I’m going to start out by mentioning that I try not to overuse the word beautiful, instead reserving it only for things I truly find beautiful, namely Natalie Portman, a plate of fresh sashimi, Ken Griffey Jr.’s left-handed swing, and now Iceland. Even though I only spent five days in Iceland and saw hardly a fraction of the country, the landscapes I were able to visit completely blew me away. From majestic waterfalls spilling over cliff sides, to volcanic black sand beaches, immense glaciers, and rainbow colored ridges, Iceland boasts a combination of natural landscapes that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. This is due to the unique characteristics that have shaped the island, including volcanic activity, a latitude equal to parts of Greenland and Alaska, and the Gulf stream current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico up to the North Atlantic keeping Iceland’s climate more moderate than it otherwise would be.

The highlight of my short-lived trip was hiking in the central highlands, deep in the island’s interior, which I describe here. Enjoy!

Bus from Reykjavik to Landmannalauger

We caught a bus from the Harpa Concert Hall in downtown Reykjavik to Landmannalauger base camp with the Sterna Travel company. The bus departs Reykjavik at 7:15am and returns around 10pm (it’s a loooong day, but well worth it!). The drive takes about four-and-a-half hours, of which the last hour is spent on a dirt road that travels across an other-worldy landscape left in the wake of several eruptions from nearby Hekla volcano (the most active volcano in Iceland) and fords several river crossings (quite an experience in a 60 passenger coach bus!). The surface is covered by a deep black mixture of lava rock, sand, and ash, and prohibits the growth of any plant life, save for a few mosses and grasses. As a result, hardly any life survives in Iceland’s interior–flora, fauna, or human. Although, it is common local knowledge that trolls inhabit the hills and will capture and eat you if you wander off too far…

Landmannalauger Base Camp

At noon, we arrived in Landmannalauger, located in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve and starting point for many hikes the area. The camp has a backpacker hut, campground, washrooms, and a natural hot springs, as well as information for the various hikes. There are several popular day hikes, ranging from easy strolls to climbing steep peaks, and a multi-day through hike on the Laugavegur trail. We decided on an intermediate four hour (5-6 miles) hike that climbed Mt. Brennisteinsalda.

Hiking

The hike we went on took us across lava fields, past geysers and geothermal springs, over glacial valleys, up the mountain, and down through a river canyon before ending back at the camp. We started along a path that winded through an immense lava field, where bright mossy Dayglo green contrasted sharply against the volcanic obsidian black. Sickly-grey glacial streams serpentined through the flat valleys below, like snakes in a sandbox. Colorful hills of reds and greens, painted by acidic sulfur and silica, rolled beneath a backdrop of snow covered peaks. Mt. Brennisteinsalda was the most brilliant of these painted peaks as a rainbow of loose rock spilled from the summit down to the valley below. The climb up to the summit was steep, but worth the reward of a 360 degree panoramic view of the area. We were extremely lucky with the weather as clear days are hard to come by in Iceland and we were able to see from horizon to horizon.

For a day trip, this hike was the perfect length and offered views of all the best Iceland has to offer. I am hoping to make it back to the country soon to hike and photograph even more.