The ITA hut on Mt Hrafntinnusker, Hoskuldarskali, was built in 1977 at 1027 metres above mean sea level.  Among attractions in its vicinity are the ice caves.  The hut comprises the ground floor with a kitchen and sleeping hall, and the attic with 18 mattresses and the quarters of the warden.  The hut accommodates 36 people on both floors, but during bad weather spells, the warden permits people to sleep wherever there is space.

The house is geothermally heated the whole year round and during the presence of the warden, usually during July and August, running, cold water is supplied in the kitchen.  Other times of the year, water has to be fetched from the gully west of the hut or snow has to be melted.  Electricity is supplied by solar cells.  The switch is in the entrance and the electrical supplies last 6 hours after it has been turned on.  Each lamp has switches.  The water pump is also connected to the electrical system.  Visitors are kindly asked to economize.  The gas stoves in the kitchen are connected to gas containers the whole year round.

A two-way emergency radio is located in the entrance.

The latrine is in the immediate proximity of the hut.  The winter latrine is inside the hut.  The kitchen contains all necessary equipment, pots, pans, cutlery, plates, glasses etc.  Sometimes the electrical system fails and technicians have to travel 200 km to repair it, and sometimes the mountain tracks are snowed in and do not allow access.

Peace and quiet is expected between midnight and 07;00 in the morning, unless the warden decides otherwise.  The use of the kitchen during the night is prohibited.  Smoking inside the hut is forbidden.

The environment of the hut is sand, which gets carried into it if its guests do not wipe their feet carefully before entering.  Shoes should be left in the entrance and house shoes should be brought along.  Guests are kindly asked to help the warden to keep the hut clean and tourist guides should emphasize this fact.  During the ten months without a warden, guests must leave a clean hut behind after use.  The camping site is down below the hut and a water tab nearby allows access to water.  Visitors and guests are required to take all rubbish with them to containers at the huts in Landmannalaugar or on lake Alftavatn.  Please do not throw rubbish into the latrines or put it under a stone.

The operation of this hut is expensive.  Therefore it is essential that guests pay for its use.  ITA publishes its rates annually.  During the presence of the warden, he/she collects the fees, but outside that period, guests are asked to leave the money in the box in the entrance.

Geographical co-ordinates (WGS-84):  63.933261 19.168080.
UTM (WGS-84):  7090867.1 7589807.4.
Geographical co-ordinates (Hjörsey 1955):  63.933571 19.168477
UTM ( Hjörsey1955):  7091076.0 75897691.6
Source:  The ITA website.  fi@fi.is Tel.: 568 2533:

Ice caves develope where there is thermal activity under the ice patches.  Such ice caves should not be entered because of their instability.  A traveller was killed such a cave in the morning of August 16th 2006, when he was hit by a block of ice from the ceiling.