Laugavegur

Laugavegur is certainly the best known and most popular trek in Iceland. This last point dissuaded me for a long time from exploring it, but Laugavegur is also the trek of many superlatives in terms of landscapes. You know what people say about those who do not change their mind … It would have been a shame not to discover this legendary path during our last trip to Iceland. 55km in an incredible setting to discover with us.

We quickly reach the fumarole on the heights of Landmannalaugar. This is followed by a short but intense climb which allows you to reach the top of the hill. The landscapes that await us always reveal themselves as rich in color!

Volcanic formations sometimes create strange shapes. We come across one evoking a dinosaur or dragon skeleton – which fits very well with the decor and the atmosphere elsewhere.

The path continues following the crest of the hills. The wind has risen since we passed the small pass. The temperature has dropped well, we are also a bit humid since there is also mist. Here, impossible to protect yourself from the wind because there are no trees or bushes; just rockery as far as the eye can see.

Fortunately, the path is well marked otherwise we would quickly get lost. Temperatures continue to drop and time to turn bad.

We manage to shelter as best we can in a trench enough to eat a little bit and put on big gloves and protect the bag from the drizzle.

A little further we will come across small fumaroles just next to the path. It’s a chance to be able to see this kind of phenomenon so closely.

Quickly we arrive on a plateau which is lost endlessly in the fog. It is getting more and more stuffy. There are almost no more colors, we see life in black and white. Even if you don’t have the views you want, the atmosphere is great. You feel good in the heart of wild Iceland. We meet few people and that’s good because I was a little afraid of the crowd.

The few hikers we see, look more like shadows than real people.

A few more snowfields to cross and here we are with a view to the Hrafntinnusker refuge. The 12km will have been fast because we were not idle given the weather.

It also seems to be getting worse and worse, which is confirmed by the person at the reception of the refuge. The rain arrives and will force in the evening, the wind will keep him strong. Tomorrow’s weather looks horrible.

We had planned to bivouac but we change our minds. First of all, the bivouac area is not very attractive, while rocky and in the wind, the weather does not encourage you to stay outside. We are not there to perform but to enjoy walking. Luckily there are 2 places left! We take them even if the 130 € note hurts a little …

We are the first to arrive with a lovely retired Canadian couple. We sit on a double berth before we cook to warm up. The refuge is nice and clean. There are two large dormitories and a kitchen with all the necessary equipment.

The afternoon will be dedicated to observing the outdoors (especially small birds fighting against the wind), chatting with hikers who arrive drop by drop and resting.

Meal time will be hectic since everyone cooks almost at the same time but at least it warms the atmosphere.

We will sleep well tonight because, luckily, there are no snorers with us. It is in our interest to rest well because the day of tomorrow is going to be terrible …

This day will be remembered as one of the worst we have experienced hiking from a weather point of view … There will be no photo on this day of walking because we did not want to damage the appliances. Anyway we would have had monochrome white as a photo …

The awakening is almost collective around 7am. Everyone is watching the weather outside because it is supposed to get better in the morning but for now it is rain, fog and very strong wind. Nobody hurries. We make a rich breakfast in order to store calories.

9 am … The weather has not changed … The groups are starting to prepare. Motivated by this emulation, we also set off. Final adjustments outside. We directly took out the big artillery to protect us from the rain (poncho, rain pants for Hélène, …).

We attack! The wind comes to us from the rear left (big drop!) It is so strong that it bothers us to walk. Sometimes the gusts (in the 100kmh surely) deport us by a few steps … The whole thing is accompanied by an almost horizontal rain which only wets us on the left but which lashes the face. Landscapes, we only see the general shape. The path follows a succession of small hills.

Despite these particularly harsh conditions, we are living in a great moment because we are doing good things against bad luck and we are laughing at all this! We seek in our complicity the energy to move forward and it works! Fortunately for us, we have suitable equipment; we meet certain groups in canvas sneakers and without real protection against the rain, apart from comfort we can quickly border on danger …

The kilometers pass under always equivalent conditions. At the end of this long plateau, we begin the descent which leads us to the real difficulty of the day: the first ford!

We join him quickly. It is not very wide, at most 8m but the flow is strong and the water level reaches the knees! The idea of ​​crossing a river whose water is at 4 ° C is never cheerful but with this wind and the rain I admit that you have to look far to find motivation. The simplest and that is what we do, is to turn off the brain and go. I’ll go first. When you enter the water you have a feeling of cold but it’s okay, it is after 10 / 15s that the pain arrives, sharp and violent! When you get out of the water it goes in 30s but at the time it is really not pleasant. Hélène follows me, for her the pain is even worse I think but she overcomes the difficulty and arrives on the other side. There follows a little apocalypse moment because we have to get dressed in the rain and in the wind with the ponchos in the face, trying in vain to dry our feet … This first wading was epic for us. conditions and will remain in memory.

