Mt. Esja is undeniably the most prominent entity on Reykjavík's horizon and the most accessible and popular mountain in the area. However, sitting next to it and offering an equally good view but with more interesting variations in geology and terrain is its much less frequented and somewhat neglected sibling, Mt. Móskarðshnjúkar.
For those interested in geology, the three peaks of Mt. Móskarðshnjúkar are made of rhyolite, making them not only seem constantly to be bathed in sunlight, but also geologically and visually related to many of Iceland's most beautiful areas, such as Landmannalaugar.
The track we will take you on will not only see you summit all three peaks of Mt. Móskarðshnjúkar, but also Mt. Skálafell, which is located next to it. The terrain in varied, but the path is well trodden and reliable.
For those interested in random historical facts, the term rhyolite replaced the term baulite, which was drawn from another similarly looking Icelandic mountain, Mt. Baula, in the 19th century. The person responsible for the term rhyolite was Baron von Richtofen. Yes, the paternal uncle of the more famous Red baron.