Every hiker has seen photos of the boulderwedged into a Kjerag mountain crevasse above a Norwegian fjord.
That’s 984m (3,228ft) high. It’s a popular site for BASE jumping.
A Russian BASE jumper was walking up at the same time as myself — some like to jump close to sunset — but he kept climbing past this spot to something more exciting.
I’d never heard it was a tough hike to get there.
Here’s the start of the easiest ascent from Øygardsstølen visitors center.
It’s 4-6 hour return over beautiful rocky terrain. Some scrambling. Very slippery. There are plenty of chain assists. I used many of them even in dry weather.
By comparison I would say this is much more challenging than Half Dome in Yosemite. And there are all kinds of inexperienced tourists with poor footwear.
When I think back on Laugevagur, my first thoughts are of the amazing waterfalls on the last day. Is there a more spectacular chain of falls anywhere else on Earth?
Happily, the weather was quite good when I woke early. Then a thunder storm rolled in and disappeared before I’d finished coffee.
Later I learned that Mark was already up high. Very nervous. There’s no place to hide from lightning in Iceland.
Here I was psyching up for the 900m climb to Fimmvörðuháls pass.
I knew it could be a long, tough day climbing to the icefields up on a high plateau. It’s the most glaciated section. But at least there are NO RIVER CROSSINGS!
The ascent was quite easy, as it turned out.
What’s this?
These were the first hikers I saw coming the other direction. Doing this with a day pack is quite popular.
Stunning views.
Recall the 2010 volcano that disrupted air traffic all over Europe?
This is it. You walk that massive lava flow.
Moodi and Magni (Thor’s sons) are two summit cones pushed up in 2010.
Magni
Everyone climbs Magni to enjoy the 360 degree view.
One worry late in the season is the snowfields turning to slush. Or water.
Happily, it was still good walking for me on July 29th.
Baldvinsskali is a small emergency hut en route. Hikers are allowed to escape the wind and elements if needed.
My only complaint about this hiking day is some road walking on the way down. I’d prefer they make a parallel walking trail.
How far to Skógar?
Waterfalls begin.
The trail follows the river down.
Every tourist to Iceland visits the falls at Skógar.
Made it!
About half way through the day I’d decided to bus back to Reykjavík, if I could. Mark was shooting photos at the base of the falls. I bought a ticket on his bus.
You could stay over. Skógar has a hostel and camping. As well as several restaurants.
Nuk Tessli is a remote lodge ideally situated for hikers.
You can fly in from Nimpo Lake, “Floatplane capital of BC”, near Tweedsmuir National Park.
30 years ago the first cabins were built by an amazing lady who lived here alone through winters and summers for 23 of those years.
Doron and Sela, the current owners of the cabins, have spent much time and efforts in the past 7 years in order to build and improve the cabins. In addition they made sure to explore this untouched natural resort, marking new trails without hurting the gentle environmental.
And costs. Room and board there costs $175 CAD / person / day in 2018. Price of the flight around $100 CAD – $150 CAD depending on number of people.
The Coast Mountains are the great, relatively unexplored part of Canada. So close to Vancouver yet so little visited. I can’t think of a better way to get there.
I was born in Calgary, Alberta close to Banff. If you asked me to recommend the best day hike out of the city it would be Ptarmigan Cirque.
Hike Bike Travel:
It’s a 3.6 kilometre loop (if you include the interpretive trail) with 210 metres of elevation gain. There is the option to hike a section of the scramblers trail that heads for Mt. Rae.
For a short hike it delivers a tremendous variety of scenery – including coniferous forests, high alpine meadows, mountains and waterfalls. It’s the perfect hike to take your out of town guests who want a taste of the mountains without spending a full day in them – and it’s a great one for families too. …
Everything you need to know about the Jyrgalan trek, the newest adventure destination in Kyrgyzstan! …
As this trek is still brand new and under development, exact costs are
still being worked out. It really depends on how much support you are looking to take with you in terms of cooks and horsemen.
For a general idea though expect to pay around $50 per person per day, including a guide, basic food, a cook, pack horse and horseman to carry your gear. …
The trek we did was spread out over 3 days, 2 nights, but this can be personalized …
If you don’t travel with trekking gear this is not a problem, as you can rent almost everything from EcoTrek in Karakol, or pick up stuff in Bishkek. …
Almost Somewhere: Twenty-Eight Days on the John Muir Trail by Suzanne Roberts was published 2012.
It’s the author’s recollection of her 1993 hike with two friends.
They were hiking rookies. Woefully incompetent. Suzanne’s pack weighed 60lbs to start.
I recommend this book, especially for female hikers.
Her story of a month in the backcountry—confronting bears, snowy passes, broken equipment, injuries, and strange men—is as much about finding a woman’s way into outdoor experience as it is about the natural world she so eloquently describes.
Candid and funny and, finally, wise, Almost Somewhere is not just the whimsical coming-of-age story of a young woman ill-prepared for a month in the mountains but also the reflection of a distinctly feminine view of nature.
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