During the commerce weekend every year, we try to go for an interesting hike, preferably in an area we have not hiked before. This time we decided to hike along an old highway over a heath called Breiðdalsheiði.
This highway was closed in 1996 when the Vestfjarðagöng tunnel was opened. The tunnel is a great improvement because the heath was often a major obstacle to travel and especially during the winter. The heath connected urban areas in the north and south of the Westfjords. It runs from Önundarfjörður and over to Skutulsfjörður where Ísafjörður is.
After watching the weather forecast for a few days, we decided to go on Saturday and we did not regret that decision. It was almost calm and warm all the time and the sun shone from time to time. These were ideal conditions for walking.
Breiðdalsheiði lies at an altitude of about 450 meters and from the place where we started the hike and to the top it was just over 6 kilometers long. The descent was about 7 kilometers down to Ísafjörður Town in Dagverðardalur.
The main obstacle on the hike was in the so-called Kinn (Cheek) where a lot of rocks had fallen on the road from the steep cliffs above. In other respects, the walk was on a comfortable road.
This is probably one of the most enjoyable hikes we have ever done. The weather was perfect, the view over Önundarfjörður was magnificent and when we reached the top of heath we saw Skutulsfjörður and Ísafjörður Town in all its splendor. This is probably the most beautiful scenic spot to see Skutulsfjörður.
Below are photos from the hike. Click on any photo to start full-screen slideshow.
