Hellismannaleið trail, Iceland: Some Comments

If you are seeking solitude in a wide, empty, post volcanic landscape, this is the trail for you. I met no other hikers while walking the route, enjoying the ash covered hills and plains on my own. All was quiet except for the wind and the angry calls of the golden plovers.

The trail is marked by short wooden posts, weathered gray, with white markers attached. As they tend to blend in with the background, and there are unmarked gaps, a GPS with the trail downloaded on it is essential. The "hiking" map I bought was completely useless for navigation, not even showing this trail despite it being in existence since 2009. Pictures of birds with their names at the bottom of the map was its best asset, useful for identification. For much of the route no path was visible, and when I saw one, it was often a trail made by horse riders going someplace else.

By walking it in three days, I was able to make use of the camping facilities at Afangagil and Landmannahellir, no other facilities exist but the 55 kilometre trail could be walked in two days if one wished to wild camp, especially if you spent the night at the huts at Rjupnavellir giving an early start rather than arriving by bus. 

I discovered from a leaflet I picked up that a more recent extension means you can start the trail from Leirubakki instead of Rjupnavellir, adding an extra 25 kilometres. 

Hellismannaleið trail: Landmannahellir to Landmannalaugar: Iceland trip Day 5

Over mountains, I was but a solitary soul in the vast landscape until I joined the Laugavegur trail for the last few kilometres where I joined many others.

I started decamping at 6:30 am while all the other campers were sleeping except for two friendly puppies wanting some attention. Today's trek involved climbing over three or four ridges, the mountains around me streaked with snow. There were two lakes to admire and a few small streams to cross. Maybe a little more vegetation than on previous days; moss, clumps of pink thrift, purple thyme, low and creeping, cushions of moss campion (which I identified from a sign at Landmannalaugar).

Towards the end of the walk I descended into a broad, flat bottomed valley, filled by a wide, braided stream, with many more banks of pebbles than flowing water. Surrounding mountains, largely formed of ash, were now shades of cream, ochre and red, a sharp contrast to the black I had been walking among. Occasional towers of rock rose up from the mountain slopes. Shortly after I joined the famous Langavegur trail for the last few kilometres to Landmannalaugar. It was quite different, there were many people out walking, or on mountain bikes threatening to knock me over. The path was well constructed and ropes each side stopped you straying off it onto blocks of lava, black and glassy.

I pitched my tent at the two or three huts that constitute Landmannalaugar but decided against bathing in the hot springs as a sign warned of "swimmers itch". A group of bathers, their skin bright pink, evidently decided to risk it. The Ranger's guided walks looked interesting but sadly not run on Mondays so, as it was only lunchtime I decided to go on a little walk from the campsite. I thought the circular walk up Blahnukur and down a gorge look suitable, the peak did not look too high. My mistake became apparent after sweating up some significant height, Blahnukur was not the summit I imagined but a much higher one behind it. Still, I managed to reach it, pushing up the loose stone slopes, by a few outcrops of lava. From the top I could see some 80 kilometres to three of Iceland's Ice caps, white on the horizon under the sunshine (feeling very blessed to have such good weather on the trip so far). Coming down, after a steep slope there was a river to cross which I managed in my boots only slightly wetting my socks. Much of the rest of the walk was through a landscape of jagged blocks of lava. Much of it was obsidian, a black volcanic glass with shiny surfaces, formed when the lava cools very quickly. 

On my return to camp I discovered a shop in an old bus, so I will celebrate finishing the Hellismannaleid with a paper cup of wine; white, to go with my tinned tuna.

After the black ash and white snow the moss beside this small stream appeared too vivid, too colourful, too bright.

Clumps of small, pink, sea thrift also brightened the way.

Close to Landmannalaugar the hills turn to shades of red and cream as around this waterfall

Panoramic view from top of Blahnukur, the metal disc on the left points to the various mountains. 

Hellismannaleið trail: Afangagil to Landmannahellir: Iceland trip Day 4

A day among empty mountains and ash covered plains.

I sleep well last night cosily cuddled in my warm sleeping bag, the first night for a while I did not have a morning plane or bus to catch. Today began with a climb up to a black, ash covered pass, then a descent to an ash covered plain. After the plain the trail climbed again up a valley. This pattern was repeated a few times during the day, with occasional areas and hillocks of lava and harder rocks. The black mountains encircling me had starkly contrasting patches of white snow. I only had one area of old snow to cross but that on more distant ranges suggested I would encounter more in the days to come. While in general vegetation was absent, in places on the rocks there was grey moss and on the ash plains, clumps of small flowers. 

I forded one river today with water up to my knees, the shifting bed of gritty sand beneath my feet causing them to sink a little with each step. Using my trekking poles to aid my balance was made difficult by the current trying to push them downstream. 

Now I am camped at Landmannahellir, by a braided river in a broad valley on an area of grass. To gain some mobile phone reception I climbed up a nearby summit where, after an exchange of "can you hear me?" repeated a few times, I sent a text to my wife confirming my location and my love for her.

