Rest Day – Landmannalaugar
Bucketing rain, 80km wind gusts: we could clearly hear them approaching across the plain by the whipcracks and snapping of tent fabrics. Many, many tents were flattened. Lights flashing and volunteers running and trucks chugging around the campground at night during the peak of the storm and its aftermath, rescuing campers. Lots of shouting: it would have made excellent footage. Very exciting! There’s nothing better than waiting out a storm in a good tent, and nothing worse than waiting out a storm in a bad tent.
Carnage in the campground overnight.
The Rangers advised that no one start the Laugavegur today due to whiteout conditions at altitude. It was obvious – half the surrounding low hills were in cloud. And yet we saw one person set out, loudly proclaiming to all who would listen that he would be fine. Later, we heard that someone had gotten into trouble – we don’t know if it was the same man. Volunteers were apparently called in to help: setting out in whiteout endangers not only yourself. The situation reminded me very much of the Overland Track, with a large proportion of inexperienced hikers who have no idea of the potential severity of conditions, and where multiple people require evacuation every year.
Hot breakfast, hot cuppas and a cooked dinner in our vestibule rather than the marquee camp kitchen. The mixture of aromas from every corner of the globe in the camp kitchen was somewhat overwhelming!
We were a little concerned about out hut booking for that night, but the ranger reassured us that, in these circumstances, all bookings would be honoured, although with two night’s worth of people it might be rather crowded. Of course, they would much rather people wait, than set out in crap weather because they are afraid to miss out on their hut spot.
Some cheap tents pitched very well survived. Many quality tents pitched poorly - there were a lot of these - did not. The enormous difference of proper guying technique was eye-opening.
Tent manufacturers look away!
Tents pitched with rocks not only on snowflaps, but on tent flies. And zero guys. The little MSR, normally reasonably bombproof, might have survived if properly guyed, like the lime green tent behind it. You can see our little triangular non-free-standing Duplex in the background. Pitched with hiking poles, it's virtually indestructible, but we added extra guys not so much for structural integrity, but to minimise flapping that could loosen pegs. Because the fabric doesn’t stretch when it gets wet, we didn’t even need to get up during the night!
After a deliciously hot shower, we spend the rainy, windy morning in the tent.
Landamannalaugar's famous hot springs ... People spent a lot of time in them.
The springs look inviting, but we don't avail ourselves after the ranger tells us, as we are paying for our HOT SHOWER, that most people complain about having to pay the small shower fee. You must always shower thoroughly before and after bathing in Iceland's non-chlorinated communal springs and hot tubs, and then there’s … swimmer’s itch. Nah, pass.
Mountain Mall: an interesting history. In one bus, a shop selling camp essentials such as noodles (Helen) and chocolate (Geoff) along with some camp food, plus rainwear, alcohol and a range of touristy accessories. There’s a cafe in the other buses.
Useful information at the Rangers Station including Hut coordinates and a representation of where we will walk for the next few days!