Iceland - Day 3

Afangagil to Landmannahellir

14 miles / 550m ascent

I didn't have the best of nights, but I think I managed to sleep a solid 6 hours in total. I woke a few times because my knees were cold, but afterwards, it was simply not being able to find a comfortable position. By 5.30 am, I was ready to roll. Sadly, so were the mutant mozzies. I guess I make a tasty breakfast. I left camp at exactly 6.30 a.m., and the first section ensured I didn't feel cold for long. A steep climb up a grassy, followed by a lava hill.

What awaited me on the other side was worth every grunt and sweat I shed. A massive lava field surrounded by mountains and the amazing Hekla. It felt like walking on the surface of Mars but with oxygen in abundance. The markers were clearly visible all the way to the other side, which by estimate must have been a full mile. Once on the other side, I had a small break and simply enjoyed the rugged beauty of the view, thinking that I won't see something like this again soon.

I really shouldn't have worried. I had 2 more sections, one possibly twice the size of the first. Water was non-existent, so I was very careful with every sip. Sonja told me yesterday that the American astronaut team trained here for their first moon landing in the 60s. I have to say I can't blame them this was a sci-fi heaven. I even passed a red crater that looked more like an alien landing pad. Wow.

Not 10 minutes away, as if someone used a ruler, the dark lava fields stopped, and the green, almost lush fields started. The boulders were not far behind, and I was expecting one or 200 of them to start moving and say BOO luckily they didn't. My 'PING' game was in full swing with a small adjustment, only occasional touching as some sunk almost a meter into the lava fields. Fording my first river of the day was actually pleasant: no sharp rocks, only sand and barely knee-deep. It felt like a free manicure.

The markers were so good I never bothered to get my Garmin out. However, that meant I didn't know how far away I was from my finish line. I kept expecting it to be behind the next hill, or the one after, but it didn't appear for a long time. I had a longish break by a small stream where dunking my feet became mandatory and listening to the silence a must.

When I crossed my final lava field, the wind picked up and even ripped my hat off my head. Let me tell you, the 16kg bag could have weighed nothing. I moved like Usain Bolt and managed to stop the hat thief just in time. My precious only got about 20m away, but I reassured its safety for the next 2 hours. I was low on energy, and as I had to ensure the food would last me another 6 days, I had to be careful. Luckily, my stash of mixed nuts helped with the worst of it. And that's when the climbing started. I actually counted how many steps I was able to take between stops, I averaged around 30. I was so happy when I got to the top, and the path levelled out, that I was considering another break. Hmmmm, that's when I noticed another hill steeper than the first. The high-pitched "NOOOO" would have made a kitten proud. So I did the only thing that I could, I took a deep breath and soldiered on. To be fair, the views at the top were definitely worth the sweat, but I'm hesitant to admit it.

Seeing the 3rd lake gave me hope, but for some silly reason, the silly markers kept taking me higher and higher. I can't tell you the feeling when I actually spotted the campsite only about a mile away. After being on the road for a full 10 hours I was exhausted and extremely hungry. It certainly didn't feel like a 14-mile walk (more like 24) but I think that was due to the sand-like terrain of the lava fields.

After setup and the longest shower known to mankind, I simply sat and enjoyed the view. That is until I noticed a number of riders and horses galloping towards us. I secured a good spot and recorded/enjoyed the show from a lovely bench. Yesterday I met 23 runners and 2 hikers, today I saw 2 planes and no humans .... ahhh, blessed silence. I spent the evening sunbathing and listening to Icelandic - a very lovely language. It was a tough day but most definitely a unique experience to remember for a lifetime. From then on, the trail will be a lot busier, so I'll make the most of today and enjoy it.