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Stakkholt Gorge

Region: Highland
Coordinates: 63.6807224° N 19.6248107° W

About Stakkholt

The Stakkholt Area is framed by Glacier Eyjafjallajokull to the south, River Hvanna to the east, River Steinsholtsa to the west, and River Krossa to the north. It derives its name from a free standing, rocky hillock, called Stakkur or Stakur, which contains a shallow cave with man made walling, where the farmers and their workers sometimes spent the nights, when they were rounding up the sheep.

The Stakkolt Gorge is a unique natural phenomenum. It cuts about 2 km into the mountains from northwest to southeast from its mouth. The hiking trail to its end lies between about 100 m high and mossy walls, which the fulmars have colonized far away from the sea. The gorge grows narrower towards the end, where a hidden waterfall cascades down from the brink. Two other gorges branch to the glacier in the south.

At the mouth of the Hvannargil Gorge is a prominent cleft called Gunnufud near the so-called Nauthillur. According to the legend, a married couple vanished without a trace from the settled areas. They were sought and eventually found in the Hvannargil Gorge. They had stolen a lamb and were cooking it at the time. The name of the woman was Gudrun and the cleft was named after her.

Mt Hatindar (666m) protrudes above the Stakkur Ridge above the innermost part of the Stakkholt Area. It offers an excellent view on a fine day and from there you look directly down into the Southern Gorge.

Outside the mouth of the Stakkholt Gorge is an area called Fagriskogur, which name suggests a wooded area in the past, and according to written sources it was wooded up to the middle of the 18th century. Above it is the vegetated and steep Mt Rjupnafell.

To the west of River Steinsholtsa and Glacier Tongue Steinsholtsjokull are the westernmost summer pastures outside the Thorsmork Area.

Stakkholt in Icelandic

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WHAT TO SEE?
Nearby Stakkholt Gorge

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Nearby Stakkholt Gorge

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