Trekking the Laugavegur Trail Iceland – Day 4: Emstrur to Langidalur

After a restless night, mainly due to us all being so close together on mattresses on the bunks in the small mountain hut, I head outside early to look at the surrounding scenery. The cloud ceiling has dropped again overnight so the views are limited, but one added bonus is that it feels slightly warmer. I also take the opportunity to stretch my thighs and limber up (as my right thigh is still not right from being corked 2 days prior, but at least it has not got any worse).

Then once it is 6am other members of the group begin to stir and shortly afterwards the packing up of sleeping bags and the sorting of gear begins. This is followed by activity in the kitchen with breakfast being served-the usual porridge and coffee supplemented by bread with butter or Nutella in some cases. Then we all make our sandwiches and the kitchen team cleans up (which involves me as I am a member of the kitchen team today). As soon as everyone is organised and the duffle bags have been loaded into the transport vehicle it is time to depart. I will have to carry one of the coffee thermoses this morning (some additional weight in the backpack)!

Off we set across black volcanic sand until we descend towards a nearby gorge with the Fremri-Emstrua river at its base. The tops of all of the mountains remain obscured at this stage. There are chains that you can hold onto on this part of the trail (an added safety measure for the trickier parts which are on uneven rock). You do not want to slip!

Crossing the Fremri-Emstrua river is straight forward as it is via a bridge and we then walk alongside it before we head up again across more volcanic sand and rock. The cloud ceiling remains low and we seem to be just beneath it at times.

Further on we trek over another ridge and lo and behold there is a small stream with some vegetation around it (not just the usual moss and lichen). This is an opportunity to have a short stop and for everyone to regroup before the next hill climb! For the photographers there is the opportunity for some macro shots of the unusual vegetation (plus we are out of the wind). The large light green bushes with flower heads on them are Angelica.

Then it is another short climb up towards the rim of the Markarfljotsgljufur gorge where there is the opportunity to look down at the fast flowing Markarfljot river at its base. Our guide (Solvi) reminds us to be careful near the rim as our personal safety is paramount. Hence we are directed towards the safest viewing spots.

Shortly afterwards we stop for a coffee and a snack break and I am able to hand over the thermos (my stint of thermos carrying is over for the day). Woohoo less weight in the backpack! We trek further along the trail which runs parallel to the gorge and marvel at the volcanic scenery.

Further on we come across a stretch of volcanic sand littered with large rocks. These are lava bombs which have been thrown out of one of the nearby volcanos back in time. This precipitates a discussion about what would happen if there was a sudden volcanic eruption. Apparently there is an emergency response plan for this region, which involves hut wardens sending up fireworks/flares into the sky and the trekking guides also being notified. You would then be advised to immediately head in the recommended direction (and hopefully avoid a direct hit from any lava bombs)! This is something that I hope not to experience this trip.

The low cloud cover has limited our views of the summits of the nearby mountains but then as the cloud lifts (and we begin to descend again), there is a brief glimpse of the Myrdalsjokull glacier, as the Laugavegur trail runs in parallel to the west of it for this particular segment. There are now some better views to be had of the nearby hills which are covered in moss and lichen. Hence the green!

We then trek over another ridge into a small gulley by a stream. As this spot is out of the wind, we can stop for lunch. Out come the sandwiches and plastic mugs (for the coffee!). There are rules to be followed with respect to bathroom stops (always downstream). There are a number of clumps of flowers and other interesting sub alpine vegetation including Crowberry and Bilberry plants which provide a marked change from the green moss and lichen. The dark purple flowers in the following image are Bartsia.

Then after another short climb we start heading progressively down along a spur towards a large river. This is where we see the first signs of different vegetation and hear the chirping of small birds in some nearby scattered clumps of bushes. After several days of hearing only the sound that we make (and that of the wind), this chirping is music to the ears. As we descend further and the cloud clears, I can see the infamous Eyjafjallajokull glacier for the first time with the Pronga river down in the valley in the distance.

Down the ridge we descend until we come to a gulley where there are some birch trees. This is a welcome stopping point for a rest and a drink, and is known as the Kapa region. It is nice to sit down on some grass but the flies are a real nuisance! We then move off and cross the bridge over the Ljosa River and head up yet another ridge. This is where I take the opportunity to look back and snap a photo of the Kapa valley.

We cross over the ridge and then descend towards the Pronga River, where it is off boots on sandals followed by a wade through the cold water to get to the other side. We then climb a ridge the other side of the river towards our destination for the night and are rewarded with commanding 360 degree views of our surrounds. This is the best view so far all day of the Tindfjoll peaks (Ymir and Yma) along with the Tindfjallajokull glacier

Looking towards our final destination for the day I can see the nearby wooded region of Porsmork with Eyjafjallajökull looming up behind it. This greenery resembles what the lower elevations of Iceland looked like prior to human habitation. We will walk through part of this birch forest before we reach Langidalur.

Finally the group reaches the huts at Langidalur and this seems like luxury accommodation compared to the previous 3 nights. We are accommodated in one half of a large spacious loft upstairs and hence we can spread out. Plus there are showers which are out of the wind! So everyone immediately claims a space in the loft, gear is sorted and the queuing for showers commences.

We also have a quick hot drink and a snack before Solvi provides instructions to those of us who on the kitchen team. I along with 3 of my fellow trekkers have to make a salad as well as cook Icelandic style fried potatoes and onions. Because we are cooking for 16 this involves using the industrial sized cooking pots on gas rings in the kitchen. First a small mountain of potatoes and onions are peeled and diced (two of the men do this-thanks guys), but the hut kitchen knives are blunt …… oh noooo! We manage to persuade the cook for another trekking group to loan us his large highly sharpened kitchen knife (after we watched him sharpening it). This other cook (who was also the Guide for another trekking group) was a real wiz at dicing and slicing (fortunately this was not a competition)! We then found out that he had previously been a chef in a restaurant back in time, which explained alot!

An industrial pot of water containing the sliced potatoes then had to be brought to the boil for 5 minutes. Then said potatoes and onions were fried in an industrial sized frypan (I was the head chef for this particular task), with care being taken not to burn them because16 hungry people are waiting!!! Dinner was then served and also included Icelandic lamb cooked on a barbecue outside. This is the last night that we will all be together. The evening is then spent partly outside enjoying the scenery as well as comparing notes and swapping stories before we all turn in.

To be continued: Trekking in Iceland – Day 5: Langidalur and Porsmork