Laugavegur Trail — Day 2

by | Sep 2, 2026 | Iceland, Trail Journals | 0 comments

Tuesday Septembe 1, 2026

  • Start: Hvanngil Hut
  • End: Þorsmörk (Thorsmork Volcano Huts)
  • Distance: 18 miles

Thanks to Iceland’s northern latitude, there were still nearly 15 hours of daylight as the calendar turned to September. This mean I could be on the trail and hiking away from the Hvanngil Hut by 06:30. Unfortunately, that also meant I had to ford a glacier-fed creek when it was still 31°F out, and it took 20 minutes for my toes to feel anything again. The first part of the morning took me through flat black volcanic fields and south toward vibrant green hills. The warden at the hut tried to tell me the entire route today was downhill, but this was somewhat misleading. The elevation drop between Hvanngil and Thorrsmork is real enough, but it wasn’t constant. At mile 5, I was cresting a pass and wondering who’s idea of downhill this was! I reached the next hut (Emsur Hut) at mile 7.6, I needed a little pick-me-up, so I stopped to make myself second breakfast and some hot cocoa. The morning transitioned into a fantastic, sunny day with temperatures in the mid-50s, but the trail still followed a roller coaster of hills. A mile past Emsur Hut, I hit a long, steep downhill and a memorable bridge crossing over a deep gorge. Eventually, the lava gave way to green grass and small trees before the final knee-deep water crossing at mile 16. My day ended at the Thorsmork Volcano huts (1.5 km before the trail’s southern terminus), where I met up with my son to discuss day 3 of this hiking adventure on the Fimmvorduhals Trail.

Getting an early start from Hvanngil hut, where tents outside were covered in frost
The initial miles of the morning crossed flat black volcanic fields toward prominent green peaks in the distance
Sign warning hikers to be careful when fording the river
I wasn’t eager to take my shoes off to ford the cold river in 31°F temps
Early morning water views
Continuing south toward the green hills with some peek-a-boo views of the white glacier-covered mountain I’d be climbing tomorrow
So happy to see a bridge spanning the next major river
Metal signpost pointing the way to the next hut
Beautiful landscape off to my west
As I continue hiking south, the glacier-covered mountains come into bettter view
Several hours in, I spot the Emsur Hut. So far today, the trail has been relatively easy.
The warden at Emsur Hut posted the local forecast on a dry-erase board in the window. Today’s weather looks beautiful, but a big storm is due to blow in overnight, possibly bringing snow!
Looking back at Emsur Hut after enjoying second breakfast and some cocoa
Ok, today isn’t all downhill after all
Signs warn about a steep loose descent
Up ahead is a deep river gorge, followed by a roller coaster of ups and down
As I descend, I get better views of the steep rock cliffs that form the river gorge
A very narrow bridge over the gorge
After the bridge there was also a wooden catwalk with chains bolted to the rocks as handholds
By mid-morning the day felt warm enough to strip off all my layers
Wildflowers on the rolling hills
The glaciated mountains are getting closer. Today’s destination is Thorsmork, which sits in the valley just before the big climb up the Fimmvorduhals Trail
Iceland’s fall colors
Icelandic sheep grazing beside the Laugavegur
Today’s final water crossing comes into view just a few kilometers before Thorsmork
One of my fellow hikers fording the fast-moving river
On the opposite bank, the Laugavegur Trail enters one of Iceland’s small national forests, and one of the best examples of a natural birch forest in the country (according to the nearby signs)
Thorsmork (Thor’s valley) is lush nature reserve in Icleand’s southern highlands
Today’s final stop was at the Thorsmork Volcano Huts, where I met up with my son, Finn. Unfortunately, that’s where I got some bad news.
Advisory warning about tomorrow’s route. We may have to pivot to plan B.

Highlights

  • Clear skies and sunny weather made for one of the best days you can get in Iceland. Everything looks so much prettier here when the sun is out.
  • Today’s landscape was so diverse, with volcanic fields in the morning, rolling hills and vibrant colors, a river gorge, and even a national forest
  • Meeting up with Finn at Thorsmork Volcano Huts. I’m glad he’s getting to share part of this Icelandic journey with me. He didn’t want to hike the entire 50-mile route (the Laugavegur Trail plus Fimmvörðuháls Trail), but he is willing to hike the final 15 miles from Thorsmork to Skogar with me,

Challenges

  • The knee-deep water crossing this morning was soooo cold. The air temperature was only 31°F, and the water wasn’t much warmer than that. It took 20 minutes for my feet to stop stinging.
  • Don’t believe the elevation profile of this trail. It might appear as if you lose elevation during the 18 miles between Hvanngil Hut and Thorsmork, but there are a lot of short climbs and drops during that gradual descent.
  • There’s bad news about Fimmvorduhals Trail (tomorrow’s hike). Recent rains caused a mudslide near the Basar Hut, and the warm summer opened several unsafe crevasses on the glacier. We’ll need to check in with the Thorsmork warden tomorrow morning for an update on the trail conditions before we proceed.
<< Laugavegur Day 1
Fimmvorduhals Trail >>

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *