Origins of the name: People had to cross the desert fast with
their horses, to "spring" over it, so as to get new grass and
water for themselves and the animals. There has also been a lot
of superstition about it. Stories about bad ghosts and criminals
were told, and, subsequently, the old tracks fell out of use for
some time. This is also the subject of a very famous Icelandic
folk song: Á Sprengisandi.
Hofsjökull from the hut in NýidalurIn the middle of the track
there is a small oasis with a hut of the Icelandic Hiking Club:
Nýidalur |