Iceland — Hvannadalshnúkur (2,110 m): Back on My Feet Above the Ice
Date: 23 July 2025 Altitude: 2 110 m
Coordinates: 64°00′57″ N, 16°40′29″ W
Route: Sandfell – Glacier ascent – Hvannadalshnúkur summit – return
Transport to region: 3 886 km total
• 388 km Kals am Großglockner → Malans (Liechtenstein)
• 183 km Malans → Kempten (Germany)
• 428 km Kempten → Bergamo (Italy)
• 86 km Bergamo → Milan Malpensa Airport
• Flight Milan → Reykjavík (2 814 km)
• 375 km Reykjavík → Sandfell, Öræfi
Accommodation: Slept in car at Sandfell parking area
Conditions: Clear, calm, and cold morning — perfect visibility
🧭 Overview
Hvannadalshnúkur, the highest peak of Iceland and the crown of the Vatnajökull Glacier, is a vast white dome of ice and crevasses on the edge of Europe’s largest glacier. It’s a mountain that demands patience, endurance, and respect and for me, it became the mountain of recovery.
Just days earlier I’d limped off Großglockner with a knee that barely let me walk. This climb was the test: could I keep going, or was the Crown of Europe about to end?
🩹 Between Pain and Persistence
After Großglockner, we drove toward Grauspitz (Liechtenstein), but my knee flared up so badly I couldn’t even hike. From there, we moved north and spent the night near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, hoping I might still try Zugspitze.
The next morning, the pain was still intense, slightly better, but nowhere near safe for another big climb. So I made the difficult decision to stop climbing until Iceland. We drove south across Europe, staying in Bergamo, Italy, to wait for my flight.
By then, thanks to ice gels, rest, and advice from my physiotherapist, the swelling had begun to ease. On 22 July, I boarded a flight from Milan Malpensa to Reykjavík, carrying hope that I’d finally get a clean restart.
❄️ The Return to the Mountains
After landing, I rented a small car and drove 375 km across Iceland’s south coast to Sandfell, beneath the Vatnajökull icecap. The evening was freezing and silent, endless daylight fading into a silver horizon. I slept in the car, wrapped in layers, knee taped and ready.
At 04:00, I began the climb with Matteo, an Italian guide based in Iceland. The air was calm and clear; the world glowed blue and white. Progress was steady across crevassed terrain, roped together and navigating around open ice fissures.
🧗 The Summit
At 11:36 a.m., after more than seven hours of glacier travel, we stepped onto the summit plateau of Hvannadalshnúkur (2 110 m). The view was infinite — mountains rising from a sea of ice, the Atlantic glimmering at the edge of sight.
It was cold and utterly still. For the first time in days, there was no pain — only freedom. The relief of moving without limitation felt almost as good as reaching the summit itself.
We stayed for photos and quiet celebration, then began the long descent, weaving carefully between crevasses. By 17:00, we reached the parking area exhausted but elated.
💬 Reflection
This climb was more than a return to form; it was a reminder that recovery is part of endurance. After the frustration of missed peaks and the fear of losing momentum, standing on Hvannadalshnúkur felt like breathing again.
It was a technical, demanding, but deeply rewarding day — a climb that gave back confidence and reminded me why perseverance matters more than perfection.
