Kerlingarfjöll Mountain Resort
when you ask pall if he believes in trolls, elves and other mythological beings, he replies with that special Icelandic snark: "I don't gain anything by not believing!". And reasons are not lacking.
Along with his wife Arnfríður , he spends half his life in the Kerlingarfjöll mountain range, a remote place in the Highlands, taking over the generation and the direction of the Kerlingarfjöll Mountain Resort , in the valley of Ásgarður. The only hotel-refuge that you can find if you venture to cross the island in the middle, with an impact stop in one of its most impressive and unknown areas.
The mere route –three hours from Reykjavík– without signs or asphalt, crossing the Kjölur volcanic steppe flanked by the Langjökull and Hofsjökull glaciers, already causes that pleasant feeling of being going to the end of the world and, in a way, it is.
Kerlingarfjöll's treasure lies above all in the mountainous geothermal area of Hveradalir, where snow, ice, rhyolite, fire, water and smoke paint an unforgettable canvas for the retinas. A spectacle that was not admired by a human being until 1890.
“No one came here. Farmers avoided this area because they thought there were outlaws and trolls and, since they always saw fog on the peaks, they ended up naming the mountain range as Bad Weather Mountains" Pall recounts.
In fact, like everything in this dreamland, Kerlingarfjöll could not be exempt from myths. To start with, your name: "The word kerling means old witch and refers to a troll woman, daughter of the fire giant Surtur of Norse mythology, who turned into stone.
In 1961, three daring gentlemen – Valdimar Örnólfsson, Eiríkur Haraldsson and Sigurður Guðmundsson – They started their trip there looking for a place to ski. moved by the place, they founded a summer ski school which ended up being a very popular recreational place until the end of the 90s.
“With climate change and the rise of other areas, the station began to decline. It was then that, along with other families, we decided to recover its splendor.”
This is how Mountain Resort was born, fully integrated into its surroundings and where, after long days of hiking, you can spend the night in a wooden cabin , the newly opened rooms or the camping part. Without forgetting to stop by his canteen or bathe in the nearby natural thermal pool hidden in one of the valleys.
Páll Gíslason and Arnfr ur Gísladóttir
***** _This report was published in **number 132 of Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (October)**. Subscribe to the printed edition (11 printed issues and a digital version for €24.75, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The October issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available in its digital version to enjoy on your preferred device. _