After close to a solid 10 hours of sleep punctuated by one trip to the unisex latrine (which mercifully is not outside), I awaken to peer out the hut window to see the same misty surrounds as the evening before. In fact the visibility is so limited that I do not even entertain going outside because there is not much of a view. Others stir and soon after 7 am Solvi (our guide) starts preparing the porridge and coffee. Having seen the weather outside, I decide that I need extra energy for todays trek so during breakfast I stir squares of dark chocolate into my porridge!
We sort out our gear and pack it into our backpacks then put on our outer gear, boot up and head out. There is now light misty rain so I snap a couple of photos. Thephone battery is close to dead and as I did not carry the portable charger there is nothing that can be done at this stage to fix it!
I manage to take a picture of the Fimmvorduskali hut (being careful to not step off the path!).
Then I turn around and take a photo of the nearby terrain as the hut resides up on the top of a ridge. This is the visibility that we will have for the initial descent down off the ridge!
Then off we set trekking across snow and at times rocks for the initial part of the descent towards Skogar. The first of what will be many waterfalls is spotted by Solvi (our guide) and we peer at it through the misty rain. A couple of better equipped members of the group stop to take photos.
Onwards we head. At one stage as I am at the front of the rear group of trekkers I spot what seems to be a bird shaped rock in the misty rain. As I get closer I think to myself what an interesting shaped rock (amongst the numerous rocks for the first couple of hours). It is not until I am 100 metres away that I realise that I am looking at a Ptarmigan which is so perfectly camouflaged against the rock that it is perched upon that they both look to be the same colour. I point it out to the other trekkers but sadly I cannot take a photo!
We trek past numerous unnamed waterfalls each appearing a little more magnificent than the past. We also cross a bridge over a narrow gorge with a fast flowing river (a tributary to the main Skogar river that the Fimmvorouhals trail runs in parallel to for most of its course). The planned for lunch stop in the one hut on the trail is thwarted by the hut not being open! So we break for lunch on a scenic spot sheltering behind rocks. However lunch is a short affair as several members of the group are beginning to feel the chill (due to the rain). So off we set again with just a quick stop for each waterfall to admire the view! Of note most of these waterfalls are still unnamed. At one stage I am trekking up another incline in the mist and I see an Iceland Raven. Quite a large bird, completely jet black in colour (and unfortunately I am not able to photograph it ….. sigh)!
Finally we know when we are getting near to Skogar and the infamous Skogarfoss waterfall because the number of other people on the trail now increases quite dramatically each kilometre. In addition the mud underfoot on the trail has also increased-which provides its own challenges.
Noting can prepare you for the magnificence of the Skogarfoss waterfall, nor the sound of the water rushing over the top and then pouring down the sheer drop into the valley below. On reaching the top viewing platform I manage to snap one image of the waterfall just before my digital phone battery dies for the day. The small white objects dotted around the vegetation are nesting Arctic fulmars.
Then it is perhaps the most difficult part of the day, descending down a very steep set of stairs in damp conditions into the valley below. Some of us take our time because one slip and well it is not worth thinking about. Then the group reconvene with Solvi and trek to the base of the Skogarfoss waterfall. The thundering sound and forces of the descending water along combines to creates it’s own micro climate at the base of the waterfall. You can feel the force of the water hitting the small lake at the bottom and see the waves travelling across the lake surface. We gather for a group shot for which Solvi then obliges. I guess when you have guided a group of trekkers for the last week over all sorts of terrain, through all types of weather it is pretty exciting to reach the end-hence the Solvi photobomb. Needless to say we are not worried about getting wet from the spray of the waterfall because by that stage we were already wet!
As soon as we have had our fill of the majestic sight of Skogarfoss we head off to one of the nearby facilities to shed our wet outer gear, have a warm drink and get ready to board the bus back to Reykjavik. Like for any other multi day trek there is a sense of accomplishment and also the relief to have made it unscathed! The memories will last for a lifetime. The lack of photo opportunities on the last day were partly from a combination of bad luck due to the weather and not wanting to carry the additional weight (of a portable battery) in the backpack. Ces’t la vie.
Should you ever want to go trekking and hiking in Iceland the motto is to be prepared and the following is some of the advice put out by Safe Travel Iceland. Their website is very much worth looking at
So that is it for this trek. So long for now until I post about my next hiking/trekking adventure
Living the Life in the Great Outdoors 