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Go on a hike in Iceland, they said. The sun will shine, they said. Well, I went on a hike the other day, and the sun did shine. And there was stinging, face-lashing hail. It was snowing, with huge snowflakes drifting down in the stillness. There was bracing wind. Fortunately, there was no rain. Indeed, I think it was the only kind of weather we didn´t get. And this was only seven hours and some 17-18 kilometers of a hike from the vicinity of the town of Hveragerdi in the South West of Iceland to the edge of Lake Thingvellir. This is what I call the full Iceland experience!
Get the Iceland hiking app
This hike was with the hiking group Vesen og Vergangur (Facebook page in Icelandic), the brainchild of hiking guide Einar Skulason, which has some 12,000 members. He is the man behind the rather cool hiking app called Wapp. It is available for both iOS and Android devices and gives you access to an untold number of hiking trails here in Iceland.
Free road trip plans with maps
Day-by-day plans for the four drives most people take, each on an interactive map with where to sleep, fuel stops, waterfalls and reader discounts along the way. Built for a relaxed pace, not a race.
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Every lagoon, wild hot spring and town pool in Iceland on one map. Find warm water near you, and see which spas give my readers a discount.
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Hike in Iceland and see the sights
Quite regularly, the group goes on day trips, and they are always good fun. As mentioned earlier, the hike was from the vicinity of Hveragerdi. To be more precise, the hiking trail was from the valley of Grændalur. This valley is right next to the Reykjadalur valley, which is known for its geothermally warmed stream, popular for bathing. But now it is closed for traffic to protect its fragile environment. We passed the pools called Kattatjarnir – literally cat pools. The hiking route took us into the Ölfusvatnsgljúfur canyon with its impressive rock formations. We crossed the Tindgil ravine, and for us, with vertigo, it was a bit of a challenge. Hrómundartind peak was impressive, and we finished the journey by wading across the Ölfuvatnsá river.
Pictures from the hiking trip
I realize that this is a bit obscure for my regular readers, but at least I hope you enjoy the pictures from the hiking trip.
Be safe in Iceland
Do not go alone on long hiking trips in Iceland. Get an experienced guide. Study and follow the information on Safetravel in Iceland.
