Day 3 hit hard. Rain and wind battered our tents and gave the feeling that they could come apart at the seams at any time. A big shout out to Big Agnes for a lightweight yet bomb proof tent. My first gen Copper Spur UL2 has survived Iceland’s wind and rain on 2 trips and is still going strong. Rob had been keeping a eye on the radar and it looked like around 10 in the morning the weather would calm a little. The original plan had been to start early to make the 30 mile push to Landmannalaugar, then spend the rest of the day exploring the trails in the area and relaxing in the hot springs. The weather had other plans however, 10 am came and went with no sign of any calming. Wind gusts were 40-60 mph. With snow in the forecast for the high sections of singletrack, we needed to make Landmannalaugar that day. At about 4 in the afternoon a small break in the weather allowed us to start our ride. The wind had calmed but at the top of our first big climb of the day the cold rain intensified. Our one worry was the river crossings. We had been told in Vik that due to all the rain that the water crossings would be too deep to cross on foot or bike. We were relived when finally reaching the first of probably 20+ river crossing that it was passable. As the afternoon passed the temperatures in the highlands began to drop. We were all soaked, the wind having driven the rain up our sleeves and into our hoods and collars. We picked up the pace wanting to reach Landmannalaugar before dark. We rolled in as the sun was setting and quickly tried to get dry and warm. After a lot of hot tea and dinner we crawled in our tents. We had ridden through a beautiful area but being cold and wet we hadn’t stopped to enjoy it and take many pictures. Hopefully the next day would be better.
The start of day 4 was clear and beautiful. Matt had suffered through a rough night never really warming up from the previous day. It took a little to coax him out but seeing the sunshine and bribing him with some hot breakfast improved his spirits. This would be the toughest day of the route, with much of the climbing coming in the form of hike a bike. The Laugavgur Trail starts in Landmannalaugar and finishes in Skogar. The trail begans with a steep climb that turns into a slog of a hike a bike.
Once climbing out of Landmannalaugar, the trail wound across the tops of ridges and across mountains. Views of the glacial river valleys began to disappear and we began to cross deep ravines that were left by the receding glacier. We passed in and out of geothermal areas, steam vents and bubbling mud accompanied with the strong smell of sulfur.
For several hours we traversed ridges and crossed plateaus. The riding would be good then we would come to a ravine left by the melting glacier. Hike a bike down into the ravine then push, carry and drag our bikes up the other side. Sometimes we would do this then ride a hundred yards just to do it again. This became a exhausting pattern that lasted for several hours. After a particular grueling hike a bike we reached the high point of the day. The weather had turned on us and the wind picked up blowing rain and bits of snow. Visibility dropped to a few feet in front of us. We finally began to descend, the trail getting rougher and more technical. Finally we broke though the clouds and came to a stop. The view of lake Álftavatn and the surrounding valley literally took my breath. Maybe it was the tough day of riding/hiking but that moment will be stuck in my mind forever.
The descent down toward Álftavatn was a blast. We stopped at the lake but decided because of the high winds to continue on to the Hvanngil hut. More sweet singletrack and we arrived in Hvanngil ahead of a heavy storm. We took shelter in the sheep barn. The top has been converted to a common area for trail users. Grateful to be out of the wind and rain, we hung our wet clothes out and cooked dinner. No other trail users showed up that evening so we just inflated our sleeping pads and slept in the barn.
It had been a tough day but the forcast for the following day was good and the riding was supposed to be good as well. Also the buffet at the Volcano Huts in Þórsmörk was calling to us…… To be contiued
Thanks for reading!
Shiggins Outside 