Back in Reykjavik we have a full day to buy presents, wool sweaters, watch soccer games (surprisingly Columbia is still in the World Cup) and do laundry. Funny enough, even without a program or schedule we still run into most of our group while they are enjoying the city. It’s a small place after all. Very small indeed, on his way back to the campground Christoph runs into yesterday’s bus driver. Jon Cameron and Christoph catch the early bus into town and head to the Laundromat Cafe for breakfast and doing laundry.

After spending three hours on breakfast, extra coffee, and two loads of laundry Jon helps Sarah and Lauren to find the sweater of their dreams. Otherwise the day passes without any great calamities, disasters or excitement.

However, on our way to the bakery Jon and Christoph discover two additional hotdog places near the swimming pool and an entirely new dog: Tröllapylsur – Glútenfríar – gluten free troll-sized dogs. Cameron where are you when we need you…

The dogs were brats in a hot dog bun, with sauerkraut and hot mustard. Not bad, not bad at all. However, Pylsuvagninn í Laugardal still reigns supreme!

We also discovered a slushie brand that is unlikely to make it in the States.

On our way to the airport we made the obligatory stop at the Blue Lagoon. The water was great, the silica peel did wonders for our skin and Puffling’s diving exercises almost got Cameron and me into trouble. in the locker rooms…

From the Blue Lagoon Puffling, Cameron and the students headed back to Boston, while Jon and Christoph took a gigantic plane to the town of Höfn, where they endured a few more days in rain and cold to plan our next Iceland trip.

back to day 10

For more about Christoph and Jon’s trip to the wilds of Ljónsoræfi stay tuned for the epilogue.

Throughout the hike Cameron brought a stuffed puffin along. Despite sharing a tent with Cameron for the past nine days Christoph hadn’t really noticed – until now. The little guy’s name is Puffling, and let’s just say Puffling’s life turned quite a bit more exciting today when he went on a few photo shoots with our expedition photographer. Too bad Cameron was keeping a close eye on Puffling during our last day in Reykjavik. Just imagine the possibilities…

 

Our bus was expected to pick us up at 3:30, so there was plenty of time for some hikes, exploring the surrounding areas or some more hot spring soaking.

Well, turns out the bus was supposed to pick us up at noon, so after our hikes, trips to the Mountain Mall, naps etc. we quickly broke camp and off we went, back to Reykjavik. Good ol’ Puffling made sure we didn’t get lost and Lauren enjoyed the numerous stream crossings.

We did the obligatory photo stop at Hekla, had a few hot dogs and Icelandic chips and arrived in Reykjavik later that evening.

Soon afterwards, most of us head to the English Pub (to watch the World Cup, of course), while Christoph meets his old friends Alex and Sieglinde and does what he does best: talk, talk, talk.

back to day 9
onward to day 11 and 12

We got a late start today. The hut was just a tad crowded and we intended to let the British Army go first. However, they were not the most organized breakfast crowd, so we had plenty of time watching them pack, spill their breakfast over their sleeping bags and finally head out. A few minutes later we followed suit. Jon led us over the pass into the clouds.

It was Lia’s 21st birthday, so we serenaded her on top of the ridge amidst the clouds. I think by that time we had eaten all of the cake, but later that day Cameron gave her “the best birthday present EVER”: a shower in the campground.

Soon we passed through the Stórhiver geothermal area and a few snowy ridges later the clouds lifted and we could almost see the hills of Landmannalaugar.

As usual, the last miles took a bit longer than expected, but soon we saw the hut and famous hot springs, passed the hut and set up camp at a big gravel plain. Not the best campsite but FINALLY THERE!

The Mountain Mall, two school buses retrofitted into a store with adjacent cafe, did a brisk business with beer and Pringles. Later that afternoon we soaked in the hot springs which made us (almost) forget all the rainy miseries of the previous days.

back to day 8
onward to day 10

Just because we had an hour of somewhat nice weather last night did not mean that the weather got better. This morning it was all gray again. We had a rainy breakfast, stopped for a quick group shot at the hut and then we were on our way. Today’s hike was not particularly long or difficult, but it would bring us up onto the Jökultungur plateau and we would spend a lot of time in snow and fog.

Soon we reached the steep slope of Jökultungur and we slowly inched up the mountain. Several hikers on the way down warned us that it would soon turn very muddy – they were right.

As soon as we reached the geothermal field the trail become very clayey. Heavy wet boots got even heavier, the clouds dropped lower, and we hiked through a wonderland of fog, steam, mud and snow.

Soon, however we left the mud behind and reached the home stretch: the long snow-covered plain that leads up to the hut at Hraftinnusker. The GPS claimed it was less than three miles, but it could have been forever. The clouds hung low, and visibility was rather poor. We followed old tracks and went from trail marker to trail marker.

Luckily the snow was still deep enough that many of the annoying gullies could be crossed easily. After an hour or so we finally saw the hut sitting on an obsidian hill.

We had reservations, but the wardens had bad news for us. The hut was severely overbooked. He expected 70 visitors for about 50 beds. However, we did pretty well: all the students had one big room, and the professors slept out in the hallway.

We shared the remainder of the attic with a bunch of Brits, and considering how many folks were squeezed into one small space, we spent a rather restful night.

back to day 7
onward to day 9

Since we wake up to a steady drizzle there is no real rush to get out of the hut this morning. We enjoy the dryness, have breakfast and just as we want to head out all the spigots in the hut run dry. Even in pouring rain dehydration is a serious – potentially deadly – issue on the trail, so Justin gets sent off to call the (at this time still very sleepy)  warden, who fixes the water supply, we fill our bottles, and a few minutes later we are on our way.

The path crosses some extensive sand deserts.Many of them are covered with snow, and the low-hanging clouds hide many of the nearby mountains. Around lunchtime we reach Bláfjallakvísl, a glacial river that has no bridge across it.

Usually the crossing is no big deal, but this year the meltwater is pretty high, and we had to jump over quite a few streams already.

Now Jon is the first to check out the deepest channel. Crossing a bit upstream from the regular ford is not too bad, and we all make it across safely. But it was sure cold. So cold indeed that Christoph hands out some extra chocolate rations.

Soon we reach the hut at Hvanngil where we take a short break behind the bathrooms. Then its another few miles to today’s camp site, the hut at Álftavatn.

The trail is easy now, but we still have to get through two small streams. They are mostly annoying, neither particularly deep or cold, but we still have to take our boots off. The last little trickle is within sight of the hut. Some don’t bother and cover the last hundred yards in their wading shoes.

Swimming in the lake proves to be tricky. The lake is so shallow that Christoph and Lauren have to wade forever to even get their knees wet. After some hundred yards or so they both give up and take a shower at the hut.

Towards dinner time the weather turned almost nice. We had maybe an hour to enjoy the setting evening sun.

back to day 6
onwards to day 8

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.

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.

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.

Luckily we get to see most of Christoph’s favorite mountain along the trail: Einhyrningur, a mountain that distinctively resembles a rhinoceros.

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.

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.

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.

back to day 5
onward to day 7