Travel: Laugavegur Trail Day One

The Laugavegur Trail day one – here we go! Hiking the Highlands in Northern Iceland is a bucket list item if you’re a hiker. We spent some time in Reykjavik before the hike and then some time there after, too. The Laugavegur Trail is 55 kilometres long and while it can be done in 2 days, most do it in 3, 4, or 5 days. We opted to get it done in 4 days. Here we go with day one!

Laugavegur Trail Day One

First up, a few tips and ticks. You’ll need to book a hut and the best place (and most cost effective) is directly through Ferðafélag Íslands; and for the bus, getting to and from the trail heads and Reykjavik, we used Reykjavik Excursions. As for other tips and tricks, pack light, yet bring food. We sourced all of our food in Reykjavik due to the strict import restrictions. Also, bring clothing for all weather – shorts, wool sweaters, and don’t skimp on the rain gear. Lastly, bring a deck of cards, a book, or a game – you’ll use it more than you think!

Okay, time to dive into day one. Oh, and not to worry, I’ll give you an Laugavegur Trail Overview near the end of the month that shares way more details.

First up, the bus. We spent day one waking up at 5:45am to ensure we caught the bus at 7:00am. Why so early? Well, we wanted to be there early so we could get seats at the front, and we did!

One thing to note is that this bus fills up fast. Not everyone is doing the full hike. Many head out to the trail head, Landmannalaugar, for a full day of hiking, the hot springs, or simply for the mountain views. The bus will drop off around 11:30am and then another bus leaves around 4:00pm, giving people a decent amount of time in a day to hike, especially if they only have one day.

Landmannalaugar to Hrafntinnusker

While we stopped in Landmannalaugar we filled up our water, had a snack, and got our picture in front of the trail head sign.

On our first day we hiked from Landmannalaugar to Hrafntinnusker which is about 12 kilometers. We started out without rain pants, yet had our rain jackets on. About 2-3 km in I got quite hot and took my fleece off and had some water near this tracking sign. There are quite a few of these on the trail and let me tell you, sometimes you’re like what?! We’ve only gone that far. And other times, it’s like wow, we’ve been speed walking!

We hiked for about 3 hours and 15 minutes on the first day, starting at the trail head around noon and reaching the first (and highest!) hut around 3:20pm.

Around 1:30pm it started to rain and we got out our bag covers and tossed up our hoods. What we didn’t do, however, it get out our rain pants.

Around 2:20pm we realized we were too wet to get out the pants and had to tough if out. As such, freezing hands and no more photos until we reach the hut!

One tip, bring gloves, mitts, or something to keep your hands warm. The wind is wild at the top of the mountains and having my gloves saved me on this first day.

Once we reached Hrafntinnusker the first thing we did is empty our packs, hand our wet clothes, and get into our warm hut gear.

Hrafntinnusker Hut

The highest hut on the trail with space for 52 hikers.

Everyone had wet gear and the drying room (the entry) of the hut has heaters and a lot of space to hang up your gear. The tricky part is, you’ll want to be mindful that someone doesn’t snag your space. Bryce and I had our boots near a heater and I was sure to check on them each time I went to the washroom (this is the only hut with long-drop facilities). I only had to move them once. Having dry feet is the number one key to comfortable hiking.

Weather aside, the hut is well stocked. We had a version of golden quesadillas for dinner, using instant mashed potatoes, hard cheese, and had salsa, avocado whip, and beans ta-boot!