Day 1: Ásbyrgi-Vesturdalur
Our trek starts in front of the information center of the Jökulsárgljúfur National Park situated in an old horseshoe-shaped canyon called Ásbyrgi. We scramble up on the edge of the canyon and follow it until we reach a point which gives us a full view of it. Our heathen ancestors, the Vikings, believed that Odin's (the chief of the old gods) eight legged horse tripped somewhere above Iceland and had to put one of his eight legs down on earth, leaving the hoofmark for generations to admire. We continue crossing a moor until we reach the namesake of the park, the canyon Jökulsárgljúfur, where the river Jökulsá growls at the bottom. Following the canyon we pass the Rauðhólar crater row, with their intensive red and black scoria colors, and the extraordinary echo cliffs Hljóðaklettar, before we reach our campsite at Vesturdalur valley.
Distance: 12-14km (7.5-9mi) Walking time: 5-7hrs
Day 2: Jökulsárgljúfur-Dettifoss
We continue following the canyon passing the turned-to-stone Giants Karl and Kerling and the fresh water sources Hólmatungur, before we plunge into the canyon itself and follow the river for a while. This is a rather unknown part of the park but many consider it its highlight because of its singularity. At the end of the day.we come to Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall.
Distance: 18km (11-12mi) Walking time: 7-8hrs
Day 3: Elífsvötn
Now that we have reached the end of the canyon which terminates at the Dettifoss waterfall, we leave the river to cross rocky plains and heathery plateau until we reach the beautiful mountain lake Elífsvötn. At its far end we find one of the cozier places in Icelandic wilderness to camp.
Distance: 14-16km (8.5-10mi) Walking time: 7hrs
Day 4: Lava fields-Mývatn
A long day and waterless awaits us, but the effort is worth it. During one the strangest and most moon-like day of the trip we cross the most recent, black lava field of the Krafla volcano, through red craters, melted stone and muddy hot-springs, until we arrive in the little village of Reykjahlíð at the border of the famous lake Mývatn.
Distance: 20-25km (12.5-15.5mi) Walking time: 8-9hrs
Day 5: Rest day, with endless possibilities of sightseeing, thermal bathing and bird-watching around the lake.
Day 6: Mývatn-Kraká
From Reykjahlíð we head to the other side of the lake, passing unique places like the explosive crater Hverfjall and the strange pillars of Dimmuborgir, which might make one wonder why on earth Lord of the rings was shot in New Zealand. We set camp by the river Kráká.
Distance: 18-22km (11-13.5mi) Walking time: 8-10hrs
Day 7: Kraká-Ódáðahraun
Following the river we slowly enter the highlands; all habitable land lies behind us now. A spring river of this kind is like a oasis that supports various birds and vegetation which will become increasingly scarce only a short distance away from the stream. At the end of the day we camp in a cozy green spot, the last one before we enter the great deserts of Ódáðahraun.
Distance: 16-18km (10-11.5mi) Walking time: 6-8hrs
Day 8: Suðurárbotnar
Leaving the river, we start crossing the plains - mountains rising slowly at the horizon. After traversing some more old lava fields we arrive at Suðurárbotnar water sources situated at the edge of the great lava and sand desert Ódáðahraun, which we enter to find a little hut where we stay the night.
Distance: 16-18km (10-11.5mi) Walking time: 6-8hrs
Day 9: Dyngjufjalladalur
Rugged, barren, desolate, hostile, moonlike are few of the words that come to one's mind crossing the black desert of Ódáðahraun. We continue towards an even more Tolkien-like landscape of Dyngjufjalladalur, where we find like the day before, the warmth of a hut.
Distance: 20-22km (12-13.5mi) Walking time: 8-10hrs
Day 10: Dyngjufjöll-Askja
We start the day by climbing slope after slope of the great Dyngjufjöll Mountains until we reach the magnificent Askja caldera. Passing the crater Víti and some steaming hot springs,we traversing the caldera to reach the famous Öskjuvatn Lake. From there we climb the slopes on the other side where we enjoy an excellent view over the lake and caldera as well as towards some of the most majestic mountains of Iceland, Herðubreið and Snæfell. Descending the other side leads us to a well known campsite and some huts, where we will stay.
Distance: 19-20km (11.5-12.5mi) Walking time: 8-10hrs
Day 11: Rest day at Askja.
Day 12: Askja-Svartá
This is a ''semi'' rest day. We only start hiking in the late afternoon. Entering a desert of black sand north of Askja brings us to a peculiar green moss Oasis of Svartá river, in the middle of black sand dunes.
