An account of hiking along the Laugavegur or Laugavegurinn (as it’s sometimes known) trail through the Icelandic Highlands, one of the last truly untouched wilderness areas left in Europe.
Emstrur (Botnar) – Þórsmörk
Distance: 15 km | Estimated traveling time: 6-7 hours | Max Altitude: 545m
Elevation change: 300 m
Our final day began with rain! Lots and lots of rain! We broke camp having packed away some very sodden tents. Donning our best waterproof gear we left camp following the crooked path down to the narrow and precipitous bridge over the Syðri Emstruá river. Continue reading “The Laugavegur Icelandic Trek – Day 4”
Álftavatn – Emstrur (Botnar)
Distance: 16 km | Estimated traveling time: 6-7 hours | Max Altitude: 608 m
Elevation change: 40m
After yesterday’s long haul, today promised to be rather more pleasant and easy in comparison. First off we would make our way across the Brattháls hills and then head eastward towards the Hvanngil gorge. Eventually we would cross the Bratthálskvísl river on foot (a much anticipated and feared prospect), then further on the Kaldaklofskvísl river would be crossed by bridge, and finally the Bláfjallakvísl would be forded again on foot. One thing was for sure we were going to get wet today! Continue reading “The Laugavegur Icelandic Trek – Day 3”
Landmannalaugar – Álftavatn
Distance: 26.7 km | Estimated traveling time: 8-10 hours | Max Altitude: 1,063 m
Elevation change: 900 m
Today was the day that the trek would begin for real. As we slowly to the awoke morning we were greeted with a damp and cloudy start to the day.
Breakfast was gulped back, tents taken down and after a quick pre-trek briefing from our Arctic Adventures guide we broke camp, tentatively we took our first steps along the 55km trail. Within a few metres of starting out along the trail we Continue reading “The Laugavegur Icelandic Trek – Day 2”
“There can be no more compelling way to connect with a foreign land than to walk on the soil, sand and rock that comprises it’s landscape. Nor can there be any better way to meet the local people than to walk in their footsteps and among them, on their own terms, instead of being tied to roads, train-tracks and cityscapes.” – Andrew Mazibrada
With these thoughts echoing in my mind I boarded the plane for Iceland. Continue reading “The Laugavegur Icelandic Trek – Day 1”
JAMES HANDLON 