In August, my boyfriend and I visited Iceland: the legendary land of fire and ice! Perhaps not the most obvious destination, but as a writer, I loved it! 

Did you know that Iceland:

• has more writers in its population than any other country in the world?
• was an inspiration for many famous writers, including J.R.R. Tolkien and Jules Verne? 
• was a prime location for George R.R. Martin’s imagined lands in Game of Thrones?
• has a wonderful tradition of giving and receiving books for Christmas? 
• has a capital city that was designated a UNESCO City of Literature?
• is the birthplace of several significant literary works and authors, from the Viking’s famed sagas to novelist, poet and playwright Halldór Laxness, winner of a 1955 Nobel Prize in Literature?
• is one of the few places left on earth where one can drive into the wild and be truly alone?
• is therefore the perfect place to breathe, clear one’s head, and brainstorm ideas for a new story?

Laugavegur

Smack in the middle of the Icelandic highlands lies the Laugavegur Trail. The trail runs 55 kilometers (35 miles) from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk, and has been listed as one of the most beautiful trails in the world. 

For four magnificent days, we carried our food and camping equipment on our backs as we climbed incredibly colorful rhyolite mountains, passed lava fields, glacier arms, and wheezing hot springs, traversed frosted snow bridges, forded wild rivers, crossed black sandy deserts, and got “lost” in a lush arctic birch forest.

We witnessed some of the most spectacular terrains on earth, even as the trail challenged every fiber of our being. It pushed our bodies and our minds and allowed us to explore places few people get to see. Laugavegur was beauty, joy, and pain. 

It. Was. MAGIC.

Day 1: Landmannalaugar to Hrafntinnusker

Landmannalaugar is part of the Fjallabak Nature Reserve. Nestled in Iceland’s highlands, it sits on the edge of the Laugahraun lava field. Landmannalaugar is famous for its colorful landscape and geothermal hot springs. While most Icelandic mountains are dark-colored, Landmannalaugar has bright rhyolite mountains – pink, red, green, yellow, and purple. 

On our first day of hiking, we crossed Stórihver (with steaming vents and hot springs) and climbed hill after hill. Some of these climbs were steep, almost vertical slopes. After crossing a large snow field, we arrived at Hrafntinnusker, located in the Torfajökull glacier. Hrafntinnusker, which has an elevation of 1,128 m (3,700 ft), derives its name from the obsidian it is made of – hrafntinna in Icelandic – and the word sker, meaning rock or skerry.

The views from Hrafntinnusker were incredible (we were super lucky to have clear, blue skies). A sizeable geothermal area is around the mountain, especially to the west. There are fumaroles, multicolored clay hot springs, hot water springs, and ice caves.

Day 2: Hrafntinnusker to Álftavatn 

The winds were pretty tough during the night, howling around our tent, and the temperature dropped to -10 degrees Celsius (14°F). Still, the following morning we had to be careful crossing the snow bridges; by the end of summer, the ice caves hiding underneath the snow become unstable.

We continued our hike over rolling terrain, crossing a few small creeks before arriving at a ridge overlooking Álftavatn (Swan Lake). The huge valley and lake mark a turning point in the landscapes along the Laugavegur. Suddenly green mountains and mossy tundra dominate the views. 

Álftavatn is sometimes known as “the Windy City” because the campsite has very little shelter; if the wind is strong, tents are often destroyed. Luckily, our tent had already proven its mettle at Hrafntinnusker 🙂

Day 3: Álftavatn to Emstrur 

The third day of the trek took us through the black sand desert of Mælifellssandur. Our guides lovingly called it “The Valley of Thought” because the wide, open space never seems to end, and many a hiker has come out of Mælifellssandur a changed man (or woman / person). 

The desert’s crowning jewel is Mælifell Mountain, an iconic moss-covered volcano that stands alone on the vast, black plains of Mælifellssandur. Lonely Mountain, anyone?

Dominating the horizon to the south is the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, home of the notorious and explosive Katla volcano.

In the evening, we visited the Markarfljótsgljúfur Canyon, a stunning gorge only a short distance from the campground.

Day 4: Emstrur to Þórsmörk 

During the last day of the hike, we witnessed spanning views of glaciers stretching into the distance. We trekked mostly downhill, towards the canyon of Syðri-Emstruá. We crossed the river Þröngá, the deepest unbridged river so far, though fortunately only thigh-deep at the time, then descended into a rare stretch of birch forest as we headed towards our final destination: Þórsmörk.