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Iceland ➙ Laugevagur Trail YOYO – day 1

Sept. 13, 2023

Þórsmörk ➙ Emstrur Botnar

There are 3 main huts / camping areas at Þórsmörk:

The bus delivered us to Volcano hut.

We did NOT get stuck in the rivers.

Volcano hut offers these luxurious rental tents. Glamping. 😀

I dropped my pack and — as the weather was good — hiked up the closest viewpoint with most everyone who had arrived with me.

Wow. This is the Iceland I remember.

I planned to cross this river on foot when I returned.

We took a different trail down to Langidalur camp. Then hiked around the mountain back to Volcano.

It was only 13.5km to the first official campsite Emstrur / Botnar so I was in no rush.

I took a lot of photos. Shot plenty of video.

River Crossings

The most dangerous part of hiking Laugevagur are the river crossings. Plan carefully what footwear you want for wading slippery stones in (potentially) a thigh high. strong current.

I hiked in approach shoes. Used trail runners with neoprene booties for the river crossings and around camp.

Once in a while you have the luxury of a bridge.

Most available bridges are across gorges too steep to wade.

The trail is fairly well signed.

IF you have good visibility, it’s not easy to wander off trail.

Weather changes frequently. Sometimes drastically.

I love the bleak, treeless landscapes when the sun is low.

I’d camped at Emstrur Botnar 5 years earlier and liked the tent sites, somewhat protected from the wind.

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Iceland ➙ Laugevagur Trail YOYO – day 0

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Sept. 12, 2023

Hiking Interior Iceland.

Fantastic. But challenging. You need to be organized.

Do your research well in advance.

Click PLAY or watch my hike on YouTube. (4min)

After this page, check out TMB Complete Guide to the Laugavegur Trail.

I was probably making a mistake going so late in the season. Laugevagur could shut down any time after Sept. 11th due to weather.

All agree that Laugavegur is the best hike in Iceland. It’s fairly close to Reykjavik. There are a number of transportation options to get to the trailheads.

Cost

For me as a tourist, Iceland has been by far the most expensive nation. And I’ve been to over 90 nations.

Bring. Money. $$$$$

You probably don’t need any Icelandic currency as they accept credit card almost everywhere. The notable exception is local buses that only take cash or payment by their own app.

Food & Fuel

Knowing that food is expensive and limited in variety, I brought quite a bit of camping grub with me on the plane.

I bought the rest in Reykjavik. And bought a small canister of very expenisve fuel.

Of course there are hundreds of partial containers at the trailheads, but I didn’t want to risk not having fuel.

Fuel canisters left behind at Langidalur, Sept. 2023

Transportation

Deciding on this adventure last minute, I was excited to do it late in the season when there would be fewer hikers. Of course, bad weather is a greater risk.

What I didn’t realize until arrival is that bus service to the trailheads started shutting down Sept. 11, 2023.

Last bus to Landmannalaugar was Sept. 11, 2023.

Buses to Þórsmörk (Thórsmörk) ended Sept. 15, 2023.

There are 3 main bus companies:

I decided to take the Reykjavik Excursions bus to Þórsmörk on Sept 13.

I’d YOYO the Laugavegur — hiking it both ways back to my starting point. Then continue over the Fimmvörðuháls pass to Skógar on the coastal highway. From there it would be easy to find transportation back to Reykjavík.

I’d done Landmannalaugar to Skógar, August 2018, so knew what I was facing.

Navigation

I did carry a paper map as back-up, but mostly used the free Maps.me app offline whenever I wanted to check that I was on track. It’s excellent for Laugevagur and most major hikes worldwide.

The one time I really needed Maps.me was coming in to camp in the dark with headlamp. It’s very easy to get confused when you can’t see the next post in the distance.

Electronics

There’s no access to power on the trail. In order to keep your devices working, bring enough power bank batteries. I brought two 20000mah batteries on my hike.

Be sure to carefully store your electronics in waterproof ways. It’s difficult to keep the rain out.

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Everyone Should Walk

It’s well documented that walking is good for your health.

Researchers from the University of Sydney and the University of Southern Denmark found that 10,000 steps each day is the “sweet spot” to help lower the risk of disease and death. They also found that a faster pace, such as a brisk power walk, can have even greater benefits. …

Sam has some tips for those who want to get into walking for fitness.

My own tip is … get a dog. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Granite Gear Virga3 Backpack

I put thousands of miles on Granite Gear Virga Backpacks — before finally switching to the awesome (but expensive) Hyperlite Windrider.

I feel the black Hyperlite is the best looking light backpack available.

my current backpack in Iceland 2023

One complaint I had with the Virga line was that they were the ugliest light pack on the market. 😀

The Granite Gear packs — however — are now offered undyed.

Virga 3 undyed

Read a GearJunkie review.

Very cool.

You can decorate an undyed pack any way you like.

The Virga 3 is also possibly the most adjustable backpack on the market, as well. AND inexpensive.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I could happily go back to the Virga 3 using my inflatable Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Uberlite as the ‘frame’ support.

I’d decorate the pack with the ‘theme‘ of my trek.

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#3 day hike – Besseggen Ridge, Norway

One of our top 10 day hikes in the world.

Why?

A stunning and unique walk in Norway’s most popular National Park – Jotunheimen.

  • Jotunheimen National Park has most of the highest mountains in Norway
  • Besseggen … or Besseggi … in Jotunheimen, is a thrilling ridge walk with alpine lakes on either side:  Gjende and Bessvatnet.
  • recommended from the end of June to mid-September
  • 13.3km (8.25mi) plus one-way ferry
  • 6-9 hours
  • 950m elevation gain
  • highest point, Veslfjellet (1743m)
  • dogs on leash allowed
  • trail runners enjoy it

World → Europe →  Norway → Besseggen Ridge

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

For details click over to our Besseggen Ridge information page.