The campsite and huts for tourists seem quite popular and constitute most of this tiny settlement. An old staging point on the route through the mountains, nowadays, instead of sheep farmers on horseback its visitors arrive in 4x4's, some with ingenious camping arrangements on their roof or sides.

Path over black ash in the foreground, snow streaked mountains in the distance

Landmannahellir, the campsite is just around the corner from the hut in the bottom left of the picture

Hellismannaleið trail: Rjupnavellir to Afangagil: Iceland tour Day 3

My first day walking across Iceland and its volcanic, and dusty, landscape.

I was ready for the 5:30 am alarm, having woke up at 2:30, then 3:30, then 4:30, it meant I had time to make myself a quick coffee while packing. I walked down to the bus station arriving with 25 minutes to spare, leaving plenty of time to eat a roll for breakfast that I purchased yesterday. The station's seating area soon filled with people dressed for hiking, with the restrictions of Covid 19 I thought there would be fewer people but the coach was completely filled with walkers all heading for Landmannalaugar. All except me. The driver made her resentment clear when I asked to be dropped off somewhat before at Rjupnavellir, I was forced to point out that her office had previously agreed that this was possible. She discussed the matter with her colleagues, one of whom moved my rucksack slightly in the luggage area.

I was sitting next to a 76 year old man from Slovenia, travelling with a group and planning, like most of the coach, to walk the world famous Langavegur trail (world famous in the long distance walking fraternity anyway). Only I was walking the Hellismannaleið trail as a prequel to the Langavegur. I told him I hoped I would still be trekking at his age.

Rjupnavellir is just a small collection of huts and the turn for it was right on the coach's route. Getting off, I waved back at all those watching on the bus, almost tripping myself up in the process, and was soon walking up a track beside a briskly flowing river. Unfortunately, I had the company of a cloud of flies and was being overheated by the sun (having prepared for rather colder conditions in Iceland). Fortunately a wind blew up and helped disperse the flies and cool me down. On crossing a bridge I moved from green grassland with some bushes to a starkly different landscape; hills of raw, white ash, loose and not yet domesticated by any vegetation. I assumed the products of an eruption by nearby Hekla, in the not very distant past. Small streams cut deeply into the loose volcanic tuff, forcing a steep descent on the loose material followed by an ascent up the other side of the small valleys. My trekking poles helped to gain purchase on the unstable slopes but my boots quickly filled with little stones until I put my gaiters on, not quite the muddy conditions I had brought them for but useful nevertheless. 

The first "sight" highlighted by my guide was a wide waterfall, where the falling water was split into sections by islands green with vegetation. "Fossabrekkur" was the name of the falls and on the other side from me a family was enjoying a picnic.

I left the river I had been following at a pool enclosed by basalt walls, where the water flowed out of fractures in the rock. After that the ash became black with occasional outcrops of solidified lava, and some areas with a little grass and small alpine type flowers of the type you might plant in a rockery in your garden. Apart from a gravel road I crossed, the only sign of human intervention were the remains of some old stone enclosures, maybe once for sheep, although there was little now for them to eat.

Afangagil was in a narrow grass covered valley. Fortunately the owner of this small group of huts was around and I was able to pay him for using his flat, grass covered campsite and for a hot shower. Despite the primitive nature of the site there were also flush toilets. The huts were being used by a horse riding group who said hello, their horses in a paddock higher up the valley.

Tuna, peanut butter and oat cakes for tea.

Fossabrekkur waterfalls, note the white ash on my side of the river

A lot of today's walk was across ash, black ash in the picture above, the post is a marker for the trail.

Around Reykjavik: Iceland trip Day 2

After catching the bus to Reykjavik I spent the day around the town. 

On arriving at Rejkjavik I immediately liked those houses in the centre with corrugated steel walls painted in bright colours. The main pedestrianised street, Langevegur, had various things painted down the middle and a variety of shops and cafes each side. I checked out my plans at the Tourist Information, where I was directed to a lady who knew about the trails I was planning to walk. Still a certain amount of wet snow around it seemed. I felt a bit guilty as I suspected that these tourist information places made their money by selling tours, which I was not planning to buy at the moment as I wanted some flexibility in timing, not being familiar with the trails. I also visited the Settlement Museum, where I was the only person on the 11:00 am tour. Then it was the National Museum. So now I know quite a bit about the history of this small nation.

The good news today was that Britain's Foreign Office no longer advises against travel to Iceland. In addition for England at least it is not necessary to spend 14 days in quarantine on returning from Iceland. Hopefully Wales will follow suit. 

The only annoying thing today was that a restaurant wanted to see proof that I tested negative for Covid 19. Unfortunately the App "Rakning 19" does not seem to retain the test message. So I went to a different place to eat (Arctic char with veg, followed by chocolate torte). Back at my hotel, people were sitting outside at tables chatting, the sunlight glinting in the amber of their beer, although a little cool the locals were enjoying a Friday evening out.

Later: I emailed the testing people and they replied confirming my test was negative, with this evidence I hope I will not be turned away again.

Painted corrugated steel houses

Laugavegur

Reaching Iceland and the white Blue Lagoon: Iceland tour Day 1

After making it to Iceland, the sun shone and I went for a long walk.

