Ascent of Klifatindur on 2017-06-20| Others in Party: | Adrian Rayner
| | Date: | Tuesday, June 20, 2017 | | Ascent Type: | Successful Summit Attained | | Motorized Transport to Trailhead: | Car | | Peak: | Klifatindur | | Location: | Iceland | | Elevation: | 2907 ft / 886 m |
Ascent Trip ReportNW ridge, 3hr round trip, upper half mostly loose rock and scree, exposed in places, quite an adventure on a drizzly morning.
Morning after our Hvannadalshnukur ascent we head east, visiting the Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon with its icebergs and tern colony, then drive thru the short tunnel (no toll) and turn R to access viewpoint parking area on old road.
Ridge initially easy angled with big drop to R and fulmars gossiping on the ledges. Steeper looser section, short level ridge then steep scree for 50m. Above this we see buttresses looming out of the mist; a choice of broad stony gullies each topped with a 2m step of suspect rock above steep ground, could be a difficult down climb I reckon. Traversing further L we can bypass the step and return R to the crest, which is followed or skirted for a few minutes until reaching a vertical section. We scramble up a loose gully to its base then pass R of it on steep scree, passing a prominent rocky knob then making an ascending traverse to the ridge with a summit directly above, an easy 3m scramble on reasonable rock, a small rock slab with a trig plate, 1956 presumably the installation date. A few m to N is another easier summit with a cairn; the trig is possibly higher but unclear in poor visibility.
We carefully retrace our steps, glad of our upward GPS track especially for the initial descent to the rock knob, also for finding the way round the rock step. Below this we traverse L and refind our upward footprints in the scree. Then follow GPS track back down increasingly vague ridge to car park.
We head east and north with a stop at Fossardalur waterfall and a shortcut over highway 939 (perfectly ok for 2wd), with its impressive lava terraces and numerous dykes. To Edilstathur campsite for the night.
Jokullsarlon photo album (no photos of ascent, due to poor conditions) |
| Summary Total Data | | Grade/Class: | YDS 3 | | Quality: | 6 (on a subjective 1-10 scale) | | Route Conditions: | Open Country, Scramble, Exposed Scramble | | Weather: | Cool, Breezy, Clear | | Ascent Statistics | | Distance: | 2.3 mi / 3.7 km | | Time: | 3 Hours | | Descent Statistics |
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