Súlur Vertical offers a cross-country skiing competition with three different distances, suitable for both beginners and experienced skiers. All courses trace their origins back to the historic Hermannsgangan, named after sports pioneer and ski enthusiast Hermann Sigtryggsson.
Fönn – 4 km
Fönn is a 4 km cross-country ski course through Kjarnaskógur.
Mjöll – 12 km
Mjöll is a 12 km cross-country ski course through Kjarnaskógur and Naustaborgir.
Bylur – 24 km
Bylur is a 24 km cross-country ski course through Kjarnaskógur and Naustaborgir.
Bylur is also one of the Íslandsgangan 7, a nationwide series of ski races held across Iceland.
The race starts in Kjarnaskógur on January 28, 2026, at 12:00 PM.
The course starts and finishes at Kjarnatún, above the parking area at Kjarnakot. The route follows the fitness trail clockwise before turning onto the Naustaborgir trail, heading north, where the greatest elevation gain of the course is found.
After approximately 3.1 km, the route turns left (north) toward Naustasel and continues to the northeastern corner of Naustaborgir. The Naustaborgir trail is then followed back south until reaching Skjólborg after 5.6 km.
From there, the course turns left/south onto a newly built, smooth trail above the campsite, including a short climb where the disc golf course is crossed. The route then continues across flat terrain west and south of the campsite before joining the Forest Trail (Skógarleið).
From there, the course is mostly downhill, rejoining the fitness trail above Sólúrið, skiing down past Sólúrið and continuing in a curve down Kjarnatún and through the finish line. At that point, approximately 8 km have been completed.