We only have a few kilometers to Álftavatn where we will resume the night in a refuge because we are still very wet after a day like this and it is no use playing “heroes”. The refuge will also be transformed into a giant clothes line because everyone arrives soaked (at different levels). We will spend the afternoon resting, warming up and above all chatting with Adin and Amélie, a very nice French couple that we will see again in Paris.

The weather will be a little milder at the end of the day, the wind will be just as strong but it will not rain any more. This will allow some stuff to dry outside in the wind.

What a day ! Too bad we couldn’t take pictures of the walk. Like another day like this during a previous Sarek trek, this one will remain in our memory like Mordor! We will sleep well tonight anyway. Tomorrow’s day promises to be better, because the sun must return.

Laugavegur is not difficult in itself but the weather is really the hard point. Plan ahead and go equipped!

We had a good idea to choose the night in a refuge. We wake up rested and ready for a new day. The icing on the cake it is beautiful this morning!

The preparation is therefore done in a serene and relaxed atmosphere. Most of our things have even had time to dry out. Only the shoes are still wet.

We say see you soon at Amélie and Adin and we take the road towards Emstrur. What a pleasure to be able to enjoy the beauty of Laugavegur and its landscapes.

The huge Mýrdalsjökull glacier is visible in the distance. This mass of ice is already impressive but it is nothing next to the Vatnajökull …

The trail quickly leads to the first ford of the day. We approach the obstacle with much lightness that yesterday saw the sun. The river has a very different physiognomy: unlike that of the previous day, it is wide and relatively shallow. The crossing is nevertheless painful because the water is still as cold …

We continue our journey in a landscape which opens more and more. The soil is becoming increasingly black with ash and slag. The landscapes have another profile, just as beautiful.

We pass by the site of Hvanngil, a small refuge which offers bivouac areas more pleasant than Alftavatn. The path then attacks an immense plain with a lunar landscape: just sand, flat, some plants struggling to survive and lots of space. It is a beautiful place.

Shortly before Hvanngil, a second ford awaits us. It is particularly wide but does not pose any major difficulty for us. We are getting used to it.

Although this portion of the Laugavegur is beautiful, it becomes monotonous at the end because it is really long … The exit from the plain is by a sort of “door” marked by rocky hills to the west. The path retains the same appearance but offers very beautiful views of the Eyjafjallajökull.

The path is no longer very long until Emstrur but the landscapes are still as beautiful. There are only shades of black and ocher, punctuated with green touches sometimes.

Emstrur is located in the hill and offers a beautiful view of the Mýrdalsjökull. There are some hard dwellings to spend the night but the site also offers bivouac areas which are rather pleasant although dense. As the weather is rather optimistic we will spend the night in a tent.

It is a pleasant site and the weather is nice and even good if you protect yourself from the wind.

I will take advantage of the end of the afternoon to fly the drone in order to take some aerial photos.

This day will have been superb as much by the landscapes as by the weather. We will still have a few drops in the evening but nothing bad. We are already attacking the last day tomorrow …

Just 15 more kilometers and we will have reached our goal : Þórsmörk. We will start the day by reading the safety instructions in the event of a blowout as we enter the Katla area.

The Laugavegur, meanwhile, looks like what we could walk yesterday, that is to say a soil composed of dark sand and slag. We will first pass through a sort of valley carved out by the melting water of the glacier. This then takes us to the heights, which allows us to enjoy the view.

The terrain presents no difficulty. Just let yourself be carried away while admiring the landscapes. The Laugavegur will then gradually descend to the huge area where many glacial rivers meet. The landscape opens towards the west as you go, which allows you to guess the sea in the distance.

Without being ugly, it is not the most interesting portion of Laugavegur. Note however the gradual reappearance of trees.

The path then crosses a river thanks to a bridge over an impressive gorge before climbing on the top of the hill. From there we descend to join the 4th and last ford of the trek.

It is particularly wide and deep to the knees. It is done in 2 steps which allows to recover a little in the middle. Caution is advised as there is quite a bit of flow.

We are almost there ! The end of the path is really of little interest because it follows a kind of big track. Remarkable fact: we live in a forest which is particularly rare in Iceland!

Tonight we will sleep in Langidalur. I do not recommend Husadalur because the view is less pleasant. We will arrive at our destination in the early afternoon. It is a pretty, well-kept site, and above all it offers a marvelous view of Þórsmörk and the surrounding glaciers.

Here we are, the trek is finished. The afternoon will pass under a bright sun which will do us a lot of good. Everything will be enhanced by a small bottle of wine bought at a high price to celebrate!

There are beautiful hikes to do from Langidalur, including the ascent of Tindjöll.

We take the bus tomorrow towards Reykjavi and then continue our trip to Iceland.

Although it is a particularly well-known and popular trek, the Laugavegur nevertheless deserves the superlatives that we know; as much for its landscapes which are marvelous and changing from one day to another but also for its weather which will put your resistance to the test. This last point should not be overlooked. Even if some people have 4 days of good weather others can have 4 ugly days! Later during our stay, the Laugavegur was even closed due to the too difficult weather, that is to say!

If you hesitate for your next trip: go ahead, the Laugavegur will mark you and create lasting memories.