The Iceland Traverse - Day 15 / Laugavegur Trail -Day 1

We were back on trail and starting the most exciting part of the trip. The famous Laugavegur trail. We weren't going to be short of company on this section as lots of people were hiking hut to hut. It was a slow start that morning. We had breakfast in a little shelter provided at the huts and set off on the trail. It started as a steep climb through volcanic rock and steaming pools of water and strong smelling sulphury vents. Up and over small mountain passes stopping occasionally to enjoy the view back down to Landmannalagar. The climb took us up all the way to Brennisteinsalda peak where the snow still laid thick on the ground but slushy and wet making us sink in, soaking our feet in icy cold water. The rain started to fall and clouds lowered down hiding the magnificent view. As it turned out, this was going to be a bit of a theme of this section of the trail. 

We continued, through the snow, the rain and the wind. I was buzzing. A feel of excitement flooded over me. I felt like I was back on an adventure again. We were hiking fast, feeling good and really enjoying the scenery, even shrouded in clouds. We came upon Hafntinnusker hut at kilometre 10.2. The hut warden directed us to a small outlying cabin built for people to rest, cook and dry out their clothes. We were over 1000m of elevation so it was icy cold outside and patches of snow still lay around the cabin. I opened the door and the heat hit me. There were no heaters inside, but the heat came off bodies and stoves, the drying of damp clothes all sealed in the cabin. Many people in there were having breakfast getting ready for their days hiking to the next hut. We went in, shut the door and slipped and pushed our way through the masses of people inside. We found a spot on a bench in the corner. The table was damp from lingering sweat that hung in the air. Our coats were hung behind us next to a window thick with condensation. There was no chance of anything drying off in here.

We had a quick snack break and studied the people around us. People carrying enough clothes to survive an arctic winter, some packing just enough to make it to the next hut. Dehydrated meals next to stoves of bubbling whole foods. Every kind of backpacker all in one place. One hundred ideas of how to do the something, bonding over our love of the outdoors. It really doesn't matter how you do it, it matters that you enjoy doing it.  

We slipped our way back out into the freezing wind. It was probabaly drier out in the rain than in that cabin. We raced down the hill, soon dropping bellow the snow line. The wind subsided a little and we got below the clouds. There were lots of mountain passes between us and the next hut but nothing significant. Up a few hundred metres and down again. Beautiful rolling hills, patches of snow lining the areas that see very little sun. Some streams of water were warm, bubbling even. Far more enjoyable to cross than those full of freezing glacial water.

We soon dropped out of the mountains and onto a black sand plateau. We followed a faint track along to a little river crossing then on, crossing 4x4 roads every now and then. We came upon Alftavtn Hut, where we had planned to stay the night. Well, we reached it by lunch. We popped in the wardens hut, bought a massive piece of chocolate cake each, and went into the nearby tent for lunch. We had a quick lunch and decided to continue on. It took us past the lake and up over a mountain pass. It is easy to escape the crowds on this trail. Just a few minutes of hiking and you're alone.

We met a group of hikers from all over the world hiking hut to hut. We spoke at length during a quick snack break about this trail and other adventures each of them had taken on. Looking back, the people you meet and conversations you have really are some of the best bits of any adventure. We went up and over the final pass and the hut came into sight. The views were spectacular. Definitely the right decision to carry on to this spot. We met a wonderful Canadian who had hiked a similar route in to us. We went inside the wardens hut and were greeted with tea and coffee, and a wonderfully kind and interesting warden. We spoke at length before finding a sheltered spot to set up for the night.

We set up and found a small barn for those travelling by horse to feed and shelter them overnight. Upstairs were some basic benches and tables with a small window looking up the valley. Others joined and we chatted long into the evening. Well past hiker midnight. It doesn't get dark at this time of year in Iceland so it's very easy to lose track of time. We eventually went to bed and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. It felt good to be back on trail. Almost as though we had never got off it.