Not much sleep last night, I had trouble getting to sleep and when I finally entered the land of Nod, the alarm woke me at 3:30 am to catch the plane. 

Luton airport was notable for being surprisingly busy and nothing being open. The lounge was filled with Wizz Air and Easyjet customers, probably like me hoping for a cup of coffee. Not only was none available, there were long queues for the vending machines selling bottled water (which seemed to operate at a funereal pace). Once on the plane there was delays due to fuel figures not matching and no coffee, although I was given a cup of water. However things began to look brighter when the clouds cleared as we approached Iceland. I had braced myself for rain or drizzle every day but today there was only sunshine!

Next hurdle was being tested for Covid 19 on arrival. The swab from the back of my throat was not too bad but the one up the nose was most unpleasant, especially when she gave the swab a twizzle. While waiting for the result I walked to my hotel in Keflavik, to avoid contaminating anyone on a bus. Going via the town centre I finally managed to get a coffee at a Petrol Station, along with a croissant - fresh according to the smiling person serving me.

The swabs were taken at 8:30 and the result arrived in my "Rakning C19" App at about 13:00. Negative thankfully. The notification then promptly disappeared so I hope I did not imagine it.

Having settled into Hotel Grasteinn, who kindly let me check in early, I set off on a track towards Grindavik that was in "Walking and Trekking Iceland" and also on wikiloc.com. initially the trail follows a hot water pipeline and later moves to the west on a faint path marked by orange posts and cairns. Although the land is broadly flat there are lots of ups and downs over lava flows. In places you could see the ropey surface of what I was taught was a Pahoehoe type lava. Later I walked on the jagged chunks of rocks on top of an a'a lava. There were also the remnants of some small lava tubes, formed when the top of the lava has solidified and the molten rock inside has poured out somewhere leaving a hollow tube. Areas of rounded lava pebbles suggested water was in the area at some point in its history. I crossed long, wide fissures in the rock, which I like to think were formed by Europe and America pulling apart. The tectonic plates on which those continents sit, meet and separate in Iceland, and I crossed their meeting point today!

The lava was covered with grey green moss and heather, and numerous types of flower. Areas of blue lupins were particularly noticeable. It is not a native of Iceland and is apparently a bit of a nuisance. 

I was disturbing plenty of birds with my walk. With a App that recognises bird songs I identified a Eurasian Whimbrell, a sort of curlew with a long, thin beak, and a Golden Plover, which is not particularly golden.

I left the path to Grindavik to head across country to the Blue Lagoon. Not very wise as the lava surface was very broken up and uneven. Moss hid holes that threatened my ankles, never very good at the best of times. Nevertheless the Blue Lagoon was worth a visit, if only to discover that the pools of water were more white than blue due to a fine precipitate of silica.

I had gone a bit further than planned and now needed to return. Hitch hiking up the road seemed a good idea, although I was not too successful. Unfortunately, the road's width, confined for some of the route between barriers, did not make it easy for cars to stop. I did eventually get one lift from some kind Danish people but for most of the way I walked. So now my feet are rather sore.

Lupins beside the hot water pipeline

Pahoehoe lava surface texture

 

Fissure maybe where the continents are separating

"Blue Lagoon"

Day 0 Getting to Luton Airport

The time has come to travel to Luton to catch an early flight to Iceland tomorrow. There seemed a number of hurdles that could get in my way. 

Firstly, as of today, because I live in Wales its devolved government says I should not travel more than five miles from my home (guidance that will change in five days time). Luton is 165 miles away. The advice changes to unlimited travel at the English border but that is 28 miles away from where I live near Cardiff. Catching a train from Cardiff would make it obvious I was planning to break the rules and escape from Wales, fortunately I was able to get a lift down the M4 to Bristol Parkway railway station.

After a minor panic when my phone wrongly told me the train had been cancelled I managed to board the express train to London Paddington. Wearing a face mask as mandated, I settled down to enjoy the ride on an almost empty train.

As the London Underground can be very crowded, making catching Covid 19 more likely, I walked from Paddington station to St Pancras. On the way I detoured into Regent's park with its roses, petunias, geraniums, toilets and a place selling refreshments. This was my first experience of public conveniences being open during the crisis, most have been locked up causing considerable inconvenience. A man outside made sure that too many people did not enter and inside alternate urinals were taped off to make sure you did not touch anyone.

I caught the train from St Pancras to Luton just before six, a time when the carriages would normally be full with returning commuters, with standing room only. Instead there were only a scattering of people, just as well as some were not very diligent with their face masks. Mine mists up my glasses every time I breathe out, and tends to slip off my nose. Not very helpful. 

Despite walking supposedly being encouraged the station staff at Luton suggested I use the shuttle bus to reach my hotel which was a mere 1.5 kilometres away. Given the difficulty I had struggling up cycle paths, that may have been closed for construction work, perhaps they were giving good advice. My final hurdle was getting into the hotel. I was asked whether my flight in the morning was for work or pleasure. I said "work", given hotels were only meant to be open for essential workers. How truthful was this? I had just submitted a book for publication on my walk across Europe on the E4 trail so I could honestly say I was an aspiring travel writer...

Regent's Park