Iceland: The Land of Fire and Ice

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Author’s Note: Our group of 3 intrepid hikers has just completed 4 days of hiking in Iceland (3 days on the Laugavegur Trail and 1 day on the Fimmvörðuháls Trail. In the coming days there will be a series of postings about our adventure. But first…

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Day 0 (Preamble and Getting There):

A long awaited adventure in Iceland has begun. Located in the North Atlantic, just south of the Arctic Circle, the land is dominated by the forces that created it, lava and ice. In fact the vast majority of the land is covered by sprawling glaciers and lava fields, features we would become very familiar with in the coming days.

The trip was conceived in the winter of 2023 by one of my traveling partners, Chris. He determined that for his own sanity, he needed a break that allowed him to unplug for a bit and commune with nature. Having previously traveled to Iceland, he mentioned a desire to backpack the famous Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trails.

In December 2023 he approached me, knowing that I would soon be retiring, and asked if I’d be interested in joining him… with an important caveat: I would do the initial trip planning and coordination. Since I knew my calendar would be open for the near future, I eagerly agreed and began to research info about the trails, logistics, and timing. Afterall, it was opportunity to explore the vast empty expanses of Iceland and experience something most visitors never get to see.

In the intervening months we invited another friend, Phil, and began planning in earnest. Fast forward to mid-August 2024, and all the planning and coordination has been completed. Early in the morning of 15 August, the three of us, bleary-eyed from an overnight flight, landed in Keflavik. Although the airport is located well outside of Iceland’s capital of Reykjavík, it was very easy to find bus transport for the 45 minute trip into the city where we would catch our afternoon bus to the Laugavegur trailhead at Landmannalaugar.

At the main BSI bus station in Reykjavík, we got our backpacks in order, purchased butane gas canisters for our camp stoves (since they are prohibited for air travel), and stowed our post-hike gear and luggage in a long-term locker.

Our afternoon bus to the trail would be departing at 12:30 pm from Reykjavik City Hall located about a mile from the BSI terminal. To get there we decided a little warmup hike was in order and promptly hefted our 42 lb packs and started walking. Along the way we successfully managed to avoid getting run over by a class of approximately 20 elementary kids and two teachers who were riding their bikes in a circuit along the same route we were taking.

After relaxing for about 2 hours inside City Hall, our bus arrived promptly as scheduled. We stowed our packs and settled in for the 4 hour drive to the start of the Laugavegur trail, half of it on rough backroads through lava fields. As the trip progressed the weather took a decidedly nasty turn with a steady cold rain and hash wind.

Our original plan was to get to Landmannalaugar and immediately begin our hike to the next campsite at Hrafntinusker, about 12 km (6.4 mi) away. Due to the wind and rain, we instead decided to camp at the Landmannalaugar trailhead. After paying for a tent site, we struggled to quickly erect our tents to avoid getting more wet than we already were. The entire camp was a muddy mess, so once the tents were ready, it was time to call it a day.

The steady wind and rain throughout the night really tested the integrity of our lightweight backpacking tents. Fortunately, we all survived the night perhaps a little worse for wear, but we woke to dry weather and a clear forecast.