Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the car park at the end of Súluvegur, cross the stream just south of it, climb the steps over a small rise and cross the fence by the stile. The cairned path heads south-south-west across moor and wet ground, with boardwalks over the worst bogs, and crosses a small stream. It then climbs steadily up the long north-east shoulder to Ytri-Súla, the northern top. Return the same way, ignoring the side paths to Fálkafell and into Glerárdalur. The higher Syðri-Súla, 1,213 m, lies further south and is not part of this walk.
It is 10.5 km there and back with 878 m of ascent; allow about 6 hours. The grade is Hard: a long climb, boggy below and steep and stony near the top.
The mountain is exposed to the weather, so check the forecast. Snow and ice can cover the upper path from autumn to early summer, when the cairns are hard to follow and the steep slope is slippery: boots with good grip are needed. From the top you look along Eyjafjörður and down on Akureyri.
The car park, about 10 km from the centre of Akureyri up Súluvegur, is free; the road is gravel at the top. Akureyri's town buses do not run up Súluvegur.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Súlur is Akureyri's own mountain, a pair of pale rhyolite tops above the south-west of the town
- Ytri-Súla is the northern top, nearer town; Syðri-Súla to the south is higher, at 1,213 m
- The path is cairned and kept by the local walking club, with boardwalks over the boggiest ground
- From the top you look along Eyjafjörður and down on Akureyri and Glerárdalur
Summits on the way
- Ytri-Súla 1,144 m · passed close by
Getting there
Start: Súlur car park, Glerárdalur. 65.65334, -18.17233
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Súlur car park: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.