26. - 28. July 2020, 55 km
Day 1 in orange, day 2 in red and day 3 in dark red.
Day 1
Ytri Rangá - Áfangagil
15 km
My alarm went off at 5:45 AM. I quickly ate breakfast to catch the bus to Landmannalaugar at 7:00 AM. Halfway, I asked the bus driver if he could stop somewhere in the middle of nowhere (along road 26) to let me out. He kindly did so and I started walking the first stretch of the 55 km to Landmannalaugar. This trekking actually starts at Leirubakki, but the first 25 km to Rjúpnavellir did not seem very attractive to me (flat and monotonous, but I may be wrong), so I decided to start at Rjúpnavellir, which even became a bit further at the bridge over the river Ytri Rangá.
The trek starts along the banks of the Ytri Rangá and goes up and down some adjacent valleys. In the first valley I came by a river that had to be waded. After a beautiful waterfall (Rangárbotnar), the landscape soon started to become less vegetated and the soil lose. It was really pretty to walk over the light-coloured pumice of Hekla. At the source of the Ytri Rangá, I filled up my water bottle, as I would not encounter water until the hut at Áfangagil. From there, the trail went by a huge lava field, after which it crossed the road to Landmannalaugar (F225). To reach the hut/campsite the track climbed over a last hill (~70 m) and the hut only appeared at the last moment.
Day 2
Áfangagil - Landmannahellir
22 km
I knew the second day of the trek would be a long one, so I got up as soon as the sun started warming up my tent. The trail starts with a 120 m climb and then goes through long stretches of lunar landscapes. One of the vegetation-less valleys is called the death valley by some. Nonetheless, flocks of sheep were looking for something to eat here and there (you meet more sheep than people here generally). In the middle of the black sand and ashy plains, I came by Valagjá. This an explosion fissure and it looks otherworldly. The weather was amazing and on the higher elevations the views could go as far as Kerlingarfjöll and Hofsjökull. From Valagjá it was not far to the river Helliskvísl. Crossing rivers can be enjoyable, but for me it always a bit of a stressful experience. Luckily there was not much water in Helliskvísl and therefore easy to cross. Here I was halfway the distance for this day. Helliskvísl is also the first place after leaving Áfangagil where I encountered drinkable water (there is some sediment in the river though). After a long break, I continued following the trail, which first crossed a lava field (which was already covered by one of my favourite organisms, Racomitrium lanuginosum or Woolly fringe moss, a moss species that covers sharp lava fields with a soft blanket). Then it went over endless black sandy plains, slightly tiring for the feet. When mount Hrafnabjörg appeared on my left side it was time to cross a huge valley with almost no vegetation. From one side a small river flowed towards the center of the valley to disappear underground. There were also views on big lakes (Sauðleysuvatn, Hrafnabjargavatn and later Herbjarnafellsvatn). Between Sauðleysuvatn and Hrafnabjargavatn a small stream needed to be crossed, which is also called Helliskvísl. The last climb of this day was tough (even though only ~220 m), but it was the last one and it was followed by a long descend to Landmannahellir. Here is a hut and a campsite and when I arrived, it was quite busy. A good preparation for Landmannalaugar, but also a bit of a shock after hiking alone for two days.
Day 3
Landmannahellir - Landmannalaugar
16 km
Ai, heavy legs. Even though I run regularly, my legs were clearly not well prepared to hike with an extra 30% of my body weight for three consecutive days. The first kilometer of this day would go over a ridge, climbing about 100 m, but I knew more elevation would come later this day, so I decided to take a detour avoiding the climb, but going directly to Löðmundarvatn. It was a day to walk in shorts and t-shirts, which I obviously didn’t bring. There was no wind and the temperature must have been around 14 °C. The reflections in Löðmundarvatn were stunning. But there were also flies flying into my nose and behind my glasses. Just before crossing road 225 to Landmannalaugar again, I came across some frost wedges, at least they looked like this to me. The landscape started to change now and in the distance the rhyolite mountains of Landmannalaugar were visible. This day I would go over the highest point of the route (~800 m a.s.l.) and it involved a long climb. I always try to go very slow, in a sort-of meditative state and not stop and just concentrate on the next step. It works for me. It also helped that every climb this day was rewarded with stunning views (from the highest point this day it was for instance possible to see Vatnajökull). From there it was just a long descend to Landmannalaugar, though the last kilometer through the lava field seemed to take forever.
I actually stayed another night at Landmannalaugar as my bus would leave the next day at 15:30, so I had time for a hike. If I would have gotten up early and felt fresh, I would have hiked to Grænihryggur, as it was not the first time for me in Landmannalaugar. But I only made it to about 1 km before Skalli. It was nevertheless fantastic to see all the colours in the rhyolite mountains.
Tips
55 km, 3 days (or ca. 82 km in 4 days if extended to Leirubakki)
Where to sleep
Tent or in the huts, both for a fee.
Áfangagil
Landmannahellir
Landmannalaugar
Wild camping is not allowed in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve (which starts between the Helliskvísl crossing and Landmannahellir), so it would only be possible along the Ytri Rangá or at Helliskvísl if you need direct access to water.
Maps
I used an Iceland guide about the route with some more detailed small maps, in addition to a map, compass and the app OsmAnd with an offline map including elevation and a .gpx track of the route. The maps only have a scale of 1:100.000, which is not very good. The trail is not always visible, but it is marked with white poles. I never had any problems finding the track.
Icelandic guide
Map 1
Map 2
OsmAnd
Transportation
To get from Reykjavík to the start point and to go back to Reykjavík, I booked a return ticket with Reykjavík Excursions and asked the bus driver to let me out at a specific point along the road. If he would not have been willing to do so, I would have gone out at Leirubakki and hitchhiked further to avoid walking the first stretch to Rjúpnavellir along the road (10 km) or the official Hellismannaleið (25 km).