Distance: 10-12km (6-7.5mi) Walking time: 5-6hrs
Day 13: The black desets
After drinking our fill and filling up all water bottles, we continue crossing the black desert, now with Vatnajökull glacier on the left and the Askja caldera on the right. From here the view will remind you of Tolkien's Mordor. Trotting the sand in the vast space north of Vatnajökull brings us, finally, to a hill in the sand with a glacial stream flowing by. This is where we camp, next to the only water available for many miles.
Distance: 16-18km (10-11.5mi) Walking time: 6-8hrs
Day 14: Urðarháls-Kistufell
After the sand desert, the landscape becomes more hilly and rugged. We traverse a small lava field and mount an old shield Volcano Urðarháls, to discover one of the deeper craters in Iceland. Never far away from the Vatnajökull glacier we reach the rugged emergency hut of Kistufell Mountain where we stay the night.
Distance: 18-20km (11-12.5mi) Walking time: 7-9hrs
Day 15: Gæsavötn
Like the days before, this one is as deserted as it gets. Not a single plant, not a straw, not a lump of moss peeps out of the black sand or lava. Traversing occasional glacial stream and passing an old crater row we continue until we come to the oasis Gæsavötn, where we stay in a mountain hut, appreciating that there are other colors in Iceland than black.
Distance: 14-16km (8.5-10mi) Walking time: 5-7hrs
Day 16: Gæsavötn-Vonarskarð
After a short hike from Gæsavötn we come to an important glacial river, which we cross or, depending on conditions, we might have to turn towards its source and cross a small glacier. A bit further on we enter a vast pass called Vonarskarð (Pass of Hope). The pass is formed by the glacier and sub glacial eruptions, and the landscape takes on a new dimension, different from what we have seen so far. Finding a convenient campground we will call it a day and perhaps we have a chance for a hot bath as geothermal areas are to be found in several places in the Vonarskarð area.
Distance: 24-28km (15-17.5mi) Walking time: 8-10hrs
Day 17: Vonarskarð-Nýidalur
The Vonarskarð Pass lies between the glaciers Tungnafellsjökull and Köldukvíslarjökull. The geology is conditioned by the calderas on either side; geothermal activity is considerable since directly underneath the eastern caldera the Icelandic “Hot Spot” is to be found. We traverse the vast pass, over to the valley Snapadalur, where hot springs and solfataras are to be found, offering again a new set of colors. We have reached some rhyolite mountains, which unlike basaltic mountains, offer bright colors of great variety. After climbing a ridge of such mountains we descend along the valley Jökuldalur, at which end we find the huts of Nýidalur.
Distance: 28-32km (17.5-20mi) Walking time: 9-11hrs
Day 18: This is a rest day, used for reorganizing, showering, recuperating and maybe a short walk in the vicinity. We stay another night in the hut in Nýidalur.
Day 19: Nýidalur-Vonarskarð south
After an easy morning, and maybe a last shower, we leave the huts in Nýidalur in the afternoon. Once our packs are on our backs, we head southeast, towards the Köldukvíslarjökull outlet glacier, following a gentle stream leading into the southern part of the Vonarskarð Pass. Today´s hike is short and we make our first camp at the foot of the hills next to a gentle stream.
Distance: 18-22km (11-13.5mi) Walking time: 8-10hrs
Day 20: Vonarskarð-Kaldakvísl
The Vonarskarð Pass is a sort of basin between the glaciers Tungnafellsjökull and Köldukvíslarjökull. Its geology is conditioned by the two calderas on both sides; geothermal activity is considerable since directly underneath there is supposedly the very centre of Iceland's "Hot Spot". We climb the hills to the Vonarskarð Pass and descend into the beautiful lake of Kvíavatn. Descending further to the source of the Kaldakvísl River crossing one of her streams before continuing to the outlet glacier of Köldukvíslarjökull. We will camp in the morains.
Distance: 12-14km (7.5-9mi) Walking time: 5-6hrs
Day 21: Kaldakvísl glacier-Sveðja-Hraungil
Today we make an early start and head onto the Köldukvíslarjökull glacier. On the other side of the glacier awaits the River Sveðja (the hatch), one of the most complicated obstructions of this journey. Wading such a stream can p problematic but an early start might ensure our safe crossing. Once on the other side of the river we enter into the lavafield of Hágönguhraun and continue south. Depending on the water situation, we will camp in a small crater, a perfect shelter against sudden gales who could descend from the glacier, or else continue to Hraungil.
Distance: 10-15km (6-9.5mi) Walking time: 5-7hrs
Day 22: Sylgja-Jökulgrindur-Jökulheimar
We have an early morning river crossing as we need to cross the river Sylgja, before heading into Tröllahraun "Lava of Trolls“ a rough recent lava flow where strange images lurk out. We continue south, through the sandblown lava to Tungnaárbotnar with the glacier to our left, before turning in a westerly direction along Jökulgrindur mountain ridge. At Jökulheimar glaciological hut, the only "urbanized" place during the tour we enjoy a night of comfort after a good day, preparing for our crossing of Tungnaá river in the morning.
