Our first stop was Hjálparfoss waterfall (which means "help"), a beautiful split waterfall that comes together among towering cliffs of basalt above the falls basin. Just past the falls was Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng, a restored viking-era long house that had been buried under the ash of Mount Hekla. A little ways further, we passed the Sultartangi hydroelectric station and continued on through ever increasingly bumpy and rugged roads as the amount of vegetation began to decline. Passing through lava fields, I couldn't help but think that this must be what the landscape on the moon or Mars looks like. At least the closest that most of us will ever get to see. As we got near to Landmannalaugar, we made two more quick stops. First, was Hnausapollur crater, an ancient volcano that had filled with turquoise blue waters. The second was Frostastaðavatn lake, a lake very close to Landmannalaugar with the most beautiful crystal-clear blue water. We stopped at both sites for five to ten minutes to take some pictures, then made the short drive on to Landmannalaugar. The last part of the drive was perhaps the most challenging, with two rather deer stream crossings to arrive at the main area. I was not expecting such a crowd here, so far out in the middle of nowhere. There were close to a dozen buses, maybe 50 or more cars (well 4WD vehicles at least), and a huge camping area with close to a hundred tents set up.
This is my kind of place - the backpacking mecca of Iceland! Upon arriving at Landmannalugar, we quickly ate lunch then set out to hike the loop trail around here. Our tour guide warned us it takes up to two hours and we would have to go quickly to make it back in time. But I assured him that we are experienced hikers and would have no trouble completing the hike in time.
Just past the bathrooms and camping hut the Laugavegur trail climbed steeply through the Laugahraun lava flow before coming out into a beautiful valley amidst the colorful rhyolite mountains that make Landmannalaugar such a popular destination for hiking and backpacking.
Although most of the area is devoid of life, this valley was full of grass and small, white wildflowers creating an almost magical atmosphere.
Continuing along the trail led a little bit more up to the base of Mount Brennisteinsalda, which means "sulfur wave". Sulfur has colored the sides of this active volcano different colors and nearby fumaroles were a reminder that this volcano is definitely still active.
From here, the trail split with Laugavegur continuing to Mount Brennisteinsalda and ultimately Þórsmörk.
We took the Grænagil Trail back into the Laugahraun lava field towards Grænagil or "green gorge".
Upon reaching the gorge, another trail split up, this one heading up to Mount Bláhnúkur, which we could see towering over the gorge. Although Bláhnúkur means "blue mount", it looked much more black. As we continued on the trail, we headed into the gorge, formed by a river winding between Blánúkur and Laugahraun. The trail slowly descends as it makes its way around and by the end is very near to the river. As the trail loops back around to Landmannalaugar, a trail and small bridge over the river marks the other side of the trail up to Bláhnúkur.
Although this hike was only maybe 4 km, it was one of the most beautiful and enjoyable hikes I have ever done. I couldn't help but think that I need to return with more time and do a backpacking trip through this wonderful area. Since we returned with more than enough time to spare, I took a quick dip in the natural springs. It was very shallow and quite warm, although the smell of sulfur was noticeable. The rocks along the floor of the spring were quite hot and when I got out, I was a bit chilled. Such a difference between the water and air temperatures. We headed back to the bus and the driver offered us dried haddock "chips". I'm not a big fan of seafood, but I thought I'd give them a try. Luckily, he also offered a shot of Brennivín, an Icelandic schnapps drink that covered up the taste of the chips. Once everyone returned to the bus, we headed back on a slightly different route. Past Frostastaðavatn, we turned onto Landmannaleið and drove west through Dómadalur Valley and out of Friðland að Fjallabaki. After about a half hour, we stopped along the side the road to see Hekla Volcano from the north. The land was relatively flat for miles so provided a great view of the stratovolcano. There was even an unusually conspicuous sign for it with nothing else besides the dirt and ash around around for miles. The next was just a little further on, where a great deal of pumice from the eruptions of Hekla was everywhere. We took a couple souvenirs before taking off. We continued a little ways further on the unpaved road and finally hit a paved road - Route 26 to Route 1 along the southern coast - as we made our way back to Mosfellsbær. Along the way, we made a detour in Eyrarbakki, a small coastal town that used to be noted for its fishing. These days, however, the largest employer in town is Litla-Hraun prison, the largest in Iceland. Another interesting spot in Eyrarbakki is Húsið, or House, the oldest wooden building in Iceland. After that, we headed back to our hotel, and had dinner before heading to bed after a very long day. We didn't arrive back to the hotel until after 8, but keeping track of time is so difficult when the sun is always up!
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