Yeh it is a beautiful walk, Id say your recommendation is about right as well. And the campsites are a bit odd, we didn't even know about the campsite at Dettifoss until the rangers gave us a lift up there while they were dropping off water. As campsites go the 3 are pretty good, of all the ones we stayed in Iceland Asbyrgi was by far the best. Did you have a favourite walk?
Asbyrgi would have been a great campsite, except for some of the people on it! In particular, there was a family turned up with a truck and a trailer and a couple of young boys. The trailer was loaded with a mini quad bike and a mini motor bike. The boys were simply let loose on these, and as they would have been forbidden to use them on the roads in Iceland, they simply tore around the campsite all day and nearly all night on them. Other kids were trying to do things like ride bikes, kick balls, or generally run around, but those two lads seemed to have no care or concern about anyone on the campsite, and their parents just let them basically cause havoc on the site. Me... I would have had the whole lot of them locked up!
It probably goes without saying that my favourite spot would be as far off the beaten track as possible, with absolutely NO access for vehicles. Hornstrandir stands out in this respect. Not only no access for vehicles, but no roads either, and a glacier blocking any access from the nearest roads, about three or four days walk away. Access to Hornstrandir is by ferry from Isafjordur, and I was lucky to get the last place on a ferry out there, and no chance of getting back until a space became available six days later! Absolutely brilliant timing! OK, I was surprised how busy the place was, with trekkers from all over the world, but the main thing was that everyone was on foot, everyone was carrying tents, and everyone was carrying their own food. Apart from a basic cafe out there, and private summer huts, it's very much an area where you have to be completely self-sufficient.
Oh... and the weather was often REALLY good... which makes all the difference!
I managed to go all the way around and up through the 2 middle bits, as such I went to Skaftafell, Asbrygi, Laki, Myvatn, Hellissandur, Esja, Hvertines/Hvellier, Landmannalaugar, pretty good selection really, got to see most of the country from a car alongside working in some truly beautiful places!
Skaftafell was a great place where I had my last great weather. Unfortunately, the highest point in Iceland, Hvannadalshnukur, had been closed because the glacier was in a dreadful state. It had been cracking up all summer, and a HUGE crevasse opened up below the summit. I heard that even in the middle of June, people were falling down crevasses at the rate of three falls per party... so the local guides gave up completely with trips. When I was there, they were offering trips up Hrutafell, which is a finer mountain, but obviously, when people want to climb the highest mountain, they don't want to settle for anything lower.
Laki was where I started to get the bad weather. Fascinating area... but I noticed that the national park ranger stationed out there keeps a close eye on everyone and makes sure that you only follow the short marked trails. I can see the problem. The lava is only covered in moss, and the moment you step on the moss, you cause huge damage to it. BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) had been in the area doing moss transplants!
Laki is a fascinating area, and yes the ranger does keep an eye on everyone, he a very knowledgeable guy, showed us some special places. It is indeed a very fragile place largely because moss is the only thing that grows in places as you said, moss transplanting is still quite an evolving thing I believe, and also a very delicate practise, we had a wee go at it in Landmannalaugar. It serves its purpose well! Did you manage much walking in Laki or was it a case of just doing the short trails? Id heard the glacier wasnt in very good condition this year, we were warned of Snaesfelljokul because of crevasses. From what I heard this summer was particularly warm. Is there anywhere you didnt go?!
I was staying at Skaftafell and I noticed there was a tour bus going to Laki in the mornings, then all of a sudden I realised that there was only ONE run left for the year, 31st August, so I just jumped on it for the ride. I was surprised how many times they stopped for short walks, so it was quite a good tour. At the main stop, at Laki, the park ranger said that he had four trails available, but one of them was too long for the time we were stopping. He said we only had time to complete two of the three shorter ones. Yeah? I managed all three and still had ten minutes to spare.
The glaciers in Iceland were peculiar this summer. Some of them were in excellent shape and anyone could walk on them as easily as if they were going for a stroll in the park. On the other hand, some of them were cracking up and falling to pieces, and you wouldn't have been safe anywhere near them.
Here's my list of places, in the order I visited them...
Hengill for a week... Snaefellsjokull for a few days... various Westfjord walks... almost a week on Hornstrandir... days of trekking around Kerlingafjoll and Kjolur... a week of walks in all directions from Akureyri including visits to the islands of Grimsey and Hrisey as well as mountain and valley walks... a three-day tour of Askja and a glacier trek from Kverkfjoll... the Dettifoss to Asbyrgi walk and a couple more days around Asbyrgi... a few days trekking almost every trail you can follow from Myvatn... a few days in the 'deserted fjords' around Borgofjordur... camping beside the glacier lagoon at Jokulsaron... a week around Skaftafell taking in mountains, valleys and glacier treks... Laki for a day... the Laugavegur and Skogar Trail for a week... then my last two days back in Reykjavik included a couple of exploratory bus tours to get some ideas for walks close to the city for next time I go there. In fact, on one of the tours I was the ONLY person, so I told the driver to chuck the standard tour out of the window and show me all the places where trails crossed the roads instead!
No... and Esja is such an 'in your face' mountain that just sits there and demands to be climbed! It's also very handy for Reykjavik, so it's one that I really should include in my final haul. There are all sorts of things that cause people to get stuck for a day or three in Reykjavik, and I'd like to be able to offer a few walks near the city just in case anyone's had enough of the place and wants to get some kind of walk done.
It's been chucking it down here in Cumbria... while Iceland is having really good weather!
That seems about right rain in cumbria sun in iceland, just serves to make you want to go back even more! Esja is very in your face, but also a nice mountain, i'm pretty sure there a free bus that goes to it as well. Videy is also a reasonable jaunt when your stuck in Reykjavik. This all sounds like your def heading back next summer?!
Well... that's the plan... but as my diary for the rest of my life doesn't contain any entries beyond this Thursday (Scafell Pike)... I still need to pencil it in!
