Three Peaks challenges in Iceland

The landscapes of Iceland

Iceland's upland plateaux are interrupted by mountain peaks, icefields and deep valleys. Around the margins, bays and fjords cut into the coastline, creating very different relationships between mountains and sea from one region to another.

Vatnajökull dominates a large southeastern icefield landscape, while the Westfjords contain deeply cut coastal mountains far away in the northwest. Around the northern fjords, peninsulas separate further mountain groups. These contrasts give Iceland several distinct upland settings, with volcanic plateaux, glaciated high ground and sea-facing mountains occupying different parts of the island.