Herðubreið, situated in the Highlands of Iceland, towards the east of Odaðahraun desert, close to Askja volcano, is a flat-topped, steep-sided volcano or tuya in the northern part of VatnajökullNational Park. Scientists observed that Herðubreið was created under the ice-sheet covering Iceland during the last Glacial Period.
Herðubreið, situated in the Highlands of Iceland, towards the east of Odaðahraun desert, close to Askja volcano, is a flat-topped, steep-sided volcano or tuya in the northern part of VatnajökullNational Park. Scientists observed that Herðubreið was created under the ice-sheet covering Iceland during the last Glacial Period.
Reaching a height of 1682 meters, it is the 6th highest peak in Iceland and is often referred to as ‘Queen of Icelandic Mountains’, as it appears in the shape of a beautiful crown. Situated towards the northern side of Vatnajökull, towards the interior, Herðubreið falls in the glacier’s rain shadow region and yet there is a small oasis of vegetation and hot springs on the banks of two rivers. The Herðubreiðarlindir region along with Herðubreið peak was declared a protected region in 1974. An oasis, Herðubreiðarlindir is situated close to the mountain, which now has a campground with many hiking trails. In 2019 Herðubreið was integrated with Vatnajökull National Park. Herðubreið was ‘unconquered’ for several centuries and was considered difficult to scale. In 1872 an Englishman Richard Burton made an unsuccessful attempt to scale the mountain.
However, about three decades later, in 1908, German geologist Hans Reck accompanied by Icelander Sigurður Sumarliðason succeeded in scaling the mountain. It is said the outlaw Fjalla-Eyvindur lived here in exile in the winter of 1774-75, after being ostracized by locals due to his crimes.
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