During the first two weeks of July 2023 Carolyn and I traveled to the land of ice and fire for an international backpacking adventure in Iceland. We explored two different and unique locations: Hornstrandir Nature reserve in the far northwest Westfjords, and Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails in the south central Highlands. Both locations were breathtaking with varied landscapes ranging from seaside cliffs and snow swept passes, to spectacular views of glaciers, geothermally active hillsides, and beautiful waterfalls.
This post will be broken up into three parts, the first describing our 6 day journey in the Hornstrandir preserve, the second our 4 day adventure on the Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails, and the third a logistical summary of visiting Iceland and these trails, including information on our route, maps, guidebooks, travel plans, etc., for anyone interested in doing one or both of these treks themselves and looking for how-to information. This will be a separate post.
Part 1: Hornstrandir
We flew out of Detroit on Saturday, July 1st and landed in Reykjavik the capital city of Iceland the following morning. After purchasing a SIM card we made our way to the FlyBus transfer bus which brought us into downtown Reykjavik. We had some time to kill before needing to go to the domestic airport for another flight, and we found a nice café and had some breakfast. After this, we walked around the city and saw a few noteworthy landmarks, including the famous Hallgrímskirkja church, which is the highest church in Iceland, and the second tallest structure in Iceland (only being beaten by Smáratorg Tower, on office and retail building, which is only 3.5 meters taller – guess they’ll just have to erect a bigger cross!).
After walking around we took a taxi to the domestic airport where we caught a short 40 minute flight to the small town of Ísafjörður. The town sits within a protected fjord in the northwest of Iceland. The first thing we noticed when we stepped off the plane was how cold and windy it was. I had been compulsively checking the weather all week to see what sort of conditions we were going to experience, but the predictions did not reflect the reality of how uninviting the weather felt: a cool 40 degrees (5 C), overcast sky, and a brisk 15 mph north wind coming straight off the ocean.
Once off the tarmac, we collected our checked bags and then loaded up into another bus that took us a quick 2 miles from the small airport to the town center and the hotel we had booked for the night. Once checked in, this marked the end of a long 20-hr travel day – but we had made it! We were soon to set off on our first adventure the following morning.
After a good nights rest, we organized gear, made last preparations, and then headed for breakfast. This would be our last hot meal for the next few days. The boat dock where we had booked a ferry to the preserve was a short walk from the hotel, so we proceeded there after breakfast and set off to Hornstrandir at 9:00 AM.
Hornstrandir preserve is only accessible by boat. It is located in the most northwestern portion of Iceland, jutting off like a peninsula of sorts into the North Atlantic, and is only a mere 3 miles south from the Arctic Circle, an area defined by average summer temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius (50 F). This would mark the most north we’d had ever been.
My compulsive weather checking showed a slightly meager forecast, temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s, with a considerable chance of rain showers and wind. Despite this, the weather was rather fair on the boat ride in, mid to upper 40s, and the sun was out, glistening over the sea and shining on the magnificent and towering cliffs.
The boat ride lasted about an hour and we landed in a small area called Heysteri on the south side of the reserve. There is a small information hut there, along with a café which had a few guest rooms. You do not need permits nor tell anyone where you are going on the preserve. You just get dropped off, and what you do is up to yourself. There was a map at the end of the dock, which identified the major trails through the reserve and campsites along the way. Some of the campsites had emergency shelters identified, should you get into trouble with the weather.
We started off west, along the shores of Heysteri, walking along the beach and then up into the dune grass. We eventually ascended up to a plateau and meandered along it, with views of the ocean and fjords to our left.
After 6 miles we crested a pass and descended back down to the shoreline to the small area of Saebol. A few homesteads are there, built before the area was designated a reserve, and serve as summer cottages for a handful of lucky individuals. If you ever just need to get away from it all, this is the place you go!
The route I had selected had us hiking to the north, around a cliff side. The tide was out low and there was not really a discernible path, so we proceeded hopping along the rocks until we could go no further. Off in the distance we saw a ladder, but had no idea how to reach it. We backtracked and started higher, but could not figure out the way through. We went back to Saebol and found a local person fishing the river and asked him if there was a way past the cliff, and he confirmed that there was, at low tide, and in broken English tried to describe it. Eventually we just gave up as the way through looked dangerous and we did not know what was on the other side, especially with the tide coming back in. In hindsight, I should have gotten more information on this route around the cliff before attempting it. I had seen other reports of people hiking the route so I figured it was no big deal – I’m sure it is possible, but this was a failure on my part.
Regardless, the weather was really nice, and we set up our tent at Saebol right near the shore. It was ideal, what you dream about in terms of a perfect campsite. The fact we could not proceed north was not too problematic. We could backtrack to Heysteri in the morning and proceed another way.
