Hiking/Trekking

Trekking Iceland – Laugavegur Trail – Þórsmörk to Fimmvörðuháls

Day 6 of the Laugavegur & Fimmvörðuháls trek was the one that everyone was worried about.  It involved a 900m climb, and we would have to carry a little extra weight (our sleeping bag liner, essentials for a night, and extra food) as it was not possible for the vehicle to transfer our gear to the hut […]

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View from Valahnúkur Mountain viewpoint - Laugavegur Trail - Icelandic Highlands

Trekking Iceland – Laugavegur Trail – Þórsmörk Valley

Day 5 saw us saying “goodbye” to our 3 Korean trekking companions and swapping them for 3 New Zealanders!  This was to take place at the Volcanic Huts at Húsadalur, and we set out under heavy grey skies to make the exchange. Along the way, we stopped off at the magnificent viewpoint of Valahnúkur mountain, with it’s

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Trekking towards the Mýrdalsjökull glacier - Laugavegur Trail - Icelandic Highlands

Trekking Iceland – Laugavegur Trail – Emstrur to Þórsmörk

Today we woke up to blue skies and bright sunshine over the huts at Emstrur. The trail led us towards the Mýrdalsjökull glacier and, after crossing the Emstrur River we turned south to follow at a distance the north-western edge of this enormous glacier. It was such a joy to be hiking in fantastic weather

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Hiking across the Mælifellssandur desert - Laugavegur Trail - Icelandic Highlands

Trekking Iceland – Laugavegur Trail – Álftavatn to Emstrur

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

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Crowds on the Laugavegur Trail - Icelandic Highlands

Trekking Iceland – Laugavegur Trail – Hrafntinnusker to Álftavatn

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,

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Trekking Iceland – Laugavegur Trail – Landmannalaugar to Hrafntinnusker

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

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Climbing out of river valley - Volcanic Trails - Central Highlands, Iceland

Trekking Iceland – Volcanic Trails – Dalakofinn to Landmannalaugar

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

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The "unnamed waterfall" on the way to Dalakofinn Hut - Volcanic Trails - Central Highlands, Iceland

Trekking Iceland – Volcanic Trails – Álftavatn to Dalakofinn

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,

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Bar/Restaurant near Álftavatn Hut - Volcanic Trails - Central Highlands, Iceland

Trekking Iceland – Volcanic Trails – Hvanngil to Álftavatn

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

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View into the next valley from the hill above our lunch on the black volcanic sands of Mýrdalssandur - Volcanic Trails - Central Highlands, Iceland

Trekking Iceland – Volcanic Trails – Strútur to Hvanngil

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

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