Iceland - Day 5

Landmannalaugar to Hrfantinnusker to Alftavatn

15 miles

The good news: it barely rained, and the better news: I got a good night's sleep even with a lot of tossing and turning. I woke several times but at 3.30 am I decided why not. With the 24-hour daylight, it really doesn't matter when you start or finish. I simply changed my body's clock to accommodate minimal human interaction on the trail. Worked like a bloody charm. I was very surprised to see so many people in the washing area before 4 a.m., but luckily, they were all still half asleep and nowhere ready to leave. I set off at 4.45 a.m., hoping to avoid people and enjoy the area all by myself. While yesterday I saw several hundred tourists doing day trips today, it was all silent. I sort of knew what I might see, but I honestly couldn't have been more wrong. It first started off with a small hot spot that turned quickly into a whole lot more

The climb was not easy, but the views were stunning. I had my breakfast and mini striptease at the top of a mountain that was steaming from every nook and cranny. I was sweating a couple of buckets, but the experience was worth it.

After a bit more climbing, I got to the most stunning part of this trail. The rainbow-coloured mountain with neon green moss on one side and snow on the other. It was jaw-dropping and breathtaking. I can confirm that I've taken 20 pictures after every 3 steps. The view simply got better. I honestly couldn't wait to do more climbing so I could appreciate the view from another angle. Having the sun out and no fog made the biggest difference, and I know how lucky that makes me.

The next section, however, couldn't have been more different but still beautiful. Snow-capped mountain as far as the eye could see. That's where I felt the change in the air. It became a lot cooler very quickly. I didn't waste a minute and did a reverse striptease, aka 4 layers and a woolly hat. I needed it. Saying that I met a group of guys almost 2 hours into my track, and one wasn't wearing trousers, period. His explanation "I washed it yesterday and it didn't dry" made perfect sense. It was barely 5C.

That's when the snow crossings started. I read about snow bridges that have to be crossed with care as they are melting slowly. I may have said a couple of prayers and can admit that I did a lot of poking before I put one toe on it. The red markers showing the way were outstanding, and I didn't have any problem following them.

Almost exactly at 9 a.m. I arrived at Hrfantinnusker, which was a possible stopping point in case of bad weather. Dear God was I happy about the good weather. The toilet facilities were the smelliest I had experienced however the view of the mountains was amazing. I had a toe-curling, sunshine warming, view drinking lunch at the best bench ever. I was in no rush but I also didn't want to linger for too long. I was ready for the 2nd stage of today's journey.

After a very lazy 40 minutes, I set off with a spring to my step enjoying the scenery. It lasted for about 20 minutes. The meaning of ugly-gully was not enough this time to explain the next section. Ridiculously steep short descends to a snow bridge followed by a ridiculously steep incline out of it. Now multiply this by 20. To add to it the fog descended within seconds and visibility became very hard. The markers were harder to spot, if at all, so I relied on footsteps on the lava or on the snow. Luckily I had never worn off the trail.

To put everyone's (aka my mom's) mind at ease I can confirm that there were several people around so asking for help was never far away. Just when I thought I was done with the steep climb another one loomed ahead. Climbing this took a bit more time but the view at the top definitely deserved a longish break.

After a few more ups and downs, a couple of iron streams, and snow caves I finally set my eyes on the lush green view of Alftavatn. It looked like it was photoshopped by an artist. Avatar-like views as far as the eye could see. With only 8 more km to go, I was chilled and happy.

Never in a million years could I have guessed what awaited us next. The steepest, trickiest descent of my life. Imagine putting your feet 3 inches ahead of the other with bent knees to keep your weight back and concentrating like your life depends on every step. It did. Now do that for a full hour. My left knee was screaming close to the end and it took a good 5 minutes to remember how to walk on level ground. It was glorious and oh so easy. Then of course the knee-deep river had to be crossed. Luckily there was a rope that could be used for support and I marched across it like a seasoned pro.

The last 2 miles to the campsite flew by and I arrived there just after 2 pm with only a handful of tents around. I was able to choose a great spot with a stunning view and collect a number of stones for wind protection. There was not much to do here except look at the scenery and visit the nearby lake. Guess once what I did next. Yep, I changed into my swimwear and headed straight into the ice-cold Icelandic glacier lake. Sadly even after 30 meters in the depth only stayed at knee height so I did the only thing left. I sat, squealed, splashed around and called it a day. The hot shower after was a religious experience and I stayed for the full 5 minutes under the spray with an amazing vocabulary like AAHH and OOHH.

After a quick dinner, I headed to the local restaurant where all I could afford was a hot chocolate. Luckily it could be refilled so I went back 4 more times. When I noticed a certain smell I channelled my cheekiness and asked if they had any bread. They sure did freshly baked bread. So there I was eating a steaming hot Icelandic bread in an Icelandic hut straight from the oven. My smile was very BIG. I spent the evening chatting with James, a guy from Australia I met on the trail, for several hours swapping war stories of our adventures and pictures of today's river crossing. I went to bed to the sound of rain that, according to the forecast should pass by 1 AM. Fingers crossed. What an amazing day and the adventure is nowhere close to finished.