During the first week of July, there is no darkness in Iceland. The sun travels around the sky, dipping to the horizon, but never descending beneath it. 24 hour daylight is an odd thing to experience. It almost feels as if a day never ends, it just continues on, the sun circling above your head like a halo. Luckily, we brought along some eye masks, and they worked to some limited effect, but mostly hurt our ears and in the process and made us look like bugs.
The following morning was breezy and the sun was playing peekaboo with the clouds. We proceeded back the way we came and reached Heysteri around noon. At this point a strong wind was coming in from the north, with clouds that didn’t look the least bit inviting. We sat on a bench and had lunch near the café. We ran into the owner of the café and he asked where we were headed, and we indicated north to the next campsite at Hlodivuk. He told us some weather was coming in late, and mentioned the emergency huts, and offered us a safe hike.
After lunch we proceeded to ascend up to the pass. The way the area is structured is that you have fjords, and to reach the next fjords, you must climb into the mountains, and over a pass. We got a ways up the particular pass to the north and then it started to rain and the wind picked up. We rounded a bend and it continued to rain harder. We donned our rain gear and proceeded slowly into the storm. We got about 2 miles in before it turned even worse, and needed to decide if we should keep going 5 more miles (further up), or return to Heysteri. I’ve been in some pretty bad weather over the years on various hikes, but never before had I been caught in such a wind storm like this. Sustained winds were coming in at about 30-40 mph and with higher gusts, with a driving rain and very limited visibility. Temperatures were steady in the mid thirties Fahrenheit (2 Celsius). The path is marked by large cairns and they were beginning to get harder to see. We were making very slow progress in these conditions. My rain pants had soaked through, and it was starting to get colder. Our rain ponchos weren’t doing anything constructive for us, either, proving to be a hindrance rather than an asset as they thrashed in the wind (more on how dumb ponchos are in Iceland in Part 3).
After stopping behind a large boulder to take respite from the oncoming gales, we decided that the safe thing to do was to turn around and attempt this part once the storm had passed the next day.
So again, for a second time, we backtracked down to Heysteri. Once back at the camp area, we proceeded to erect the tent in some pretty bad conditions. I was glad we brought a true four season tent with us – it was easy to erect in the wind, and worth the added weight. What we normally bring would have provided a true test. (More thoughts on this in Part 3). Eventually we were able to get out of wet clothes and into warm sleeping bags. It was a memorable afternoon, to say the least.
The next morning the rain had stopped and the wind receded some. Looking up to the pass it was shrouded in clouds, and didn’t look appealing. We had been humbled the day before and we were now feeling a bit timid. The forecast was calling for some rain, so we debated on whether to continue or stay, and eventually decided to stay one more night in Heysteri. There was another trail we could do a day hike on in a different direction, so we decided to do that instead with lighter packs, leaving the tent pitched in the camping area. We were rewarded with a variety of great waterfalls and scenery, so our hesitation to stay was fruitful. We also stopped into the café for a hot tea and cinnamon roll after our day hike, not a terrible way to spend an hour!
The weather was a bit better the following day and we ventured forward. The wind had died down significantly and visibility was better. The hike was amazing through the high plateau like areas and over the pass, hitting a bit of snow and fog crossing near the top before going down the other side. We descended down to Hloduvik and walked along a beautiful beach, only to ascend a steep grade again and over another pass to the Höfn area.
At the end of the day’s hike there was a steep section with rope to aid in both going up and going down. It was a little scary, but turned out to be not so bad.
Right before the campsite we saw a family of Arctic fox. They are the only mammals in the region and live near the cliff sides, living on fish from the sea and stealing bird eggs.
The following morning we had a shorter hike back out to Veidileysufjordur (try saying that three times fast, or better yet, even once!), which would be our last camp spot before getting picked up there by a ferry boat the next morning. We were able to talk with a park ranger before setting off, and learned a bit about the area. He explained that sometimes polar bears get trapped on sea ice from Greenland and find their way to Hornstrandir. The last time this happened was in the early 2010s (I don’t remember the exact date). The environment agency monitors the sea ice for this, flying helicopters overhead. Unfortunately in the rare event a bear gets trapped, it must be euthanized before it makes landfall on Iceland. In the past, bears also had the opportunity to walk across ice bridges that had connected Greenland to Iceland, but this hasn’t happened since the early 1900s, as the climate is no longer cold enough.
After cresting the pass, we were presented with a very steep snow section down the south facing side. It was not particularly fun, as a slip would send you sliding down an embankment towards not fun times. We took our time, descending slowly, eventually reaching a point where we could safely glissade down to solid ground.
