero vis would need care.
The path across the lava is very rough indeed; it is a boulder field in some places. The lava is riddled with small holes and it would be ridiculously easy to catch a foot in one of these holes and twist an ankle or worse. Use two walking poles and walk with care!
Detailed description
This route is a classic justification for ShareMyRoutes: the path does no follow the logical line across the lava adn you won't find it marked on any maps. In poor vis it would be easy to miss it completely, but if you have a gps track it's easy to follow.
It wasn't until the return leg that we realised that the route is marked with a line of cairns.
Narrative
Keilir is a mountain that sits on the horizon of the view west from Reykjavík and its metropolis. It's a permanent feature in everyone's mind and there are buildings that align with it, reflecting its shape, golf clubs and business named after it, and streets have even been realigned to give a good view of it.
It's a classic volcanic mountain, whose beauty and roughness belie its modest height of 379m. The rocks are typical mid-atlantic volcanic, with intrusions of lava through sandstone. It's a geologist's playground.
Route Map
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