Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

• Laugevagur day 0
• Laugevagur day 1
• Laugevagur day 2
• Laugevagur day 3
• Laugevagur day 4

Sept. 16, 2023

Álftavatn ➙ Langidalur camp

Shortly after packing up the tent Sept. 16th, the rain began. 💧

I put away the camera and took not one photo nor video for the entire day.

It was head down. One foot after the other for about 34 tough kms.

I was only able to get shelter from constant rain and high winds for late lunch at Emstrur / Botnar. It was still open as the American guided group was there that night — and provided a cook tent.

Hiking Laugevagur leaves you almost entirely unprotected from the elements. There is no place to hide.

I’d seen the monument to Ido Keinan who died, lost 1 kilometre away from the hut in Hrafntinnusker. Exposure during a late June storm.

I used the free Maps.me app offline to confirm I was on the trail. This works in the dark or the middle of dense cloud.

… After about 11 hours with very few breaks, I made it to Langidalur hut in Þórsmörk.

In fact, I HAD to keep walking all day to stay warm!

I marched past, trying to cross the river to Basar campsite, closest to the start of next day’s Fimmvörðuháls hike. I’d heard the hut had been closed most of the summer, but that the campground was open.

The wardens were having dinner. Called me over. And explained that they’d taken out the bridges due to the continuous rain. The river was impassable.

I had a choice to be a wet rat in a wet tent for the night. Or check in to the hut at a cost of about $90.

Another fun guided group convinced me to join them inside. Gave me $5 hot shower tokens. And offered me dinner and wine. It was perhaps the best $90 I ever spent.

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Sept. 17, 2023

I was still hopeful the rain would break and I’d somehow be able to cross the river. And continue to the coast.

BUT the wardens and tour group offered me a chance to get a lift with them back to Reykjavik. I couldn’t say no.

Morning did arrive with better weather.

We did some day hiking.

Þórsmörk (Thorsmork – the Valley of Thor) is an area where trees are protected. And there are some surprisingly large trees.

Our bus did get stuck crossing the river for rendezvous. But the wardens have a tractor for flattening the river bed and even towing the bus, if needed.

The driver did not look worried. This is situation normal for him.

I enjoyed the ride back to Reykjavik with the tour group. Weather mixed, but improving.

Overall I was thrilled with the hike. Happy to have done the YOYO. Happy to have had only one day of bad weather in September.

This was a win.

• Laugevagur day 0
• Laugevagur day 1
• Laugevagur day 2
• Laugevagur day 3
• Laugevagur day 4

Check our Laugevagur Trail information page for how to organize this adventure for yourself.

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

• Laugevagur day 0
• Laugevagur day 1
• Laugevagur day 2
• Laugevagur day 3
• Laugevagur day 4

Sept. 15, 2023

Álftavatn ➙ Landmannalaugar ➙ Álftavatn YOYO

Wow. Weather continues to be fantastic for September.

My PLAN was to leave the tent behind. Hike to the hot springs at Landmannalaugar and YOYO back before dark.

For me it was 5 hours to Landmannalaugar. 1 hour lunch and hot springs. 6 hours back.

Around 40 tough kms.

I left in the dark.

It did turn out to be one of the greatest days hiking of my life.

I’ll let the photos explain. 😀

I had 9 hours with vistas like this.

It’s a gorgeous area of the world. Part snow and ice. Part volcanic landscape.

There is real risk of stepping into boiling mud accidentally.

All sorts of weird snow caves and tunnels.

Of the plants here, I liked cottongrass best.

It’s in this high section in a snow storm where people might most easily lose the trail. Therefore it’s better marked with cairns and posts than anywhere else on the trail.

I had lunch at Hrafntinnusker. Met a fun American guided group who I would bump into several more times over the next 2 days.

As you approach the end, there’s more and more volcanic activity.

Landmannalaugar came into sight. My half way point for the day.

In August, the hot springs at Landmannalaugar are typically crowded.

But in mid-September there were only a few people enjoying a huge pool.

It’s hot. You can easily get scalded so positioning yourself carefully is critical. This was my best spot.

I had lunch. Then started back the way I had come. STILL confident I could get to my tent before dark. 😀

The return trip was equally good. But different in that you are facing the opposite direction with much different light.

Happily, no rain the rest of the day.

There’s the lake. One more descent and I’ll make it.

Unfortunately, It WAS dark before I got home. Days are already getting short in Iceland in September.

Even with a good headlamp it was easy to lose the trail. I had to rely on the GPS via Maps.me in order not to get lost.

• Laugevagur day 0
• Laugevagur day 1
• Laugevagur day 2
• Laugevagur day 3
• Laugevagur day 4

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

• Laugevagur day 0
• Laugevagur day 1
• Laugevagur day 2
• Laugevagur day 3
• Laugevagur day 4

Sept. 14, 2023

Emstrur / Botnar ➙ Lake Álftavatn

A lovely, quiet evening at Botnar.

More gorgeous weather. I was feeling very lucky for mid-September.

Quite early in the day I stopped to shoot a lot of drone footage near this scenic, stark peak.

There were some bridges.

And we waded some rivers. All quite easy late in the season with no recent rain.

I had lunch at Hvanngil camp. Still open.

Continued on to Álftavatn camp which was closed for the season.

Often open until Sept. 17th, it depends somewhat on how many hikers book in advance.

I spoke with wardens at another camp who didn’t yet know what would be their last day.

The sit-down toilets were locked up for the winter, as well. But each camp seems to have one long drop toilet open year round.

Weather still good, I did some day hiking until dark.

Getting up and away from the main trail is easy and fun.

I couldn’t decide which of these next 2 photos to include. 😀

• Laugevagur day 0
• Laugevagur day 1
• Laugevagur day 2
• Laugevagur day 3
• Laugevagur day 4