Iceland: The Laugavegur Trail
The Laugavegur Trail is the longest hiking trail in Iceland and also one of the most popular. The landscape is breathtaking, cutting across rhyolite mountains, hot springs and lava fields. Hikers embarking on this journey will spend the night at a variety of campsites and basic, but clean huts with shared accommodations. Depending on your pace, it takes anywhere from 3 to 4 days to walk the length of the trail.
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Day 6 on Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail: Reflections on My Last Day in the Valley of Thor
All good things must come to an end. Lest we forget to appreciate them. Our final morning in Thórsmörk began—finally—with a leisurely coffee and the bacon and eggs we’d all been craving since our Laugavegur Trail adventure began. We had to check out of our room by 10am. So we all made sure to have our things packed and outside the huts before breakfast. Once done it was time for one last short hike. More of a walk really. But what a walk. Up a steep hill it was for one last magnificent view of the surrounding area. Then a quick jaunt to a super cool spot called the singing…
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Day 5 on Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail: An easy day….Just please don’t fall off the cliff.
Our guide went MIA today. Well kinda sorta. This morning we were all moving slow. After yesterday evening’s festivities having officially completed the Laugavegur Trail no one was in a rush to get up. Especially since we are spending another night here and didn’t have to go through our usual packing routine. When we finally all got our acts together it became clear our guide was nowhere to be found. The other group was happily cooking bacon and eggs while we were still trying to sort out coffee. As it turns out Hákon has some tummy troubles. The really bad kind. When he finally did make an appearance this morning…
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Day 4: One trail ends…another begins
I’m Writing this a day late. Mostly beause I was having too much fun yesterday. Which is a good thing. The Laugavegur Trail is officially complete. The next two days will be for day hikes in the area of Thorsmork where we are now. We hiked about ten miles in mostly rolling terrain. While there was, like yesterday, some walking through black sand plains, we also walked through our first Icelandic forest. Yes! There are forests in Iceland. Though definitely not what we think of. You see, while hundreds of years ago Iceland was about 40% tree covered most of those trees have disappeared. There is, very little vegetation here.…
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Day 3: Ice cold river crossings and a whole lotta black sand
I’ve never slept in a bunk bed in my life. Tonight that’s going to change. I’m lying on the top of a six mattress bunk. I kid you not. Thankfully two are free so there is room to stretch out. Such luxury. Especially after the two ice-cold river crossings we had to do today. So what’s the big deal with these river crossings I keep harping on? Well they’re kind of fun. But they also take a heck of a lot more time than they should. Why? Well because you can’t just walk through in your regular footwear or you’d end up hiking in wet boots and socks. Not good. So…
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Day 2: The Land of Fire and Ice
I’m writing this a day late, as I lie inside my sleeping bag—my roommates beginning to stir inside our little mountain hut. There are clothes hanging everywhere, including from an improvised clothes line devised last night in an effort to get our soaked clothes to dry. Our first official day on the Laugavegur trail was nothing short of epic. At fifteen miles long it is billed as the longest and hardest day of the trek, including well over 3,000 feet of elevation gain. The first half was stunning, breathtaking, otherworldly, all those adjectives commonly ascribed to Iceland, a country who’s landscape changes in the blink of an eye. As does…
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Day 1: Hiking the Laugavegur Trail and then some…
I’m sitting at a picnic table with my toothbrush sitting next to me, looking at one of the most stunning views Mother Nature could have devised. Located at the very start of the 55-kilometer Laugavegur trail in Iceland, the huts we are staying at are quite basic. There is no electricity. Just solar power. Bathrooms and showers are in a separate building. Our rooms are mixed dorms for about 16 people. To say we are quite cozy is an understatement. But I’ve always said, if there is something I really really want to do, I will do what needs to be done to go there. I’ve not always been that…
