Dalaleið - trail

Distance: 5-6 kilometres. Route: Horse stables south of Siglufjörður town – Skjaldarbringur mountains – Dalaskarð pass – Langihryggur ridge – main road 76 at Dalabær municipality.
Maximum elevation: 520 metres. Hiking time: 4-5 hours.

The hike starts at the Siglufjördur town stables and is walked following the marker posts all the way. The first stretch lies up over a ridge between two distinct ravines. Above that, between Snókur to the south and the end of Hafnarfjall to the north, the route goes along the Skjaldarbringur mountains as you follow an overgrown horse trail. Shortly before you reach Dalaskarð pass, you will be able to spot the Styrbjarnardys cairn. To the south-west from Dalaskarð pass, the Illviðrishnjúkar peaks rise high (the highest one is 895 m) and to the west is Mánárvik inlet, a dell to the west of Mánárdalur valley and above that is the westernmost Illviðrishnjúkur peak, with Vikshnjúkur peak farther north. North of it is Stóraskál basin and to the north of that are Skálarhnjúkur peak and Mánárfjall mountain. North of Dalaskarð pass are the Leirdalir area and north of these is Hafnarhyrna mountain and further to the north is the mountain Dalaseti. From a cairn in the middle of the Dalaskarð pass, you follow the marker posts down towards the Langahryggur ridge, which rises above its surroundings like a brick-layered road, and is easy to hike along all the way. At Neðri-Brúnir, the trail swings to the north below the Lambadalir hollow and Skollaskálarhnjúkur peak – you have now reached the Messugötur trail. To the south-west, you now see the majestic mountains rise above the landscape, those that were mentioned earlier from the Dalaskarð pass, and the most prominent among them is the Litlihnjúkur peak. Along the Messugötur trail, the Dalamenn inhabitants rode to church at Hvanneyri in Siglufjörður. Along this trail you then continue at an angle down towards the main road above the abandoned farm Dalabær.