This morning we hurried to the station to catch the 08h bus from Reykjavik to Landmannalaugar, the only trip today. The ride takes about four hours, and shortly after leaving the city, it turns onto unpaved road only accessible a few weeks during the summer. We made one brief stop at a small station/diner/bathroom along the way. We were suddenly struck with the vastness of the highlands and the wild, remote location we were working towards. We passed a few farms with roofs like lined-up letter Ms, sheep and horses. We gawked out the window at incandescent moss, snow, steaming pools, massive Hekla, lava, and a brief, bright moment of sunshine.
Business first when we arrived in Landmannalaugar, we set up the tent and secured it with rock piles over the stakes, gripping into lava sand, against a growing wind and increasing rain. Once we had prepared our shelter and eaten our provisions, it was time to inspect the race route. We spent the afternoon hiking the first kilometers of the course, marveling at the green, pink, blue, orange, and black topography, the steam and sulfur, and the landscape like nowhere we had seen before.
We didn't want to tire our legs too much before the run, but the beauty pulled us further along the route. Finally, when we were soaked and windblown, and to avoid walking in too much snow, we turned back, leaving the remaining bulk of kilometers to discover tomorrow. We made chickpea curry for dinner on the camp stove and huddled in the tent to eat. The evening became windier and wetter, but for the meantime, we were cozy in our sleeping bag and dry under the tent.
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| Landmannalaugar |
