Iceland: some walking possibilities
At the meeting of the Eltham and Environs Walking Group on 10 May 2017, a number of ideas for walking both interstate and overseas were put forward. One proposal was to spend 2+ weeks in Iceland in May 2018. Eight members at the meeting indicated their interest. That’s probably a good number to travel as a group. However, members not as the meeting may also be interested. You can contact me at:
Tony
Some background
• Travel to Iceland has become very popular over the past decade. The number of visitors in 2010 was 0.5 million. In 2016, that number had climbed to 1.8 million, with about 40% coming from North America and the UK. From what I’m reading, you would have difficulty finding accommodation just about anywhere in Iceland over the next 4 months.
• In selecting the best time to go, most travellers choose the 3 summer months of June to August. Numbers between October and April are fairly uniform, while May and September are about midway between the low and high numbers. To reflect this, accommodation costs escalate about 30% after 31 May, and stay that way until the end of August. May and September used to be considered shoulder season, but one source indicates May has become ‘High’ for some suppliers.
• Iceland’s population in 2016 was 330,000, with 122,000 in the capital Reykjavik, and 18,000 in Akureyri(in Iceland’s North).
By way of comparison, Tasmania’s population is about 520,000, with 217,000 in Hobart.
• Area: Iceland: 103,000sq.km, half of which is a mountainous lava desert; 1% of the country is arable, but 20% is used for grazing. 80% is uninhabited.
Tasmania area: 64,000 sq,km
• There are two additional letters in the Icelandic alphabet. One resembles a capital P, and the other a lower case d. They are pronounced like the hard and soft forms of ‘th’ in English. These letters look something like this:∂ andƤ
When: I have been in Iceland between mid May and mid June. Although the weather can be intemperate at any time, over 6 weeks in the country, the weather I have experienced has for much of the time been calm, and either sunny or cloudy. But, yes, there have been very overcast periods, with drizzly rain. Maximum temperatures have varied between about 7 and 20 degrees (the latter in the East). Despite my experience of mostly fine weather, climate stats indicate that in May it can be both cloudy (3 days out of 4), and damp (rainfall: Reykjavik 44mm, Akureyri 19mm, Kirkjubaejarklauster 118mm). So, the more I’m reading, the more I realise I’ve been lucky.
The weather in the North can be calmer and, perhaps surprisingly, milder than in the S. Occasionally in the S, there have been periods of very strong winds – stronger than anything I have experienced in Australia. In May, there is still quite a lot of snow on the mountains, helping to delineate very clearly the contours of the land. As temperatures rise through May, there is an immense amount of snow-melt, leading to spectacular waterfalls and sometimes minor flooding. By early June, this can mean roads, and some sites, are inaccessible.Because the terrain is all of volcanic origin, without the presence of some snow, the landscape can appeardark and forbidding.
I suggest visiting in May, perhaps from the second week onwards. However, in late September and early October, I gather foliage looks very beautiful, and snow is returning to the mountains.
Length:I suggest 14+ days travelling in the country. One possibility would be at the start to make the 45 minute flight from Reykjavik to Akureyri in the North Central region, then hire cars, and drive clockwise back to Reykjavik. That would involve circumnavigating two-thirds of the country via the sealed Ring Road. There are lots of walks and plenty to see in both the N Central and NE, and across most of the South.I would suggest this arrangement if it was possible to hire cars in Akureyri and return them in Reykjavik. If this proves to be too expensive, then cars could be hired at Keflavik International Airport (located 48km from Reykjavik) and driven anticlockwise round the country.
Optional additions:(i) add a couple of extra days to be in Reykjavik. The capital is an attractive city, very manageable and enjoyable on foot. The Hallgrimskirkja (church) and Harpa concert hall are worth a look.
ii) 5 -6 days in the NW. This is a magnificent region of stark and imposing mountains and fjords; however, roads are unsealed and fairly narrow, slowing down travel. To reduce travel time, you could fly to Isafjordur, and hire a vehicle. Both Roger and I have travelledthrough the NW.
WalksThere are some very good walking paths, as well as informal tracks, in Iceland. To access sites of interest, such as waterfalls, you usually need to drive a short distance off the Ring Rd (R1), and in the NE for longer distances off the R1. There are good sealed roads to many of these sites, but other tantalising sites can only be accessed using 4WD roads. There are lots more walks than listed, but this will give you an idea of possibilities, weather permitting.
Northern and NE area:
Akureyri: There isn’t much in the way of walking in this small city, but the Botanical Gardens are worth an hour because this is one of the few places with mature trees and flowering plants.
Dalvik: This is about 1 hour N of Akureyri. There is a very enjoyable walk up into the mountains behind the Foss Hotel, which takes you above the snowline, and a short ferry ride to Hrisay Island, located in the fjord. Poles are needed to ward off the dive-bombing, nest-protecting terns. Some consider whale-watching from Dalvik to be better than from the main base ofHusavik.
Myvatn area: Walk up the Hverfjall volcanic cone and around the rim: stark, dramatic landscape.
