Mount Esja

Mount Esja (Esjan) rises just north of Reykjavík and is one of the defining landmarks of Iceland’s capital region. Its highest peak reaches 914 meters, but its true height is measured in time: Esja is nearly three million years old.

Esja formed within the volcanic rift system that today stretches from Reykjanes through Þingvellir and north toward Langjökull. Around 2.8 million years ago, this area lay directly above the active spreading zone between tectonic plates. Over more than a million years, layer upon layer of lava and volcanic material accumulated.

As the tectonic plates continued to drift apart, the volcanic belt gradually shifted eastward. The rocks that built Esja were slowly carried westward — at roughly one centimeter per year — away from the active rift. That steady movement explains why the westernmost cliffs of Esja now lie nearly 30 kilometers from the active fissures at Þingvellir and Hengill.

Fire and Ice

Esja’s structure tells a dramatic geological story shaped by alternating warm interglacial periods and glacial ice ages: During warmer periods, fluid lava flows spread across the landscape, forming thick, horizontal basalt layers.

During ice ages, when glaciers covered the land, eruptions beneath the ice created móberg (hyaloclastite) mountains — steep, reddish-brown formations built by explosive interaction between magma and ice.

These cycles repeated at least ten times during Esja’s formation. Lava stacked upon móberg, móberg upon lava. Over time, the weight of these layers caused the entire structure to tilt, giving Esja its distinctive sloping appearance when viewed from Reykjavík.

Eventually, volcanic activity moved fully eastward and ceased in the Esja area. What followed was over a million years of glacial erosion, carving valleys, sharpening ridges, and shaping the mountain into the dramatic silhouette we see today.

Falcon rock & Búi’s Cliffs.

Fálkaklettur (Falcon Rock) sits on the lower slopes of Mount Esja, clearly visible from Reykjavík across the bay. This dramatic cliff marks the western edge of a larger band of basalt walls known as Búahamrar — “Búi’s Cliffs.”

The name comes from the medieval Icelandic saga Kjalnesinga saga, set right here on the Kjalarnes peninsula. In the story, a formidable man named Búi becomes an outlaw after clashing with the local chieftain and refusing to bow to the old rites. Hunted by armed men, he disappears into the mountain and lives in a hidden cave above the land — a place of shelter, mist, and stone, where the cliffs offered protection when the world below turned hostile.

Via Ferratas around the world

From the dramatic limestone walls of the Alps to the rugged sea cliffs of the North Atlantic, via ferratas have become one of the most exciting ways to experience vertical terrain safely and accessibly.

The term via ferrata means “iron path” in Italian — a protected climbing route equipped with steel cables, ladders, bridges, and fixed anchors that allow climbers to move across exposed rock faces while continuously secured to a safety line.

Originally developed in the Dolomites of northern Italy during World War I, these routes allowed soldiers to move across steep mountain terrain. Today, they offer modern adventurers a chance to experience alpine exposure without needing advanced technical climbing skills.

Via ferrata for modern adventure

Via ferrata bridges the gap between hiking and technical climbing. It offers:

• Exposure without full climbing training
• Physical challenge combined with safety systems
• Access to otherwise unreachable viewpoints
• A powerful sense of achievement

You don’t just hike to the summit — you earn it, step by step, clipped securely into the mountain.

The routes

We offer multiple via ferrata routes, designed for different skill levels — from confident beginners to experienced climbers seeking a serious challenge.

All routes connect within the same spectacular cliff system, and the highlight for many is crossing the wire bridge, suspended high above the ground, before reaching the summit with panoramic views over Reykjavík and Faxaflói Bay.