Eyjafjallajökull
Eyjafjallajökull is a 1,651-meter stratovolcano capped by a 66-square-kilometer ice cap in southern Iceland, just north of the village of Skógar. It has erupted at least five times in recorded history, in 920, 1612, 1821-1823, and 2010.
Region
South Iceland
Coordinates
63.6200° N, 19.6133° W
Important to know
- High danger
- Roadside viewing is low risk, but glacier, snowmobile, and summit access involves crevasses, severe weather, volcanic terrain, snow travel, steep ascent, and guide-managed safety procedures.
- Guide required
- A certified guide is required for glacier, snowmobile, or summit access; casual roadside or exhibition viewing does not require one.
Plan the stop
- Allow
- 6 hrs
- Effort · Strenuous
- The summit route is a serious guided day objective: roughly 9-12 hours, about 1,600 m of ascent, glacier roping from around 950 m, and strong fitness required.
- Approach
- 16 km · 10 hrs. Approximate guided summit round trip from the Seljavallalaug area; Icelandic Mountain Guides describes an 8 km ascent route, 1,600 m vertical climb, and 9-12 hour total duration.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair · Partial
- Roadside views and lower-area exhibition-style visits can be accessible, but the glacier, snowmobile, and summit objectives are not wheelchair accessible and require rough mountain or glacier terrain.
- Limited mobility · Partial
- Low-effort roadside viewing is feasible; glacier, snowmobile, or summit access requires strenuous guided mountain travel, steep ascent, snow or glacier surfaces, and weather exposure.
- Sensory · Partial
- Roadside viewing is usually calm, but guided glacier or summit travel can involve wind, cold, glare, engine noise for snowmobiling, altitude exposure, and rapidly changing weather.
- Cognitive · Partial
- Viewing from below is simple, while understanding summit access requires clear distinction between a scenic stop and a technical guided objective.
Why it matters
The 2010 eruption began with a flank event at Fimmvörðuháls in March, followed by a larger eruption under the summit ice cap on 14 April that threw volcanic ash high into the atmosphere and shut down most of northern European airspace for six days, disrupting travel for roughly 10 million passengers across more than 20 countries in the largest air-traffic closure since World War II. Historically, eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull have been followed by eruptions of its larger neighbor Katla, 25 km to the northeast, keeping both volcanoes under close monitoring.