National Geographic among others claims this is one of the 20 best trails in the world, which makes it popular with many nationalities even in the time of Covid 19. It certainly has some unusual landscape, the remains of volcanism on a grand scale, with steaming, smelly fumaroles. There is little sign of any human activity in the majestic panoramas, bar a few basic huts for hikers and some vehicle tracks. Then there is the thrill of the wading through fast flowing rivers, with the ever present risk if toppling over.
On the downside there is quite a bit of walking across plains of black ash, the sight of small green trees around Þórsmörk is a welcome relief for the eyes. In general the path is clear with red then blue markers, although across the snow you have to rely on your GPS or follow the footsteps of the people ahead of you.
Although four days is usually recommended for walking the trail, this is at a leisurely pace, starting out at 10:00 am and finishing in good time. Great if you are with friends and want time to catch up with them, but for a lone walker it means arriving at a destination early and then wondering what to do. Walking it in two days was right for me, requiring an effort but feeling I deserved the reward of a coffee and cake at Þórsmörk.
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