Kristinartindar, Vatnajökull National Park

Kristinartindar is one of the most strenuous hikes that can be made from Skaftafell. An 18 km return hike that follows the ridge until making a steep climb to the summit for 1010m elevation gain. It takes 5-6 hours and usually rewards you with an amazing view of green ice free valleys rising up to the Vatnajökull ice sheet. Unfortunately for me, a thick fog had engulfed everything the day I chose to do the hike. I had limited visibility of no more than 5m for 4.5 hours. The hike seemed pointless but I did not have the time to wait another day. As I reached the final summit climb something amazing happened. As though the fog was held down by an invisible glass ceiling I hiked past it and was greeted with a crystal clear view in all directions. The mountains looked like islands in an ocean of fog. It was better than I could have imagined.