Distance: 11-12 kilometres. Route: Iceland Forest Service Skarðsdalur Siglufjarðarskarð Göngudalur Eggjar - Hraun.
Maximum elevation: 620 m. Hiking time: 4-5 hours.
From the vantage point above the Iceland Forest Service in Skarðsdalur valley, you can still see the traces of the ancient main road that linked Siglufjörður to Skagafjörður fjord and the Fljót area. It is therefore proper to begin the hike over the Skarðið pass from this place. The easier route to take would be to follow the road, but those who are more experienced in steep uphill walking can take a shortcut between the windings and bends in the road. The lowermost windings pass through what is called the Grashólar terrain. When you get further up, the route lays at an angle to the south up the hill over the Þvergil ravine and the Þvergilsöldur dunes directly to the last bend at the bottom of the Skarðdalsvik recess. Many places on this route offer a beautiful view. The road then bends to the north up under the Afglapaskarð pass and Skarðshnjúkur peak and ends in the Siglufjarðarskarð pass. Following this the route goes downhill to Fell, a landslide that divides the upper part of Hraunadalur valley to the north, and the Göngudalur valley. Higher up in the Fell landslide, you return to the old mountain trail, which is visible there on the northern edge of the Göngudalur valley. Thereafter you walk downhill following a distinct but rocky path and across over the mouth of the Göngudalur valley and then continue onwards downhill towards Breiðafjall mountain. The front promontory of the mountain is called Selfjall mountain and above it you hike up to the Ytri-Eggjar belt and to the south along the Ytri-Eggjabrekkur slopes.
For part of the route, the path leads to the bare edge and from there you have a good view over the Innri-Tjarnardalir valleys and the Heljartröð field. An overgrown gully that extends from the edge and down below the main road is called Leignamannalág. This location is where several people from Siglufjörður died from exposure during their trip to the Hólastóll bishopry. There is relatively plentiful vegetation there small birch and berry shrubs and the autumn colours are beautiful; but when you get further to the south you enter the Grjótskálar basin area to your left and then it is only a short distance to the Innri-Eggjabrekka slope and the lower part of the Sauðdalur valley and finally your walk takes you to the south of the Sauðdalsá river down to the main road above the Hraun farm.