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| SNOW BRIDGE OVER BRASHAGAKVISI RIVER |
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| FUMEROLES AND RHYOLITE MOUNTAINS |
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| DEEP SNOW IN PLACES |
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| CLASSIC PICTURE OF RHYOLITE MOUNTAINS |
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| FRACTURED SNOWFIELD NEAR HRAFNTINNUSKER HUT |
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| RESTING NEAR BLAHNUKUR MOUNTAIN |
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| DIMITRI NEAR THE HOT POOL |
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| CANADIANS JERRY, BOBBIE AND LEAH AT LANDMANNALAUGAR |
The part of the Laugavegur Trail I am walking today is usually regarded as two sections, each of about 7.5 miles, with an overnight stop at the Hrafntinnusker hut at 1,100m. However it would undoubtedly be a cold night at this altitude. It seemed to me that doing both sections in one day should still involve less effort in terms of both distance and climbing than the Fimmvorduhals Trail that I completed on the first day of this trek.
Besides, I am running out of food and there isn't any available until I get to Landmannalaugar.
After about an hour of walking I reached the Brashagakvisl river where I had expected to have to remove my boots to cross. However, there was snow bridging most of it so I carefully used this to get to the other side. I could hear the river below my feet as I trod, and there were holes in the snow where it was getting thin. I didn't get too close to them.
Almost immediately the path started to incline steeply upwards. I turned round to get a last glimpse of Alftavatn lake before it disappeared from view in the haze. The climb was relentless and every time I thought I had reached the top, another higher hill appeared beyond. Eventually I reached a bit of a plateau and the pungent odour of sulphur hit my nostrils. I had reached an area I had previously seen only in photographs, with several fumeroles spitting and steaming nearby and yellow/orange/red rhyolite mountains beyond. It was an incredible sight and it took time to take it all in.
As I climbed higher the random patches of snow turned into huge snowfields which took me an hour to cross. I could see the Hrafntinnusker hut ahead of me, but it seemed to take an age to reach it. The sun had come out, so when I did get there I stopped to eat the last of my food and put on sunscreen. There were tent pitches around the hut - flat bottomed hollows dug into the snow - but no tents. Where snow wasn't present, the ground was littered with obsidian glistening in the sunshine.
The Hrafntinnusker hut is at the highest point of the day's walk, so the next snowfield was on an easy downward slope. I went past several more fumeroles and the scenery continued to take my breath away as different rock formations and colours came into view.
Soon I reached Brennisteinsalda, a mountain that overlooks Landmannalaugar, and couldn't resist climbing it to enjoy the huge panorama. The last mile of the walk involved a rapid descent, then a clamber through the sprawling lavafields of Laugahraun until I reached the Landmannalaugar hut.
The large area around the hut was filled with tents, but not so much that I couldn't squeeze mine in too. This is a popular area for daywalkers as well as long distance hikers on the Laugavegur Trail.
I bumped into Steve and Clare again, and they boiled me some water so I could have a cup of tea (I always bring a cup and a few teabags when backpacking - just in case). They would be going back to Reykjavik today, whereas I chose to stay another night. We said our goodbyes and I pitched my tent. Almost immediately the rain started.
I remembered that one reason for finishing the trail at Landmannalaugar was because of the natural hot pool. Deciding that this would be the ideal place to be in the rain, I donned my swimming trunks and took a dip. Another chap I had seen on the trail, Dimitri, was already there and we congratulated each other on successfully completing it.
It was still raining when I got out, and getting cold too, so I had a hot soup at the Mountain Mall mobile food shop before retiring to my tent for the night.
Next morning the rain had desisted but the tent was still wet, so I left it up to dry out while I took a stroll up the 945m high Blahnukur mountain, the closest significant hill to the campsite. It was a steep climb really, but it seemed so much easier without the heavy rucksack. The mountain also seemed to be made of green sand!!! - but the views from the top were spectacular, of course. The photographs describe things so much better than I can.
The bus back to Reykjavik was due to leave at 1.30pm, but my rucksack and tent were packed a good hour before that. I spent my remaining time in Landmannalaugar enjoying mushroom soup at the Mountain Mall whilst swopping travel stories with Jerry, Bobbie and Leah from Alberta, Canada.
I had completed my walking adventure in four days instead of the six I had allowed. This was due to me unexpectedly being able to start from Skogar on the same day I arrived (I hadn't realised that there would be such an early bus), plus completing the last two sections in one day. Finally, there had been no episodes of seriously bad weather that might have prevented me walking for a day (or more).
I said my farewells to my newly-made Canadian friends and stepped onto the bus, wondering if the Bus Hostel might be able to accommodate me for an additional two nights. With no communications on the trail, I had been unable to contact them.
