On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
twbrandt
In August of 2023, I went with a group of 16 people from my church to Iceland. The purpose of the trip was to hike the Laugavegur Trail, a 55 km (34 mile) trail through the southern Icelandic highlands. The trail is quite strenuous, with some long, steep, rocky ascents and descents. Robust hiking boots and trekking poles are a must. There are also a few streams to ford. Every 9-10 km there are accommodations consisting of sleeping huts, toilets, and hot showers. The sleeping huts are cabins with (usually) one large coed room with double bunks where you just unroll your sleeping bag and sack out. They each have a kitchen with cold running water and a propane-fueled stove, so you can at least boil water for coffee and cook a hot meal. The huts accommodate 30-40 people. The toilets and showers are in separate buildings. There are also campsites for those who prefer tents.
We hired a guide, Maggnus Viking III (yes, that’s his actual name), for this hike. He and his helper, Stefan, were a huge help to us and I’m glad we had them. Experienced hikers don’t need a guide, but most of us did not have that level of experience.
The landscape is like nothing you have ever seen. I can’t describe it, so I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
This is the vehicle that drove us from Reykjavik to the trail head. Note the very serious tires.
A stop along the way. There are a lot of waterfalls in Iceland from summer glacier melt.
The crater of an extinct volcano.
Laugavegur trailhead, with a hut in the background.
Our guide, Maggnus Viking III, giving us tips and instructions about the trail.
Along the trail. Notice the steam rising from the ground in the center midground. Iceland is very geologically active and sits on top of a limitless supply of boiling water. Most homes and buildings in Iceland are heated by pumping hot water from the ground.
The landscape is at once desolate and beautiful, shaped by volcanoes and glacial action.
Most of the vegetation is moss, with a few rooted plants finding a foothold on the rocks. Minerals such as iron and sulfur give that distinctive coloration.
Even in August, the ice never completely melts.
Our destination is a hut on the near shore of the lake in center midground. It took all day to get there.
eclare
Otherworldly, especially those clouds.
bjacques
Lovely photos of such austere beauty. Iceland is on my bucket list.
Dagaetch
That looks both spooky and majestic. Great photos! Would love to do that hike someday.
stinger
Interesting mix of smooth and rugged terrain, such as the skyline behind Mr. Viking.
mrmoshpotato
Great photos. Nice “hut” in the background there.
DFH
Beautiful photos, thank you.
luc
Hope, you had some of the delicious Icelandic lamb stew.
What else did you see of the island?
Yutsano
They really should film more alien landscapes in Iceland. I wonder if they don’t because they have to import everything. What a wonderful view!
Wag
Looks like a great start to the trek. Looking forward to seeing more pics from along the way. We loved our trip to Iceland. The hiking was amazing.
twbrandt
@luc:
I had Icelandic lamb both roasted and stewed, and It is excellent!
We hiked the length of the Laugavegur Trail, spent a few days in Reykjavik, and went along part of the Ring Road. I hope to return someday to see other parts.
cope
What a spectacular place and set of pictures, thanks. Not to mention all that geology..
Mmmmmm…roast lamb…
sab
@Yutsano: They do. All that tromping around in snowy mountains beyond the Wall in Game of Thrones was in Iceland.
Wag
@Yutsano: GoT, as noted above. In addition, scenes from a couple of Star Wars movies were filmed there. The ice planet Hoth from Empire Strikes Back? Iceland. In addition, the opening scene of Rogue One was filmed in Iceland as well.
way2blue
Eerie landscapes. So empty. N.B., parts of Interstellar (2014) were also filmed in Iceland.
Curious why the volcano in the third photo is considered extinct. Did your guide mention when it last erupted? Iceland does sit above an active oceanic spreading ridge…
twbrandt
@way2blue: That’s a good question, and I didn’t think to ask. The USGS definitions of active, dormant, and extinct leave a lot of room for interpretation.