Laugavegur Hiking Trail – Day two
This day starts in a way I will never forget: eating oats!!!!
Plain oats with hot water is disgusting! Back in Reykjavik, when we were shopping the groceries to bring to the trail, Verena had promised me that oats are the best you can eat because it is light, tasty, lasts longer, and it’s full of nutrients to give us the energy for a whole day walking in the mountains.
So I was bought by all those arguments and now breakfast became a nighmare for next few mornings! Just because I still had the “full of nutrients” part echoing in my head, I managed to force myself to just eat and not throw up the whole bowel of oats!
Anyway, t
ime to get ready and backpack again. My shoulders hurt! ahhh!
ime to get ready and backpack again. My shoulders hurt! ahhh! It’s such a bad weather outside, cold, windy! And it looks like it’s going to start raining anytime, so we just took our time in the hut, we only need to check-out by 10am.
I dress my water proof trousers on top of leggings, and tights, 2 pair of socks, long-sleeve shirt, fleece coat and rain proof coat.
Just when we were about to leave, the friendly Icelandic guy we met the day before offers to take our tent and sleeping bags in his van, as he is also heading to same hut as us! Ahhhh so much appreciated!!! 😀
Back in the path, at least 3kg lighter… we follow the wood sticks that show us the way. Yesterday we walked 12 km and today we are going to do 11km.
Walking in the snow… the visibility is reduced, it started falling an horizontal rain, and it’s absolutely freezing!
We realize there are parts where the snow melting from underneath, it creates sort of bridges, that could fall anytime, and sometimes we would walk on top of them without realizing it. It must be dangerous, but nobody told us anything.
And also sort of ice caves…
After a while walking, my gloves are all wet, my hands are so cold, and we are hungry, so time for lunch and rest!
But suddenly the clouds let the light blue sky shine above, and all the fog is gone! And now we can see where we stopped…
The view of the valley is beautiful!
We start walking down the mountain carefully, because the path is very steep and slippery.
As we get closer to the river we look for a part to pass… but it looks like there is no bridge or a narrow part that allow us to cross and remain dry. So, we have to take off our shoes!! Verena brought some shoes made of plastic, easy to wear in the water, and I brought nothing… totally forgot!!
We were given some advices on crossing rivers, so we can choose carefuly:
– sometimes the narrowest part is the deepest and with strongest flow;
– if there are more people crossing, observe first – they might be in a deepest site, and you don’t want to follow same steps, or vice-versa;
– it’s better to take small steps because the rocks in the water can be slippery or unstable and you might fall;
– always unlock the rucksack from your body, so if you fall backwards, you can easily get rid of the rucksack, and put yourself on your feet again!
Verena does her crossing but the river is too large to throw the shoes back to me, so I will have to go barefoot!
Rivers in Iceland are made of water from the glaciers… that melt and run freely down the mountains. Its flow depends on weather, so after a warm day the river might be stronger and Icelandics say a river is never the same.
So here I go, water is freezing cold! I first choose a way to cross, but at some point in the middle of the river I find it difficult to continue as I can’t find any safe place to step ahead, all rocks seem to move when I touch them, the stream all like sudden seems stronger and I am cold! So I decide to return back and start again. It really really hurts on my feet, and at this point I feel a mixture of numbness, cold and pain all over my feet and lower legs. I try not to rush or I might fall, eventually I use my hands to support me as it is too painful the little rocks underneath. And there, feet on dry ground again! Aaahhhh!! I made it! woo hooo!
Back on the path, now we walk in flat ground for a while till we see next to the lake the hut Álftavatn.
It’s an amazing feeling arriving at the hut after 6 hours walking. Just the sight of it is like a rewarding for another day achieved!
The hut of Álftavatn is bigger then the previous one, but still cozy. This one has a shower that we can use if we insert a coin and hot water lasts for 1minute.
We do check-in, sign the security list again, and drop our bags in the bedroom.
Still not yet hungry, we decide to explore around… and climb another mountain! When we get to the top narrow cone of the mountain in one side we can see our huts and the lake, the other side an amazing volcanic landscape!
1 hour later we are back at the huts.
I go for the quickest shower in all my life! 1 minute, as we didn’t have more coins! But now feeling so much relaxed! haha
And it’s time to cook dinner: pasta and pesto with boiled egg
s. There is a very friendly spanish group that also offer to us lamb soup, delicious!!! So this dinner end up being a social meal, sharing the food and flavors with each other!
s. There is a very friendly spanish group that also offer to us lamb soup, delicious!!! So this dinner end up being a social meal, sharing the food and flavors with each other!After getting back our sleeping bags from the Icelandic Tour Guide, we go to bed happy to be in the middle of our little adventure! Good night!! zzzzz