Combine this with the nearby walk along the Dimmuborgir Trail.
Hverir thermal zone: a one hour walk among the thermal pools, steam-pots and orange clays. Krafla and the Viti crater:2 excellent walking trails here, taking about half a day in all.
Dettifoss, a short drive from Myvatn, is Iceland’s largest waterfall. There is good walking along the canyon leading N fromDettifoss in the Jokulsargljufur Nat Pk.
Asbergi: N of Dettifoss, there is a lovely walk through a beech forest which, in May, will be coming into leaf.
A few km S of Asbergi, at the Vesturdalur campsite, is the start of a 5km walk to Hljodaklettur (Echo Rocks) and Red Hills.
BorgarfjordurEystri: I haven’t visited this area in the far NE corner of Iceland, but I have read there are lots of walking trails here
Eastern area:
Two waterfalls in particular-Litlanesfoss and Hengifoss - with a fairly steep walking trail of 5km
Nearby is the Hallormsstadur Forest Reserve: about an hour of walking here.
The eastern area of Iceland is dominated by fjords: more sight-seeing than walking.
Southern area:
Paths in Skftafell Nat Park:Svartifossis nearby,as isSkaftafellsjokull (by now you will recognise that foss = waterfall,. and jokull = glacier).
Just N of Kirkjubaejarklauster is the impressive if hard-to-pronounceFjadrargljufur Canyon, with an enjoyable walk up and through the canyon (7-10km), 3 hrs).
Circular walk via Reynisfjall Peninsular (9km, 3 hrs).
Many visitors to Iceland take to the water to cruise through Jokulsarlon – a glacial lagoon, with lots of floating ice. It costs about $100 for the trip (I haven’t done it), but have walked along the front of the glacier here, and it’s an impressive alternative.
The walk along the beach at the ReynisdrangurSeastacksis very enjoyable.
There is a terrific walk up and along the cliffs behind the Skalafell Farm to a glacier of the same name; a small dog from the farm led the way when I visited!
I haven’t mentioned Heimaey, the largest of the Westman Islands.A 200m volcanic cone formed in Jan 1973, following sudden eruption, with 400 homes lost. Very good walking on this island.
The quite formidableSkogafoss attracts a lot of tourists, but few venture past the base. A walk up the 380+ steps brings you to a hiking trail that takes you past numerous, if smaller, waterfalls. This is a walk you make as long or as short as you wish, as its full length goes as far as the Eyjafjallajokull volcano; the latter, you will remember, disrupted air-traffic for several weeks, and gave radio and television presenters considerable grief. One local wag told me to call it E15.
Accommodation & foodHotels, rooms or cabins on working farms, cabins separate from farms sitting in clusters in open space, guest-houses, campsites, what is known in Iceland as sleeping-bag accommodation whereby a bare bed is supplied hostel style and you provide the bedding, and hostels:- these make up the accommodation options. During summer (June to August), accommodation availability is considerably increased when country boarding schools are converted to temporary hotels, and given the name Edda Hotels. I have stayed in hotels, in guesthouses, and on farms, and, with one exception (a guesthouse in Reykjavik) have found them to be very good, and sometimes outstanding.An organisation called ‘Hey Iceland’ is a travel association in Iceland with a network of 170 B&Bs, small hotels, self-catering cottages and farm-stays that I have used when it was known as the Farm Holidays Association. All places were excellent. The areas for walking mentioned above all have nearby accommodation. This would need to be reserved many months in advance, given the escalation in tourist numbers.
Breakfasts offered in hotels and farms are as good as I have experienced anywhere. The breakfast at the Foss Hotel at Dalvik is quite exceptional. Evening meals just about everywhere are also pretty good. Lamb and fish are the staples, and both of very high quality. Cucumber, tomato and lettuce are grown locally (in glasshouses), but all vegetables appear to be imported.
Hire cars: Needed, although there are buses that ply the country. Sand and ash insurance considered a good idea. I have read that the local Blue Car Rental is good. However, research needed here (Ann has already done quite a lot on this)
Costs: In a word, high. Look at the prices of tours in Iceland, and they are usually way higher than in most of Europe, and elsewhere. Doing your own organisation isa way to contain costs. We have the time and expertise to do that. Hotels can be expensive, sometimes matching prices in big cosmopolitan cities. However, the Foss chain has struck me as good value.
Prepared food in hotels is quite expensive, but in supermarkets prices are often comparable with those we are used to in Australia. You will encounter foods we don’t often see in Australia eg, dried fish, and Skyr, (the latter a form of yoghurt), and both are excellent.
Getting there:Reykjavik is about a 2.5hr flight from London, and in the UK you can also fly from Manchester and Glasgow. For Australians, aside from UK, there are flights with Icelandair from Helsinki, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Zurich, and several cities in the US & Canada.
Still reading, still interested? Both Rough Guides and Lonely Planet publish excellent guidebooks for Iceland. I have drawn a map that includes many of the locations mentioned. I can send that on to you if interested.
For a small group, Iceland will be an interesting EEWG excursion out-of-town.