Day 6: Fimmvörđuháls Pass - Skógar

Matt was startled to discover the four new additions to the hut - somehow he managed to sleep through their grand entrance!?!

To sum up today in one word... 'Waterfalls'. For as we descended to Skógar, we passed lots of them - beautiful and all different!

When we reached Skógar, we put up our tent and tried to take stock of the journey. I think Alistair summed it up best...

"Lovely scenery, but my feet bloody hurt!"

In the evening, we raided the local shop and had a BBQ feast :)

2am Update from the Fimmvörđuháls Pass!

Four Icelandic people have just crashed into the hut - they got lost! So now I have been evicted from my bed and the buggers are now snoring :(

Day 5: Þórsmörk - Fimmvörđuháls Pass

The day started with the sun blazing through the tent - an unusual experience in this trek!

Today we needed our head for heights - narrow ridges, exposed climbs, sheer cliffs and... rain! A proper day in the mountains :)

Once we reached the col between Mýrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull, we had a few navigational issues... We went to the wrong hut, which came as some relief, as the hut we had first found damp and smelly!

The hut at Fimmvörđuháls was a great improvement! Small, but perfectly formed and environmentally friendly... The drinking water comes from melted snow and the washing water is collected from the roof.

We whiled away the evening by chatting to the other guests and the warden.

Day 4: Emstrur (Botnar) - Þórsmörk

First stop of the day was an old bridge crossing a deep ravine. "Not to be crossed if you suffer from vertigo" the board informed us... Bit late now!

After that the route was simple - just follow the Markarfljótsgljúfur... So that's what we did! We wandered through this beautiful landscape and reached our final river crossing of the day (which was a deep one!).

We then navigated our way through a forest to Þórsmörk and so to the end of the Laugavegur Trail, which is described as "a demanding, but pleasant hike through a variety of landscapes".

Day 3: Hvanngill - Emstrur (Botnar)

Today started slowly...

When we eventually got going, our first stop was Hvanngilskrókur - an impressive chasm that is home to Tangafoss - a picturesque waterfall. Back on the trail, we came to our first river crossing of the day, which was via a bridge! What a novelty :) The second, however, was not :( and the cold glacial waters reached the tops of our thighs. We then continued to plod across the black desert to our next hut.

After pitching our tent and scoffing another fine meal, Matt and I took another walk to Svartikrókur - another impressive canyon that was 180m deep and made in just one week! Meanwhile Alistair stayed in the tent nursing his sore feet and brewing us a special surprise :)

Day 2: Hrafntinnusker - Hvanngill

The sound of rain from the inside of a tent is one of my favourite sounds... Not, however, when I know I have to get out of the tent!

The day's trek began by crossing the plateau which had many steep ups and downs. The drizzle turned to rain as the day progressed. The resulting clouds hung in the air hiding what promised to be spectacular views.

We descended from the clouds into a lush green valley and hit Grashagakvisl - our first river crossing! Strangely, I found this a pleasant experience as it cooled down my sweaty feet :)

Shortly after we reached Álftavatn and the campsite. We decided to take a short break and push on a further 5 km, through a second river crossing, to the next hut at Hvanngill.

The evening meal had just finished cooking as the heavens opened. The rain poured down for a few hours and the groundsheet of the tent began to leak. Alistair dived out of the tent and to the rescue! He dug a drainage ditch around the tent. Just as he had finished, so did the rain :)

We just had time to clean up before downpour number two happened, so, with our defences in place, we retreated to our sleeping bags.

Day 1: Landmannalaugar - Hrafntinnusker

6am - my watch bleeped into life. Alistair, Matt and I then began the routine that would soon become familiar. Packing everything up and moving on...

By 9am we had made both bus connections and were heading to Landmannalaugar on the number eleven bus. "Weather permitting..." the CD guide gave us the spiel, but sadly the weather was not permitting as we travelled through the lunar landscape of Southern Iceland.

The landscape soon changed to lush green fields with sheep and horses everywhere! As the road lost it's tarmac covering, I looked around the bus... So many faces from so many places. This may sound selfish of me, but I hope they're not all planning to do the trek! Otherwise we will all be destroying the thing we all seek.

The bus turned right at Mount Hekla, Iceland's best known volcano, and headed along the rough track to Landmannalaugar...

Landmannalaugar was somewhat of a disappointment - a city of tents surrounding one small thermal spring (which when we arrived, was occupied by over 20 people). We gave it a miss and set off.

First obstacle - a lava field, then we descended past a few thermal vents. The eggy smell of sulphur was hanging in the air. Shortly after, we reached the plateau and the colours changed again. Vivid greens, turquoises and obsilian sand that, if the sun catches it at the right angle, shimmers like gold.

Slowly we continued to trek through the cool refreshing mountain air until the hut came into view. The evening routine was quickly established. Pitch tent - cook food - eat - wash - bed! Just as the rain came in... :)

The Plan

The route between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk, known as the “laugavegurinn” , The Hot Spring Route, is one of the most popular treks in Iceland. The trail offers a wide variety of landscape. Mountains in almost every colour of the rainbow, great glaciers, roaring hot springs, big rivers and lakes. The total hiking distance is close to 79 km.

Here is the plan...

Day 1: Landmannalaugar - Hrafntinnusker
Distance: 12 km
Estimated walking time: 4-5 hours

Day 2: Hrafntinnusker - Álftavatn
Distance: 12 km
Estimated walking time: 4-5 hours

Day 3: Álftavatn - Emstrur (Botnar)
Distance: 15 km
Estimated walking time: 6-7 hrs

Day 4: Emstrur (Botnar) - Þórsmörk
Distance: 15 km
Estimated walking time: 6-7 hrs

Day 5: Þórsmörk - Skogar
Distance: 26 km
Estimated walking time: 10 hours

If the weather is good, we will divide the leg by staying overnight in the Fimmvorduhals Pass. This will allow us to make a detour to the top of South Iceland's highest mountain, Eyjafjallajökull. The next day we will continue down to Skogar to catch the bus back to Reykjavik.