The reminder of the hike was a gradual downhill, and near the bottom, we passed by a crew doing trail work. The tent area here was another magnificent spot, and the sun had decided to turn up, just as we were winding down the trip. It is strange how weather can dictate your enjoyment of a trip to such a degree. But all things aside, we really only had one afternoon of hard rain, so I suppose we should count ourselves lucky. That wind though…
On the next morning, the boat came to collect us, and we said goodbye to the beautiful reserve. It was a inhospitable place at times, but it did have a lot of splendor. We did not do the route we envisioned, and we were not able to get to the Horn, which is supposed to be a highlight, but we had an adventure nonetheless, and experienced a location that was truly special and unique. If you enjoy backpacking, this is definitely a 100% bucket-list hike.
Intermission
One of the best feelings in the world is getting back to civilization after being in the woods for nearly a week. This was especially true when we returned back to Isafjordor. We tried checking into the hotel first, but were too early, so did the next best thing and grabbed something to eat nearby. Interestingly enough, there are surprising number of ethnic options in Isafjordor, such as a Thai Restaurant and a Kebab place. Since we had Thai the first night in town, we opted for the Kebab option this go around, and it was simply delightful. Much better than instant mashed potatoes and tuna packets.
After lunch we were able to check back into the hotel, take showers, and put on some clean, cotton clothes. By the time we were done it was time for dinner, and we made our way to a local restaurant called Husid. We ordered the “fish of the day”, which on this specific day was salted cod, and were pleasantly delighted with a truly excellent meal. Paired with a refreshing Icelandic based pilsner, it was a worthy celebratory dinner after surviving for 6 days almost inside the Arctic Circle.
The following morning we made our return trip back to Reykjavik. We had one day there to get ready for the next adventure on the Laugavegur. And when I mean “get ready” all I mean is that we did laundry and ate food. We did stop into the local gear store, however, on a small diversion from eating, to pick up some better rain pants which we felt we needed after our experience in Hornstrandir.
Part 2: Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trails
The next morning we were well rested and ready for our next adventure. After checking the weather, it seemed like this time we would have a bit better luck. Some rain was forecast on the first night, but the rest of the week looked decent, and the temperatures looked to be much warmer than Hornstrandir (10-15 Celsius, or 50-60 Fahrenheit). Of course, one should always take an Icelandic weather forecast with a tablespoon worth of salt, as it’s notoriously unpredictable and fickle, but having at least a decent chance of the weather being good brightened our mood as we set off again into the wilderness.
We had booked a shuttle bus to take us out to the Highlands, a region near the south central portion of Iceland, knowns for it’s more mountainous terrain, including a few glaciers. What we didn’t know was how bumpy and long the ride would be. Once off Highway 1, we traversed a series of backroads through what I can only describe as a volcanic nothing-land. We drove through deep rivers, up and over hills, and bounced along rocks and sand. It was a relief to finally arrive an Landmannalauger, which is the starting point of the Laugavegur.
The Laugavegur is a 54 km (33 miles) hiking trail that connects the areas of Landmannalauger to Þórsmörk. It was devised in the early 1960s by the Icelandic Touring Association as a way to connect several areas into a multi-day hike. Through the 60’s and 70’s infrastructure was constructed, such as bridges and huts, as well as trail building and marking. The first 4-day tour of the trek occurred in 1978, and ever since the trail has increased in popularity.
The Laugavegur is the most popular backpacking route in Iceland. And after hiking this trail it is easy to understand why. It is an absolutely beautiful trek with incredible variety in scenery, ranging from geothermally active hillsides, snow swept peaks, volcanic rock and ash that give the impression you are walking on the surface of the moon, and glimpses of not one, but two, towering glacier capped volcanoes. It is a real treat.
Between Landmannalauger to Þórsmörk there are a variety of huts that break up the trail into sections. The huts are fairly big and can accommodate many hikers, but you can also camp at each of the huts without prior reservation, and that is what we did.
Our first day out of Landmannalauger was a mostly an uphill 6-mile (10 km) trek to the Hrafntinnusker area, which sits in the middle of a pass close to 1,000 meters. The day was magnificent with scenery that was genuinely breathtaking. However, as we kept ascending higher and higher, the clouds had rolled in which led to us hiking in fog following yellow pillars that guided the way so we wouldn’t get off course. As we were nearing the pass at Hrafntinnusker, we started hearing thunder and saw large storm clouds not too far away. Luckily we were able to arrive at camp and set up our tent before it started downpouring and gusting wind. As you will see in the photo, this campsite is quite unique as they had built dozens of these stone-walled campsites to presumably block out some of the wind.
