The Þorsmörk hut in the morning rain.
Today’s hike is mostly along the Markarfljót to the hut at Emstrur (or Botnar). The trail begins with a walk through beautiful birch forests. Many of us know this part from their frequent excursions to the Volcano Bar over the past two days.
Birch trees and wildflowers on the trail to the Emstrur hut.
Soon, however, do we encounter our first stream crossing. The Þröngjá is a small braided stream that originates from nearby Merkurjökull. That makes the water milky and cold.
Water temperature: close to 32 degrees, Jenna’s face – priceless!
Dylan stays cool during his first crossing …
… but Shaina is NOT happy.
Nevertheless, after a lot of hemming and hawing we easily cross the main channel and soon thereafter we’re back on the trail, gaining elevation slowly but steadily.
Nonexisting views along the trail.
Along the Markarfljót river.
Bathroom break – for one of us…
A Ptarmigan – who says I photograph only dead stuff?
Luckily we get to see most of Christoph’s favorite mountain along the trail: Einhyrningur, a mountain that distinctively resembles a rhinoceros.
Einhyrningur shrouded in mist and clouds.
Black basalt sand desert.
After a few hours we reach the confluence between the Markarfljót and the Fremri-Emstruá. By now both rivers run in deep gorges and a few of us hike to the cliffs overlooking the confluence.
lunch break
above the confluence
By now we are about half a mile from the hut – as the crow flies, and maybe two miles – as the rest of us walks. Since the hut is on the opposite side of the canyon we have to descend a couple of hundred feet, cross the river on a bridge, and head back up the other side. The original trail is still buried under snow, so we climb the “Botnar Step” on a new path that zig-zags across a scree slope.
The view towards Entujökull
Up the Botnar Step! (which is not quite as dramatic as it sounds…)
After about six hours of hiking we make it to the hut. Usually the path past the Botnar step is easy, this time, however, due to the high snow we have some difficulties and our boots get wet one more time. At Emstrur we have reservations for a hut and soon we’re all in a comfy warm room, watch Jon and his eager helpers prepare dinner, read a bit, write into our field notebooks, play cards or just sit there and enjoy the warmth. After a day out in the cold and rain it doesn’t get much better than this.
Dinner at Emstrur.
Rock formations near the Emstrur hut.