WHAT ARE THE F-ROADS IN ICELAND?

The F-roads in Iceland are mountain roads; unpaved gravel tracks that are not regularly maintained. Prefixed with an F, such as F210, they have large potholes, many ruts or large boulders on their surface. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some are pretty good gravel tracks where you can drive along at 80kph, whereas others will have you fording rivers, rising up across steep rocky inclines and gliding through sand.

The F-roads are dotted around Iceland but most take you into the desolate central highlands. A barren and remote place with very few facilities. You will find almost no shops, no petrol stations and no hotels. What you will find is plenty of rock, snow, lava, ice and some great adventure opportunities.

WHAT VEHICLES ARE ALLOWED ON THE F-ROADS IN ICELAND?

The potholes, boulders and river crossings on mountain roads require a vehicle with good ground clearance. Car rental companies will not insure normal passenger cars on these mountain roads and you could face a hefty fee if your uninsured car is damaged.

So 4×4 rental is required to use the F roads in Iceland. Three other mountain roads, not prefixed with an F, also require a 4X4 rental in Iceland: Kaldidalur valley (road 550), Kjölur (road 35) and Jökulhálsleið (road 570).

To explore the highlands via the F roads in Iceland you will need to come in summer. Most mountain roads are closed in winter, and only open as the snow melts, usually in June, staying open till late September or October. All opening times are available from the Iceland travel website. But once they are open these roads are a joy to drive. You just need a bit of planning and to be careful.

HOW DIFFICULT ARE THE F-ROADS IN ICELAND TO DRIVE?

Driving the mountain roads requires concentration. We had rocks to negotiate, rivers to cross, and sand to slide through. At times the visibility was low and we were peering out of our windscreen trying to make out the small indent in the rock and gravel that was our road.

Different roads have different challenges. Some are easy gravel tracks whereas others rise steeply up mountains and over rocky boulders. Some cross small shallow streams whereas others traverse much deeper and faster-flowing rivers.

Conditions on Iceland’s F road change. What is a stream in the morning can be a river by the evening. So, the challenges of driving an F road depend on the difficulty of the road, the size of the vehicle you have rented, the weather conditions, and your confidence and experience as a driver.

WHAT 4X4 VEHICLE DID WE HIRE IN ICELAND AND HOW DID WE DO?

Being mildly adventurous individuals, yet not wanting to risk life and limb, we planned on taking the easy mountain roads, assessing the more difficult roads as we went, and avoiding the very challenging ones. We weighed how much we wanted to pay for a 4X4 rental in Iceland against how much we were likely to be able to see. We decided to hire an intermediate 4X4. It was not much more expensive than an economy, but quite a bit cheaper than a large 4×4.

In spite of it being the worst summer weather in Iceland for 100 years; we easily made the return day trips to Kerlingarfjöll and Landmannalaugar. We successfully got across the two rivers on the F910 to Askja.

We had hoped to get to Básar Hut in Þórsmörk via the F249. The F249 is a very difficult road to navigate because of the treacherous Krossa river. But you can park at Básar Hut, just before the river, and walk over a footbridge into Þórsmörk. However, with rain falling, low cloud and more rain forecast we decided to abandon our plans. So, we managed 3 out of 4 of our planned day trips, during a very wet summer.

On all the roads we chose to drive, the steepness of the road was not a problem. The only time we really had to be careful was deciding whether to cross those rivers.

HOW TO CROSS RIVERS ON THE F ROADS IN ICELAND

The reason to be careful when crossing rivers, besides getting wet, is that insurance policies for a 4X4 rental in Iceland do not cover river crossings.

If you damage the vehicle, or get stuck and need help, you will face a hefty bill. But driving across the river is not difficult, the challenge is assessing whether you can cross and choosing the correct route. We were sensible, followed the guidelines below, and in spite of some nerves as we headed in, we easily crossed all the rivers we attempted and were rewarded with a very happy sense of achievement. Here are some helpful tips:

GO EARLY / Before leaving, check the road conditions online and ask locals for advice. As you drive to a tricky crossing, ask vehicles coming the other way for advice.

INSPECT THE RIVER / Do not try to cross a river where the water is higher than three-quarters of the height of your 4X4 rental wheels. Look for posts marking the depth or wade into the river if you are unsure. Cross the river where it is shallower, often where there are ripples and not where it looks calmer and therefore deeper. The best route is often marked by the tyre tracks of other cars. If the route is unclear it is usually better to start upstream and head diagonally downstream across the river. If unsure DO NOT CROSS. Wait for someone else to help you.

GET IN GEAR FIRST / Before entering the river ensure the vehicle is in manual, in a low gear, and drive slowly (5kph) but steadily along the easiest route. Do not change gears mid crossing and don’t hesitate halfway through.

CHECK YOUR RETURN / When returning by the same route do not rush across the river without checking. Rivers can be higher in the afternoon with rain and glacial melt increasing the challenge. Take your time and inspect them again to makes sure you have a good route through.

BACKUP PLAN / Have a backup plan in case you cannot cross the river. Do not put yourself in a position where you have to cross a river that you know might be tricky.

Further useful information is available here.

TIPS BEFORE DRIVING THE F ROADS IN ICELAND

The F-roads take you into a desolate and remote area of Iceland where there are few facilities, so it’s good to be prepared to avoid any unnecessary mishaps. Here are some tips before you head off:

1. Check the road conditions before you go and ask locals for further advice, including how long the journey will take. While Google maps is good in the highlands, travel times are often not reliable on mountain roads.
2. Tell someone where you are going or leave your travel plans with safe travel, a travel site where you can register your trip details.
3. Make sure you know your 4X4 rental car emergency number as well as the Safe Travel Iceland number (112). Sometimes you will not always have phone reception but can send messages, so download the safe travel app and use it to send a text message if you get into trouble.
4. Leave with a full tank of petrol. There are almost no petrol stations in the highlands and running out is not something you want to worry about.
5. Take enough food and water with you for the trip. There are very few shops and restaurants in the highlands.
6. Check weather conditions here and pack warm clothes, waterproofs and hiking boots. The highlands are colder than the coast and the weather can change quickly. When we were there it was often near freezing in the highlands in the middle of summer.
7. Download the area into offline maps on Google maps before you leave. Your GPS will work even if you don’t have data. It can be invaluable for tracking your drive and any hikes.
8. For more general tips, this list of 12 things to know before visiting Iceland is a very useful resource.