Six-Day Backpacking Tour - The Desert under the Glacier.

This third part of the Iceland traverse goes from Askja and follows the great Vatnajökull south-west through Vonarskarð pass to Nýidalur oasis. The contrast of the black volcanic desert and the glacier that dominates the area to the east, the desolation and hostility of the environment render this landscape strangely lunar but beautiful at the same time.

Departure:
Dates for 2013 to be announced

Walk per day: 5-11 hours
Total walking distance: 95 km. (59 miles)
Altitude: 600-1200 m. (1970-3900 ft.)
Maximum ascent: 200 m. (660 ft.)

Groups: 4 to 12 participants.

Equipment List

Included : Guide for 6 days, food for 6 days (from lunch day 1 to lunch day 6), cooking gear, tents, huts and camping fee.
Note : The tour ends at Nýidalur.
Meeting Point : Askja/Drekagil
Available upon request: Accommodation in Reykjavík before and after the tour  - please contact us for more information.

Please note:  when travelling from/to Reykjavík extra travel days are needed before and after the trekking tour, e.g.:
11.07: Early flight: Reykjavík to Akureyri; Bus: Akureyri to Mývatn. Accommodation at Mývatn.
12.07: Bus: Mývatn to Askja. Start the hike.
17.07: The hike ends. Accommodation at Nýidalur.
18.07: Bus: Nýidalur to Landmannalaugar. Accommodation at Landmannalaugar.
19.07: Bus: Landmannalaugar to Reykjavík.

Day 1: We 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 2: After filling all water bottles we cross 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. Treading 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 3: 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 4: 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 camp, appreciating that there are other colors in Iceland than black.
Distance: 14-16km (8.5-10mi)    Walking time: 5-7hrs

Day 5: 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 6: 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

Departure Date	Availability