Laugavegur and Fimmvorouhals Trek in Huts 6 Days
6 Days - Reykjavik - Landmannalaugar - Hrafntinnusker - Hvanngil - Emstrur - Thorsmork - Fimmvorouhals - Thorsmork Valley
Tour overview:
By combining two of Iceland’s best-known trails, you get an unbelievable six-day trek through diverse natural landscapes. Your trek begins at the renowned geothermal area of Landmannalaugar. Your knowledgeable and highly experienced guide will lead you over multi coloured hills and black sands, alongside small gullies and great canyons, through rich green valleys to Thorsmork, the valley of Thor. From there, the second part of the trek begins, up between gigantic glaciers, towards the craters on top of the pass, and witnessing what makes the Icelandic highlands so special. After hiking up to the fascinating terrain of Fimmvorouhals and back to Basar, Þorsmork, you will end your 6-day trek with a short hike in the oasis of Thorsmork.
Day 1 - Reykjavik - Landmannalaugar - Hrafntinnusker
We take the regular public bus from BSI bus terminal, that during the summer months drives the mountain tracks that lead to Landmannalaugar, passing by the Hekla volcano and other volcanoes in the Domadalur area. Arriving in Landmannalaugar at noon, we have a lunch and then head south into the mountains. The trail takes us past small gorges, steaming hot springs and yellow mountain ridges. We will arrive in the late afternoon at Hrafntinnusker mountain hut, where we will stay the night.
Day 2 - Hrafntinnusker - Hvanngil
From Hrafntinnusker we descend down in the gullies of Jokultungur with hundreds of steaming hot springs and mud pools. Up there we enjoy fascinating views to the south to the Alftavatn area (Swan Lake), and the Myrdalsjokull and Eyjafjallajokull glaciers. In the afternoon we arrive at Hvanngil hut, located at the foot of the green conic volcano Storasula. Here we will stay the night.
Day 3 - Hvanngil - Emstrur
We leave the green oasis of Hvanngil and continue our hike, entering the black deserts of Mælifellssandur. Heading towards another ancient and verdurous volcano, the Hattfell, we enter the Emstrur region where farmers used to graze their sheep in summer. Before arriving at the Botnar hut where we stay the night, we visit the magnificent Markarfljot canyon cut almost 200 m down into the rocks south of Hattfell.
Day 4 - Emstrur - Thorsmork
We continue up and down through the small valleys and gullies of Emstrur, where the great Myrdalsjokull glacier rises only a couple of kilometers away. At the end of the day, the vegetation starts to grow thicker and higher as we descend into Þorsmork’s (the woods of Thor) green valleys filled with arctic birch forests and colorful flowers. We cross the river Krossa on a footbridge entering the magic landscapes of Gooaland, the abode of the Gods. Nesting at the foot of two glaciers this is a wonderland of ridges and cliffs covered by a multitude of flowers and grasses, certainly fit for gods and humans alike. Even the elves have made themselves at home here. We spend the night in the Basar hut.
Day 5 - Thorsmork- Fimmvorouhals
We climb up the hills leading to the pass of Fimmvorouhals, walking along the Kattarhryggir ridges with views to the impressive mountain of Utigonguhofoi up to Morinsheioi heath. At the end of the Morinsheioi plateau we enjoy the view of the lava stream that flowed down from the Fimmvorouhals volcano in March and early April 2010. As we gain height above Morinsheioi we come to the lava and then to the two craters Magni and Mooi that erupted prior to the main Eyjafjallajokull crater. We head back to Þorsmork with the magnificent view over the glaciers and this beautiful valley for our celebration barbeque dinner and night in Basar Hut.
Day 6 - Thorsmork Valley
We spend the last day in Þorsmork, the hiker’s paradise, where we have an abundance of choices between various paths. For example, we can visit the Songhellir cave (“Song cave”), climb up the small mountain of Valahnukur from where the magnificent views can be enjoyed, or hike into the beautifully carved canyon Stakkholtsgja. This oasis between the mountains is also an ideal place to relax and just enjoy nature. Return to Reykjavik in the afternoon.