December 2018

Although the wind was still blowing as we set out to hike from Álftavatn to Emstrur, it was much less fierce than yesterday and continued to abate throughout the day. [move mouse over image to see full panorama] We had 3 river crossings today, the first of which everyone (including Sigþór) was relieved to discover had a […]

Ahhhhh Icelandic weather!   After a relatively nice day yesterday, the wind picked up and fairly howled during the night, making us all grateful that we were in the Hrafntinnusker mountain hut and not camped outside like so many others! However, we couldn’t stay sequestered in warm comfort forever, and after a hearty breakfast of tea,

I was back on the #11 public bus to Landmannalauger at 8am, less than 12 hours after returning to Reykjavík.  Yes, it was a slightly crazy idea to do the Volcanic Trails trek and then the Laugavegur & Fimmvörðuháls trek (both with Icelandic Mountain Guides) back-to-back, but hey!  I’m making the most of my time

I think Kjartan needs to sack whoever made the weather prediction we received last night! It was cold, windy and raining as we set off for our last day of hiking along the Volcanic Trails.  Kjartan had told us that we would start the day with a river crossing and, not 500m later at the

Our petition to the Universe for better weather was granted overnight and we awoke this morning to bright blue skies and no wind.  It was glorious to sit on the verandah of the Álftavatn hut and soak in the Sun’s rays while admiring the mirror-perfect reflections in the “Swan Lake”. These conditions rarely last long,

Another relatively short day today at under 10km.  I guess this is to make up for the last 2 days which have been quite long.  Heading out from Hvanngil, we followed the Kaldaklofskvísl river past hills decorated with a seemingly endless variety of bright green patterns. Of course, it wouldn’t be a day on Volcanic

Our day started in the usual fashion – a breakfast of muesli, porridge, crackers, cheese, processed meats and various spreads, followed by the making of our packed lunches out of more-or-less the same ingredients.  Then, once Kjartan had showed us our route for the day on the map, off we set up the relatively steep

In contrast to yesterday, today’s hike was a long one – 20km worth!  Yet we didn’t seem to be in any hurry to get going as we ate breakfast on the bench outside the Álftavötn Hut in the glorious sunshine under bright blue skies. There were several more river crossings to negotiate swathes of bright

At less than 10km in distance, my first day of hiking in the central highlands of Iceland was a short one.  While I was raring to go, this was a welcome “rest” for the others who had already been hiking for 3 days in very wet conditions.  The mood at the breakfast table was resigned

The Complete Volcanic Trails Trek by Icelandic Mountain Guides is a 9 day journey through the volcanic highlands of Iceland.  Unfortunately, I was not able to do the first few days of this trip, but rather would join the group at the end of their 3rd day of hiking at Hólaskjól. I met the Icelandic