Note: this post is a ’timetravel’ post, written in 2026 about something that happened in 2023, after a friend suggested to me that there weren’t enough hiking posts on the blog. I am writing it from notes in my journals and from memory.
In early August, me and Maartje decided it was time to walk Laugavegur again. I say again, since both of us had already walked it once before, but with separate people. You can find a previous post about my first time here.
Like my previous hike, we decided to start at Landmannalaugar and walk “downhill” towards Þórsmörk.
When packing for the trip I couldn’t find my normal pair of sunglasses and was forced to take an old pair of backup sunglasses I’ve have had since my ICESAR days. While they definitely don’t look good on me in the pictures, but they did their job as we were very lucky with the weather. We had sun and only a few light clouds the whole trip!
Unlike what we had both done on our previous hikes, we were going to stay at each campsite and just take our time enjoying the nature rather than speeding through them. Our first campsite would be Hrafntinnusker (e. Obsidian reef).
When we arrived there were not so many tents around, so we had our pick of places, but there was a large groups of Dutch occupying the cabin, and I heard some people that had not booked a bed being turned away.
We quickly pitched the tent, and cooked a meal. The incline from Landmannalaugar and up to the highest peak before the slope turns down towards Hrafntinnusker is quite something, so we were ready to head to bed and get a good nights rest. Thankfully the night passed uneventfully.
After an early start making a hearty breakfast, including freshly made coffee from ground whole beans (something I lamented not having had during my last hike), we were back on the road and heading to Álftavötn (e. Swan lake).
Compared to the previous day’s incline, the landscape was mostly level, with the minor occasional dips. The landscape is gorgeous to walk through though and this time around I had a much better camera on my phone (Pixel 6a) to capture it with.
The incline down towards Álftavötn can be fairly steep in places, so we took our time to get down, enjoying the view while doing so.
The campground is much bigger than Hrafntinnusker, as it has easier access from multiple sides and is on much flatter ground. There is also some vegetation, which makes it nicer to pitch a tent in.
After a good nights rest and some food (and of course freshly made filter coffee!) we were back on the road. This part of the hike would take us through our first river crossings, as well as a fairly long trek through a black sand desert.
I probably perceive this part of the hike as being the longest due to the tediousness of walking in the fine desert sand. Every step sinks a bit, and there is just a bit more effort needed to walk through it. I’m not a fan. But the landscape here is very beautiful, which makes up for it. The starkness between the neon green moss and the black sand desert in quite unique.
After taking our time, breaking for lunch and braving a river or two, we finally came to our camp for the night; Emstrur.
Our fourth and final day would take us down into, and across, Markárfljótsglúfur (a river canyon), and into Þórsmörk proper. There is a short bit of this walk down to the bridge which is a bit sketchy, requiring people to clamber down some sharp steep rocks while holding a guide cable. Nothing dangerous, just a good place to take it easy when going down.
Once down and over the bridge, there is a guiding cable in the cliff side, just in case people feel uncomfortable on the fairly narrow path. Thankfully I’ve never experienced this hike as being very busy with people (only the campgrounds really) and so have never had to pass anyone on this narrow piece.
Once over the river the landscape started changing even faster than before, with more and more trees arriving in small pockets.
Before we knew it, we were walking into Þórsmörk proper. And so it was with a ice cold beer or two, and a all-you-can-eat buffet of lamb chops, that our hike concluded.
It was a fantastic hike, and we were exceptionally lucky with the weather on the way. I’m sure we will be back for a third one in the future!