A thick fog settled on us during the night and a very heavy dew, making for a mystical walk downhill to the next hut, the end of stage two. Although it was only an hour from departing, we stopped to ask the warden about the day's forecast and make a cup of coffee before continuing. We put our socks over the heater when we arrived, and in just a few minutes they became dry and warm. I can't think of anything better than warm socks after days and days of wet feet. The luxury only lasted until we put our feet back into our shoes, but nothing compares to warm socks.
Increasing rain seemed to lessen the fog as we covered stage three quickly through impossibly-green valleys. In just four hours we reached Breiðavík. Cold and soaked, we were happy to go inside, make soup in the hut, and stand by the wood stove. (Iceland is stunning in rain and fog).
We still weren't done for the day, and in more fog and rain, we set out for a few more hours hoping to cover one of the climbs of the final stage. We started trudging through wetlands and up to high fells. As we climbed, a stiff wind added to the already challenging rain. The terrain was rugged and trail markers tougher to find in the fog. Day had turned to night, and it seemed dark even without the sun fully setting. We had grown tired from the hours of wetness and couldn't find a level place to pitch the tent; the ground was either marshy or steeply sloped. We traversed scree and passed piles of giant boulders where the trolls were surely waiting to eat us. We hiked longer than we planned, before finally, and rapidly, staking our tent at the gap of Súluskarð about eight kilometers beyond the hut. We were exhausted, saddened to have only one more day of hiking in front of us, but relieved to find a place to stop for the night,. The wind beat at the fabric, and the rain came harder, but we were safely resting while our tent proved itself against the conditions.
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| Húsavík - Breiðavík - Súluskarð |
