Laugavegur Trail: Day 1

(Landmannalaugar to Hvanngil)

Since we opted to forgo yesterday’s planned hike to Hrafntinnusker, we decided to combine our day 1 and day 2 hikes and go directly to Hvanngil, a long 17.2 mi (27.8 km) away. Fortunately the weather was forecast to be partly cloudy with light wind… a marked improvement from yesterday!

After a warm breakfast prepared over our camp stoves, we broke down our tents, repacked our gear, and began our long day with a nice uphill climb out of Landmannalaugar. We beat the rush out to the trail and enjoyed the solitude of having the trail to ourselves for awhile.

As the hike progressed it was quickly apparent that the land around us was alive with geothermal activity. The smell of sulfur was prevalent and all around us plumes of steam rose from holes in the ground called fumaroles. The steam forms when groundwater is heated by magma rock. We even encountered one fumarole that was gushing boiling water!

Another indication of the volcanic history of the landscape was seemingly endless fields of shiny black obsidian ( a glassy igneous rock formed when lava cools very quickly) and variegated hillsides showing rich mineral deposits in an array of colors. The challenge of the terrain was mitigated by the stunning and widely varying landscapes all around us.

By late morning, we reached our halfway point for the day Hrafntinnusker Hut, which was initially planned to be our first night camp. Instead we enjoyed a nice lunch at a virtually deserted camp. But, the few people we talked to over the course of the day who had spent the previous night at Hrafntinnusker, said the conditions were absolutely miserable at this high, barren camp outpost. The info underscored in our minds that we had made the right decision to delay our start the previous day.

After lunch we geared up for the remaining 9.8 mi (15.8 km) to our camp for the night, Hvanngil. The morning hike was mostly uphill, the next section featured a series of steep up and downs as we moved across the barren lava field. Finally we reached our long, steep descent on broken rocks into the rich green moss covered valley below. A panoramic look around revealed glaciers off in the distance, mineralized slopes, and the beginnings of moss covered volcanic terrain and sparse grasses and flowers.

At the bottom of the steepest section, we encountered our first river crossing. To prepare, we removed our boots and socks, put on our water shoes, hiked up our pant legs, and carefully crossed the knee deep, ice cold river. Fortunately there was a convenient rope to hold onto while we made it across. The cold water felt good on our feet which, by this point, had endured many miles of rough terrain.

We briefly stopped at the lakeside Álftavatn Camp, before heading out for the final 3.8 km to our camp for the night, Hvanngil. After another river crossing and rolling terrain, we descended into the bucolic campsite where we would spend our second night. I can’t imagine a better camp…the moss covered ground was soft and dry, and the views of the sharply rising green hills and distant Slétjökull Glacier were breathtaking!

At last, our long first day of hiking was over and we were able to relax and enjoy dinner while visiting with hikers and campers from many different countries.