The Laugavegur leads from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk. If you want, you can still go over the Fimmvörðuháls pass Skógar going on hiking. The area is located in Fjallabak between Vatnajökull and Mýrdalsjökull.
background
This hike is one of the top trails in the world. It is very varied and leads through different landscape forms, the type and color of which changes. Green mossy lava mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, rivers and steaming hot springs accompany the hiker during his tour. The only difference is that there are no trees here, with the exception of the stunted birch forests in Þórsmörk.
getting there
Comes from Reykjavík in the morning bus to Landmannalaugar (approx. 3 hours, in midsummer possibly pre-book.)
preparation
It is best to get food beforehand. There is only one small shop with a very modest selection in Landmannalaugar and at the end of the hike in Þórsmörk. Water can be taken from streams.
Signposting
The trail is very well signposted, it is hardly possible to get lost.
Requirement profile
The tour is approx. 51 km long and takes approx. 4 days. It's only partly uphill. The trek is not particularly difficult and suitable for beginners with good fitness. You can camp or spend the night in the huts (fee up to 7,500 ISK, currently approx. 55 €, as of July 2016). A reservation is essential. The huts have a kitchen with cooking utensils, but you have to bring your own food.
hike
Landmannalaugar - Hrafntinnusker
approx. 6 hours walking time, 11 km,Landmannalaugar hut63 ° 59 ′ 36 ″ N.19 ° 3 ′ 40 ″ W. 600 m above sea level NN
The route leads through the lava field Laugahraun. From there to the slopes of the Brennisteinsalda; a detour to the summit is possible. The view offers an incredible range of colors. After 3 to 4 hours one reaches Stórihver, a hot spring and actually the only green spot far and wide. Most of the time, the rest of the way to the hut is covered in snow. The possibility of fog is very high. Although the route is well signposted, you have to be careful.
Once you have reached the Hrafntinnusker hut, you should definitely take a walk to the ice caves (approx. 1.5 km). However, entering it can be life-threatening as the glacier is always in motion.
Hrafntinnusker - Álftavatn
approx. 5 hours walking time, 11 km, Hut Hrafntinnusker63 ° 56 ′ 0 ″ N.19 ° 10 ′ 5 ″ W. 1027 m above sea level NN
The first part of the route leads through a valley with a few small ravines. Caution is advised as these may be covered with snow. If the visibility is good, a detour is right up to the top of the Háskerðingur (1281 m) worthwhile. Now you leave the colorful rhyolite mountains behind and come into a dark-colored area of the mountains and glaciers. The vegetation increases significantly. The way down to the Jokultungur is quite steep, but then comes an oasis on the bank of the river Grassagakvísl, a place that invites you to take a break. From there, the way to the two huts by the lake "Álftavatn" is on almost flat land.
Álftavatn - Botnar
approx. 7 hours walking time, 16 km,Álftavatn hut63 ° 51 ′ 28 ″ N.19 ° 13 ′ 38 ″ W. 540 m above sea level NN
From here the path leads over the ridge Brattháls in the Hvanngil Gorge, and farther across the river Bratthálskvísl. Then comes the Hvanngil hut. A short distance further comes the Kaldaklofskvísl with a bridge. The next river has to be waded less than a kilometer away. After approx. 4 km there comes the Nyrðri Emstruá, but this time there is another bridge to cross. It won't be long now and the stage is over. A nice walk in the evening is that Markarfljótsgljúfur Canyon.
Botnar - Þórsmörk
approx. 7 hours walking time, 13 km,Botnar hut63 ° 45 ′ 59 ″ N.19 ° 22 ′ 27 ″ W.
Now you have to go down the gorge Syðri-Emstruá circle and then go down a steep path to the bridge. Then it goes on through Almenningar with the ford of the Þröngá. The landscape and vegetation change noticeably into the green again when you arrive in Þórsmörk.
There are two huts in Þórsmörk:
- Skagfjordsskali hut63 ° 40 ′ 57 ″ N.19 ° 30 ′ 53 ″ W. at Langidalur.
- Hut bazaar63 ° 40 '34 "N.19 ° 29 ′ 1 ″ W.63 ° 40 '34 "N.19 ° 29 ′ 1 ″ W.
renewal
It is worthwhile to continue the hike over the Fimmvörðuháls to Skógar. The hike is not recommended in bad weather. In my opinion, surefootedness is not necessary in good weather, at the beginning it goes a little over a ridge, once it goes about 200 m over a snowfield, but neither is a problem.
You can do the trek well in one day if you set off at 8 a.m. at the latest.
In Skogar there was no connecting bus in the evening, hitchhiking is possible to a limited extent (success after 12 cars in 1.5 hours). There is a campsite there that was closed in September. Camping in the wild somewhere shouldn't be a problem.
Þórsmörk - Fimmvörðuháls
approx. 5 hours walking time, 12 km, Fimmvörðuháls hut63 ° 37 ′ 19 ″ N.19 ° 27 ′ 5 ″ W. 1060 m above sea level NN
Fimmvörðuháls - Skógar
approx. 5 hours walking time, 12 km
literature
- Outdoor manual - Laugavegur, Fimmvörðuháls, Jökulsárgljúfur National Park, Erik Van de Perre, Conrad Stein Verlag ISBN 3-86686-028-5
- Iceland - The Southern Highlands: The most beautiful hikes between Landmannalaugar and Skógar, (Paperback, 2nd edition: revised, updated and expanded, 172 pages), Uwe Grunewald,ISBN 978-3-981-5254-41 (Trekking and day tours, printed on wood-free paper, over 250 waypoints for GPS and map sections 1: 50,000)
- Iceland - natural paradise at the Arctic Circle: The most beautiful hikes on the largest volcanic island on earth, (Paperback, 215 pages), Uwe Grunewald, ISBN 978-3-981-5254-27 (Trekking and day tours, printed on wood-free paper, over 400 waypoints for GPS and map sections mostly 1: 50,000)
- Iceland - hiking map (1: 50,000): Landmannalaugar, Laugavegur, Þórsmörk & Fimmvörðuháls, (paperback, 28 pages), Uwe Grunewald, ISBN 978-3-981-5254-34 (printed on waterproof paper, 56 waypoints for GPS)
