Bóndi

Overview

Bóndi is a double-peaked mountain in the middle of a ridge that runs south from the North Icelandic town of Akureyri. Starting at sea level, the ridge rises just south of Akureyri with 4 peaks poking up out of it on its way to Kerling, the highest peak in northen Iceland. In researching this mountain, there appears to be some confusion as to which point is the summit of Bóndi. The map that is in the summit register on Súlur labels it as one of the lower mounds. But, after studying the Icelandic Geodetic Survey, I can safely confirm that Bóndi is indeed the more aesthetic twin-towered peak on the ridge.

The ridge (from north to south) is composed of both summits of Súlur, a north-south black-rocked dike called Stórikrummi, a dimetrodon-like fin of rock named Litlikrummi, Bóndi, Priklakkar and finally Kerling.

There is no summit register as most people stop at Súlur on their hike which is confusing as Bóndi is an enjoyable hike along the ridge/plateau system with a fun little scramble at the end on the summit pinnacle on some loose rock. The views along the ridge are breathtaking, especially of Kerling and the snowy peaks to the west. Bóndi means "bound man" and meant a person who had given an oath of allegiance or had blood ties to a more powerful chieftain. (Then again, I also found it in an Icelandic dictionary as "farmer" so maybe the thought of this being named after an escaped servant is misplaced.)

If you travel to Iceland, you really should visit Akureyri. It is an amazing town full of great restaurants and shops. And if you visit Akureyri, you really should do the hike up to the summits along the ridge to the south including Bóndi and Súlur. But, even if you chose not to climb peaks, there are plenty of other hikes in the area to do.

Getting There

Since the trailhead is the same as Súlur, I will provide the same information as on my page for that peak:

Getting to Iceland is up to you individually although I can tell you that Icelandair flies to Reykjavik from 5 US cities: Minneapolis, New York, Boston, Baltimore and Orlando as well as most major European cities. All international flights fly into Keflavik Airport about 40 kms. west of Reykjavik. From there you can rent a car from Budget, Avis, and the largest car rental place there is Hertz. I would advise booking a car/truck early and don't be surprised by the ridiculous price you are charged. I found car rental in Iceland to be about 4 to 5 times what it would be in the US.

From Keflavik, you probably will need to head to Reykjavik for supplies. Take Road 41 from the airport about 40 km east into Reykjavik until the road turns into Reykjanesbraut. You will trend north now and the road will become Fyarðarhraun. Take a right onto Rafnarfjarðarvegur and follow north until the road changes names again to Kringlumyrarbruat. Go north still approximately 6 streets and turn right onto Listabraut. Take your first left and then pull in right into the parking deck. This is the Kringlan Mall and go in and go to the Utivist store located on the bottom floor. It's a general sports store but it has the best selection I found with fuel, dehydrated food, etc.

Once you get your supplies, head out the parking deck and turn right (north) and exit out onto the large east/west road on the north side of the mall called Miklabraut. Take the road east and follow signs for Highway 1 (also known as the Ring Road).

You will go north on the Ring Road for approximately 382 kilometers to Akureyri. The Ring Road will turn into Hörgarbraut (that is a street name). Take that road to Hliðarbraut and turn right onto that street. Follow that street through most of town as it heads west. When it starts to curve to the south, you will then cross the Glera River. Just after the river, turn right onto Súluvegur. Follow this road 3.8 kilometers to a small parking lot at the unmarked trailhead. Just take note that this road turns to a dirt path and you will drive past a rubbish dump. There are a few forks in the road, just stay on the main road. Don't worry, if you get off the "road" you will quickly know it as the short side roads quickly end. At the parking lot, you will be tempted to head straight south towards the mountain but the trail actually starts off going east from the lot and will cross over a barbed wire fence via a sort of wooden staircase made for hikers to get over the fence. The trail then quickly turns south and heads in earnest for the peak.

Also, link here for possible direct flights to Akureyri.

Red Tape

No permits, fees, rules, etc. Climbing in Iceland is largely unregulated but please stick to the trail from the north to climb Bóndi as the east slopes have homes at their base and I am not sure where private land begins and ends in this region.

When To Climb

Summer months (July - September) although this one could potentially be done year-round. (Good luck wanting to climb in Northern Iceland in the winter though) ;- )

Camping

This is a dayhike so camping is not really necessary on the peak.

For information on camping in Akureyri though:
link here for info on the town's campground
Link here for information about camping in North Iceland
General camping in Iceland link

Mountain Conditions

General Tourism Information for the area

Link for weather in Iceland

Link for road Conditions in Iceland

Other Things To Do Nearby

North Iceland has some great attractions to visit:

The next fjord over to the east has a great little town called Husavik. This is one of the major European whale watching centers. (I would recommend the company that that last link goes to, they provided a great tour as well as hot chocolate and pastries on the trip. And I DID see whales.) Also in Husavik is the Husavik Whale Center which is worth visiting.

Asbyrgi, a park within the Jökulsargljufur National Park is an amazing area with one of the few forests in Iceland. The area was carved from corrosive waters flowing from the south but is eroded in a way that shaped it like a horseshoe. It has 300 foot high cliffs in a horseshoe shape with another set of cliffs within in in the same general shape. Legend has it that it was carved by Odin's 8-hooved horse, Sleipnir, and it is easy to see how that story evolved if you visit this area.

Also not too far away is Myvatn, a highly volcanic area with an amazing lake, hot springs, sulphuric vents, etc.

Helpful Hints About Iceland

If you are considering going to Iceland, here are some suggestions:

Obtain maps online at this website. These maps show every gas station, campsite, mileage, topo lines, grocery store, etc. and were my lifeline while in Iceland.

The Icelandic language has a few extra letters in their alphabet that we don't have in English.
Þ represents "th" as in "thought"
Ð and its lower case ð represent "th" as in "that"
Ö represents "i" like in "first"
Æ represents "i" like in "fight"
There are also many rules about what sounds like what after or before other letters but the above will be enough to get you through this little mountain page.

Rent a car that is at least like a Toyota RAV 4 to get you around. If you are climbing in Iceland to get to many places, you will have to ford rivers and anything less than a RAV 4 will be useless. FYI, these currently are running about $1200 per week.

Iceland Travel Tips

Images

View Bóndi Image Gallery - 10 Images