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Hike the Malerweg (Painter’s Way) in Germany

I met a young German hiker who had just completed the (approximately) 116 km adventure on the eastern border of Germany near Dresden.

He really enjoyed it.

It’s not well known outside Germany. Within Deutschland, some consider it the most beautiful hike in the nation.

Highlights include:

Schrammsteine

The official guide spits the trail to 8 stages / days. This is a very easy-going pace which allows for lots of options for side trips or drinking delicious German beer (or both for the ones who dare). I found 4-5 days just enough for a fully-loaded hiker who wants to enjoy hiking, not rush too much but also not sit in pubs for too long either.

Get in

It’s fairly easy to get to the trail or to any of its sections. There are many train connections from Dresden or Prague and public buses or trams operate within the area itself in some sections.

Eating & drinking

Resupplying food is not easy. The trail goes through very touristic places with many pubs and cafes but there aren’t any groceries. … The only food stores we found were a tiny bio bakery in Schmilka (very pricey – but great – pastries and bread) and a small grocery shop in Kroppen …. It’s not hard to make a bus trip to a nearby town to visit a supermarket ….

Navigation

Navigation is easy. Even though the trail is well marked with painted Ms, there were still some crossroads where we weren’t sure which way to go. Not having GPS or printed maps, we used only the mobile app Mapy.cz – it’s free and it has a tourist offline map of Germany with great resolution and precise, visible trails. …

Hiking is Good
Bastei Bridge

Details on the hike.

Click PLAY or watch Lennart Schoors‘ hike on YouTube.

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Exped Ultra SR 3 Camping Mattress = My Review

By BestHike editor Rick McCharles

The Ultra 3R sleeping mat is just one of a number in the Ultra series.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

My Medium (20.5 in wide) weighs 16.4 oz so I don’t take it for multi-day hiking — only car camping and bikepacking where weight is less an issue.

I got the heavier rectangular shape to completely cover the bottom of my 1-man-tent.

Exped offers 1R to 7R. I’m a warm sleeper and — so far — the 3R option has been plenty warm enough.

After about 30 nights on the mattress, I’ve already had 2 punctures. Happily, they are easy to repair with the included glue. The system does not require a patch on top — only the glue. So it’s quicker to seal the hole.

The Schnozzel Pumpbag does not work nearly as well for me as in the Exped video. 😀

I do use the Schnozzel as a waterproof dry bag, as well.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Iceland Active Volcano – Camping & Hiking


Harmen Hoek is one of my favourite hiking videographers.

In July 2023 he spent 5 days hiking over 110km on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland. At the time the most volcanically active area of Iceland.

Litli-Hrutur crater eruption started on July 10, 2023 around 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Iceland’s capital Reykjavik.

I’m headed to Iceland in September — but this particular eruption has been declared OVER.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (22min)

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#8 best hiking region in the world is …


The Italian Dolomites.

by site editor Rick McCharles

I write from Europe. This is the first adjustment to our Top 10 hiking regions since we first published them. Northern Italy has been added.

High altitude adventure and colourful sunsets. Wow! The Dolomites are far better than I expected. This was my first trip.

At besthike we rank all mountain vistas in the world against Paine in Chile, and Fitz Roy in Argentina.

The scenery in the Dolomites may be just as good. And there are far, far more stunning jagged peaks in Italy than in all of South America.

click for larger version
click for larger version

Many, many Europeans get out hiking during the Summer. Trails are crowded everywhere throughout the Dolomites and the Alps. There’s a great shared sense of community here.

Instant gratification. You can ride chair lifts up to the very tops of some of these peaks. How convenient is that? Almost anyone can find a best hike for themselves in this range.

WW I history in the Dolomites is sobering. German, Austrian and Italian soldiers were stuck digging tunnels through these mountains through several winters. This was the “Front”. Needless to say, far more young men died from the elements and falls than by fire fights. There are reminders of the Great War everywhere.

Here is the home of via ferrata (Italian for “iron road”). (In fact, our next trip to the Dolomites will be dedicated to doing some of the best of those assisted climbing routes.)

click for larger version
click for larger version

Not everything is perfect in the Dolomites. I prefer the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, overall.

In the Sierras I can put up a tent anywhere I want. Fantastic.

Unfortunately, in the Dolomites you are required to sleep in alpine buildings called Refuges. (Refugios – Italian). Their locations are stunning. Many people love them. But – personally – I prefer my tent over sleeping on the floor. Or in bunk beds.

Happily you can reach almost any place in the Dolomites by day hike. Public transportation in the valleys below is good!

The two regions – the Sierras and the Dolomites – are similar in that everywhere is a best hike.

Rifugio Locatelli - click for larger version
Rifugio Locatelli – click for larger version

I do like the food and drink at Refugios. Prices are regulated.

The main reason I had not hiked in Europe in 30yrs is cost. Italy can be expensive.

It’s possible to hike on the cheap. Putting up my tent in a campground in Cortina only cost 9€ (US$12.80) / night in 2009.  Ryan tells us it’s up to 44€ / night summer 2023!

Bread, chocolate, soft cheese and wine are inexpensive. What more do you need?

Dan & Janine Patitucci relocated from California to the Dolomites. A good site in English for inspiration. A partner offers Dolomite hiking and biking tours.

For specific information on how to hike these limestone mountains, check our Dolomites Information page.

Leave a comment if you have your own favourite hike in the Dolomites.