Day 3 – Hellismannaleid: Landmannahellir to Landmannalaugar

Into a magical rainbow landscape

Colourful rhyolite mountains dwarf hikers on the floodplain below

Rainbow lands under cloudy skies

Today’s hike of 17km/10.6mi with about 550m/1805ft elevation gain and loss takes you into Landmannalauger through ever-more spectacular country. You’ll pass lakes, grassy fells, a sprinking of snow patches and cross a lava field and a wide braided river. It is the most extraordinary country you are likely to ever see.

Even on a day of rain and high winds, the terrain will make you forget. After a brief period of fog, it lifts just in time to showcase the incredible scenery near Landmannalaugar. A perfect summer’s day really!

So we’re back on track and have a “standard” day today.

Back on track for a “standard” day today.

Walk with Us:

The weather forecast is windy and wet. Staying put and using a spare day e is an option: the warm cosy hut is appealing after the long wet day yesterday. But the forecast is for worsening weather tomorrow, so moving on makes sense; it proves to be a good decision.

Hiker climbing hill with wide valley and snaking river in background

The day begins with a steep ascent behind the huts (an alternate lower route around the hill is possible, but you’ll miss out on views).

Landmannahellir Huts on wide plain with mountains beyond

Landmannahellir Hut - ours was the central of the three larger ones with bunk/dorm accommodation. The others are cabins. You can see that the campground is extremely exposed!

Golden mossy slopes in front of snow patched hills

Glimpses of snow ahead: you’ll walk over some today!

You can walk around the mountain behind the hut but we recommend that you climb it for the views, here Hellisvisyl snaking across the plain.

Sign in foreground with hiker and lake in background

Oh wow. Descending down the other side with a view over Löðmundarvatyn.

Hiker on steep path edging lake

Skirting the lake. The rotor gusts are insane, almost strong enough to knock you over.

Brown and yellow flowers of Frog Orchid

Frog Orchid (Dactylorhiza viride)

– great excitement!

rough dirty sheep on grass and rock paddock in front of rocky hillside

The sheep here are very different to our Oz merinos. They are strangely triangular in cross section, and their wool is much more coarse and hair-like. Not surprising seeing as it’s so cold.

Hiker crossing boulder strewn meadow between a lake and mountain

We figure these small boulders have been tossed out or down from a volcano? Geologists, please help!

Rivulet crossing mossy meadow

I’ve tried to capture the colour of this moss. It is an iridescent lime green that looks completely out of place in a natural environment.

Hiker on track with lake to the left and snowy fells beyond

The wind is a good 35+knots on this hillside and it's drizzly. Few pictures as it is just too exposed. Lifrarfjallavatyn just has a few gusts across its surface.

Hiker on track beside rocky and mossy hill

Here you have already crossed the (one) road and are finally at the snowline.

Tiny rivulet flowing down rocky hill past snow

The rain has been steady all day…

but there are always things to see: abrupt extrusions and columns of rock.

Distant hiker entering mossy green fells

You’ll still have the trail almost entirely to ourselves, less than a day from busy Landmannalaugar. Nearly everyone heads south.

Frostastaðavatyn

The fog is dropping.

Whiteout conditions are notorious here and a map and compass aren’t much help, but we have our trusty ancient Garmin 72map, our Garmin Inreach Mini, and two phones with Mapy.cz and the route plotted. I'm anal about backup navigation because I'm so afraid of getting lost!

Hiker entering dense mist

Fog descends. No hurry. Waymarkers are mostly visible but a couple of times the gps route helps.

Closeup of pink and white flowers of Harrimanella hypnoides

Mossy mountain-heather:

(Harrimanella hypnoides)

Golden moss ochre rhyolite snow and misty distant hills

First glimpse of the famous rhyolite of the mountains around Landmannalaugar.

Hiker crossing snow and ochre rhyolite

More snow!

And finally… wow. After seeing so many pictures when researching the hike, you’ll find the reality is so much more than you expect. More vast, more colourful, more awe-inspiring... just... more.

Walkers on floodplain in front of rhyolite mountains

Onto the flood plain.

These are the colours as seen on a rather drab, drizzly and gloomy day. Jaw dropping. You’ll keep stopping to marvel. The tiny people on the plain bottom left give you an idea of the scale.

Waterfalls, snow, green, white, orange and red rhyolite, and Trolls’ Dicks!

Hiker in foreground gazing at  braided river and lavafield

One last river to cross. River crossing sandals are essential when hiking this region in Iceland - thongs are no good as you’ll lose them. Landmannalaugar is tucked behind the lava field  top left (you'’re approaching from the northwest).

Pictogram no walking sign in front of bright moss

Great to see that most people seem to respecting the signage.

Moss is incredibly sensitive to trampling.

A lavafield to cross to reach tonight’s campsite

Landmannalauger huts and campground as seen from lavafield

Landmannalaugar. It’s a bit of a shock to see so many people after the solitude of the last few days!

Duplex tent and other tents on stony open Landmannalauger campground

70+km/hr wind forecast plus rain.

The camp is extremely exposed so we place extra guys and have built a little wall around the windward side. A French film crew is doing a story on the Icelandic search and rescue volunteers, who spend most of their time rescuing tourists. They have their mikes and cameras, and are filming volunteers in suspiciously clean uniforms advising campers. They come and talk to us because, to the uninitiated, our Duplex tent, which is probably one of the strongest ones in the campground, looks like something you might buy in the toy department of Kmart. But we know from where the wind is approaching and have zero concerns about our tent because our pegs are very secure.

Tents in Landmannalauger under dark threatening sky

Here comes the weather. What will tonight will bring?


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Day 2 – Hellismannaleid: Afangagil to Landmannahellir

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Rest Day – Landmannalaugar