Iceland - Day 12

Near Budir to Arnarstapi

11 miles

I went to bed boiling and woke at 3 AM freezing. I managed to toss and turn for a while but didn't see the point of wasting time, so I got out of my tent just in time to watch the sunrise. After a leisurely pack and breakfast, I set off thinking I'll be there in 3 hours' time. It took over 6 hours. The plan was to walk to Arnarstapi, which may include fording a few rivers. Hmmmm. It turned out to be 6 fordings, 8 rock-hoppings, and 2 mini bridge crossings.

Once I left the lava field, I came to a gorgeous lake. I stared for a while and took a couple of hundred pictures but moved on quickly. I tried to follow the path that was advertised by Budir church, but it was very vague. The only thing clear about it was that I had to go to the south side of the lake. That's when the beach came into view. Hmmmm. The sea was calm, the sun was shining, the freezing breeze was blowing, and there was nobody around. This was simply too good to pass up. So, I got undressed, put on my swimming shoes and ..... and went for a swim ;). I didn't dare go in too deep, so I splashed around with the waves for a bit and ran out like my tail was on fire. I felt as fresh as a frozen daisy.

Once dry(ish), I dressed and made my way to tackle the next challenge. Getting off the beach required fording a river. Usually, I don't mind, but this was in the sand. At one point, I got too close to a potential crossing, and before I realized it, I started sinking. I speed-walked out there like mad. I was extra careful with the rest of the walk. I kept checking Google Maps and finally decided to brave the crossing close to the other side of the beach. I used my rubbish bin bag again and removed my trousers for good measure. Luckily, after a few test walks, I found a nice spot that went just above my knees. Once over, I climbed up a short but steep hill with a vengeance.

That's when the views really opened up. WOW, and that's exactly when all the streams appeared one by one. Some were small, hop across few rocks kind, but some were knee deep and 5 meters wide. Every time I saw a waterfall, I would think, "WOW, YEAY and Bummer." The first two are obvious but the third is for having to take off my backpack/boots/socks, put on swimming shoes, put my backpack on, my boots around my neck and ford the river and try not to freeze. Then wait until my feet are dry and then put everything back on. I actually enjoy fording, but when you have to do 3 or 4 in a row, 20 or 200 meters apart without realising, it can become a nuisance. When I found a small bridge, I was over the moon, but when I missed one and forded instead, I was growling. The water temperature didn't improve but my feet were very happy with the cold treatment.

It was a pleasure watching the ever-changing scenery. Golden beach one minute, dark grey beach a few hours later. Mountains in the distance, the glacier just peeking through and waterfalls everywhere. At one point, I counted 6 of them. Once I forded the last river, it was all smooth sailing into Arnarstapi. The little fishing village is like an Icelandic postcard. Every house has charm, the surrounding landscape is amazing and the wildlife is very rich.

Once I set up camp, I went for a small walk. I didn't know what to expect. There were some amazing rock formations that served as a kind of bird nesting sanctuary. It was loud and fascinating.

The big plan for tomorrow was to go diagonally across the peninsula to Olafsvik. However, this plan was squashed when I realised I needed to climb to over 800m / 2700 feet. So, instead of 15 miles across higher ground, I've decided to go 35 miles around the peninsula on level ground. It will mean 2 more days of walking and another wild camping night (YEAY), but if the weather holds, it should be fun. The only problem I was facing was food. I wasn't sure if there were any shops or restaurants in Arnarstapi, so I decided to ration my remaining food for the next 2 days. Half a chorizo, half a loaf of Icelandic bread, 2 energy bars, nuts, and a pack of tuna. Tight but doable. Luckily, there were restaurants, Once I had my fill of the land, I headed straight for the nearest restaurant and went for a full pizza. I ate most but left 2 slices for tomorrow and a ham sandwich that should serve as lunch for the day after. All sorted. Fingers crossed for the weather, which at the moment looks hot: aka 8C and sunny.