ICELAND VOLCANO HIKE

Day 1
Fly to Keflavik, transfer to Reykjavik.

Day 2
Long drive along south coast and inland to beautiful Lake Langisjor. Climb Mt. Sveinstindur (weather permitting) and continue to Sveinstindur Hut.

Day 3
Walk from Sveinstindur to Skaelingar Hut. As we walk through pitch-black tephra covered valleys, the steep hills above us are covered with bright green moss. For a while we trek along the banks of the sulphurous Skafta river that drains melt-water from two sub-glacial volcanoes underneath Vatnajokull Icecap. Further south we enter the strange lava formations of Skaelingar.

Day 4
Eldgja is a 40 km long eruptive fissure that was created during one of the largest fissure eruptions of historical times. Before entering Eldgja we scale Gjatindur peak for an excellent view of a substantial part of this colossal fissure-crater. Next, our hike takes us down to the bottom of Eldgja to witness the spectacular Ofaerufoss where it cascades into the crevasse. We follow the river Ofaera until it escapes the canyon and then on to Holaskjol

Day 5
We follow the Sydri Ofaera river (Southern Obstacle) where it cuts a canyon through the millennia-old lava from Eldgja eruption. The bizarre landscape is made up of coarse lava-flows and smooth hills carpeted with ultra-green moss. Our destination is the Alftavatnakrokar (Swan-Lake Innlet) a sheltered spot in a well-vegetated valley with beautiful small lakes, lava formations and a magnificent natural lava bridge over river Sydri Ofaera. We hike back to Holaskjol taking a slightly northerly return route.

Day 6
A drive through the impressive Northern Fjallabak. This is probably the most spectacular drive in Iceland as the bus winds over mountain passes, through canyons, crossing rivers until we get into the colourful region of Landmannalaugar. The mountains around Landmannalaugar are all colours of the rainbow The bedrock is mostly ryholitic, with endless metamorphic colours of geothermal alteration. For some the geothermal pool is the main attraction of Landmannalaugar. A warm stream flows out from underneath the black obsidian lava and a pool in the river is popular among hikers. The flow is such that all the water of the pool is replaced every few minutes.

Day 7
After another soak in the thermal pool and breakfast we climb a small peak named Blahnjukur (Blue Peak) and Brennisteinsalds. After lunch we drive back to Reykjavik, the journey (again spectacular) takes us through Domadalur valley and past Iceland's most active volcano Mt.Hekla with its recent lavas and tephra fields.

Day 8
Free morning in Reykjavik; fly to London.