The following day we set out to hike to the Botnar hut and camping area which was a 16.5 miles (26 KM) away. We passed through a variety of unique scenery, including the hut and camping area Álftavatn, which sits a on a large lake, and Hvanngil which is one of the smaller huts that we saw. When we arrived at Botnar it was a tent city. The hut and camping area are built on this knoll with a small stream running through it. There are a few places to camp, but most of the spots had already been taken. There were likely 50 or more tents and it proceeded to be a struggle to find an open flat spot. Eventually we found something that would work, way down this hill and far away from the restrooms. The restrooms they had at all the huts were pretty nice regardless of the amount of people. However, I did see a woman (and then, her husband, right after her) stick her foot in the outside sink to wash her feet off. The same sink everybody is supposed to use to collect their drinking water and wash all their dirty camp dishes. Luckily, I got water before this before this event unfolded.
We had a pleasant evening and the following morning we packed up to get an early start. We started pretty early the previous day and realized that if you were one of the first ones out, you’d have the trail to yourself for a little while. The Laugavegur, although beautiful, is very popular and you are constantly seeing people all the time, which can be a little annoying.
Our 3rd and final day on the Laugavegur brought us closer to the two glacier capped Volcanoes that we had been seeing in the distance the past few days. Mýrdalsjökull sits to the east while Eyjafjallajökull sits just to the west. Both are active volcanoes with Eyjafjallajökull erupting fairly recently in 2010. This was the eruption that you probably heard on the news that disrupted air travel throughout Europe and blocked out daylight. Apparently not being able to see was the least of some Icelanders worries, as people needed to evacuate their homes due to the potential flooding from the glacier that was now covered in lava. Mýrdalsjökull last erupted in 1918, and scientists have predicted that it will erupt every 40-80 years. There isn’t any indication currently that it is soon to erupt.
We had to ford a few rivers, some that were moving pretty swiftly. It reminded me of all the river crossings we had to do when we hiked the PCT in 2016. They weren’t too bad but the water pretty cold since it was coming directly from a glacier.
We finished the Laugavegur in Þórsmörk after a 10 mile (16 km) hike. The last bit of trail actually had a small birch tree forest. The trees were not very tall but it gave the impression of hiking through the woods. Eventually we arrived at the end of the Laugavegur and were able to enjoy a celebratory orange pop and can of Pringles as we looked over the Krossa river and the glaciers beyond.
We ended our day about a mile further to the north at another campsite called Basar. Once off the Laugavegur there were much less hikers. It was a nice spot surrounded by trees and it was the first time we both felt a bit protected from the Icelandic wind. We were a little sad this was our last night camping in the tent, but were excited to have one more big day as we traveled the remaining 17 miles to Skogar and the ending point to our adventure.
We woke up to nice blue skies and warmer temperatures. The final leg of our hike was on the Fimmvörðuháls, which was going to take us 17 miles (27 km) up a pass between both of the Volcanoes and down the other side where there were several magnificent waterfalls. It was one of those hikes that I’ll remember for a long time and it was probably the highlight of the entire trip. The passage was not fret with dangers, however, as one section had us meandering around an exposed cliff edge that had a rope and chain to hold onto. A slip and fall would send you to certain death, and I tried not to look down or look back at Carolyn without freaking out (we both do okay with a little exposure, but we were certainly out of our comfort zones here). In the end it wasn’t too bad, but it certainly got the blood pumping.
Once we reached the pass we saw remnants of the volcanic aftermath and hiked over cooled lava stones. There are two small peaks called Mondi and Modi which were created during the 2010 eruption and they were interesting to observe: red and black sand among a bed of ash and snow. We eventually made it to a hut that rests just beyond the pass on the other side, and we stopped there to have lunch with an impressive view of the ocean far out in the distance.
On our descent down to Skogar we were rewarded with views of impressive waterfalls too numerous to count. This is a popular day hike and as we got closer to the bottom, we started to run into more and more people. We finished up late afternoon at an impressive waterfall called Skogafoss amidst a mass of tourists, including Instagram models trying to get that one perfect picture while precariously dangling over a cliff edge, and people wearing rain coats trying to get as close as they could to the waterfall.
I had reserved a room at the hotel right near the falls, and it was nice to get inside and cleaned up after spending the last 4 days hiking. We had a celebratory dinner at the restaurant at the hotel with views of Skogafoss in the background. It was a pleasant way to end a great adventure and the only thing that would have made it better was if we could keep hiking on. However, like all good things, they eventually have to end, but it isn’t too bad looking forward to getting home to the things you’ve left behind, like a soft bed, a hot cup of tea, and the nice northern woods and lakes of Michigan. The adventure of life continues to roll on no matter where you find yourself, but it’s nice to go on an adventure every once and a while to experience something completely new. And Iceland was certainly that.