Distance: 10-15km (6-9.5mi) Walking time: 5-7hrs
Day 23: Tungná-Langisjór
Crossing the big river Tungnaá demands special techniques and considerable amount of time. When we have crossed all the different riverbeds and have dried our feet, we head between the glacier and Grænifjallgarður mountain range ascending the windblown hills of tuff and sand. All of a sudden one of most spectacular places in Iceland lies ahead of us and we enjoy the breathtaking scenery before heading down to the white-blue lake of Langisjór to the south of which rises the impressive mountain range Fögrufjöll, creating a perfect backdrop for this magical lake. We round the eastern end of Langisjór heading into the hills of Fögrufjöll before camping in a tiny oasis, Grasver.
Distance: 16-18km (10-11.5mi) Walking time: 6-8hrs
Day 24: Fögrufjöll-Skaftá
We hike along the Fögrufjöll ridge in a westerly direction. To our south lie the black sandplains of Skaftá river, the green Fögrufjöll and the amazing lake of Langisjór to the north. Multiple craters and small lakes in between these hills create extraordinary forms, reflecting in water and entertaining the eyes with the colors and contrasts. Passing at the foot of the Sveinstindur peak, we turn to follow the Skaftá River finding a suitable campground in one of the many hidden gullies, offering clear spring water and a shelter from the wind.
Distance: 22-24km (13.5-15mi) Walking time: -7hrs
Day 25: Lakagígar
We head out along the Skaftá River, climbing the Uxatindar peaks towering over the river rapids and a canyon, enjoying the views to the Lakagígar crater rows on the other side of the river. The landscape is quite spectacular, tall palagonite cliffs, series of labyrinth gulleys cut into thick tephra layers. These are the outskirts of the big volcanic fissure Eldgjá canyon, which erupted for the last time in 934. Descent along Eldgjá towards Lambaskarðshólar where we stay in a mountain hut for the next two nights.
Distance: 17-20km (10.5-12.5mi) Walking time: 6-8hrs
Day 26: A rest day at Lambaskarðshólar.
Day 27: Eldgjá
From Lambaskarðshólar one climbs old lava, passing beautiful waterfalls and then a green valley with occasional openings in the Eldgjá fissure, whose direction aims towards its origin: Katla volcano in the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. Camp in Svartafellstangi near some of the bigger craters of the fissure.
Distance: 14-16km (8.5-10mi) Walking time: 6-9hrs
Day 28: Öldufell
After crossing Hólmsá River, the remaining kilometers of the Eldgjá fissure lead to Öldufell Mountain. Passing along clear springs underneath the mountain, direction is set towards Öldufellsjökull glacier, then over the ice, above the principal river originating in this glacier tongue. We will camp near this river, exploring its canyons and waterfalls.
Distance: 14-16km (8.5-10mi) Walking time: 6-9hrs
Day 29: Vondugil-the shadow of Mýrdalsjökull
First thing we do in the morning is to cross a respectable glacier river in Vondugil gully. From there we hike over the very edge of Sandfellsjökull glacier. Some other small rivers are forded during the day, but in-between there are flat deserts like the one above Sandfell Mountain. Walking along the main glacier Mýrdalsjökull, it becomes more and more apparent how glaciers have receded in the last decennia. Huge moraines, giant boulders ant other traces of glacial movement are totally exposed like drawings on the land. Camp is mounted just before arriving at the biggest of the glacier tongues, Höfðabrekkujökull.
Distance: 12-15km (7.5-9.5mi) Walking time: 5-7hrs
Day 30: Höfðabrekkujökull-Katla-Þakgil
The first half of this day is spent crossing Höfðabrekkujökull glacier, which is about 7 kilometers wide. The ice is mostly flat, but some crevassed zones need more patience and attention. Above looms the volcano Katla, hiding under its thick icecap. Katla is one of the most spectacular volcanoes in Iceland, also one of the most infamous. After quite a steep landing from the glacier, the view is just great; glaciers, sandy desert, green mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Þakgil is a beautiful deep gully or canyon; the course is set down into this "home of Trolls". Here we will camp for the night.
Distance: 12-14km (7.5-9mi) Walking time: 5-7hrs
Day 31: Höfðabrekkuheiði-Vík
Last day of our trek begins by crossing the heath Höfðabrekkuheiði and along Heiðarvatn Lake. We then continue on towards the coast where we will see some of the well known landmarks around Vík: Reynisfjall Mountain, Reynisdrangar pillars and the multitude of birds swarming around their nests. The tour finishes at the beach/coast, and closes the traverse.
Distance: 16-18km (10-11.5mi) Walking time: 6-8hrs