walking: Hólaland-Bakkagerði

It is cold outside and for the first time it was also cold in the night. The sky is covered with uneven dark blue clouds.

I decide to eat in the tent. It soon starts to rain. There is the option to walk back and straight to Bakkagerði. But hopefully the weather gets better in the course of the day. I put the rain clothes on and just in case leave warm underwear on also.

The first river crossing ends with one wet foot, in the next one both feet get wet. I also tend to get lifted by the wind and it would not hurt to have a heavier backpack now.

When the trail turns off gravel road it disappears from sight. There are only two trail markers and then a wide empty field. The wide empty field is full of rocks and wet moss. I aim towards the first waypoint that I have saved in my GPS. There I find the trail. And loose it again. And find it again. I’m beginning to understand what the Latvian girls disliked here. Clouds unwrap frosty mountain tops. This explains the weird white grain that flies in the air. There’s a big dark mountain with a glacier, far away expands a dark blue plain. With some labor I push myself through the wind to Stórurð. Wow. Until now I didn’t really get what it is. Someone has thrown huge lava rocks randomly around, between these are some turquoise ponds, streams with bright green moss lining and a campsite mowed by sheep. Actually, elves and trolls probably would not like it when people camped here. Anyway, a very surreal dwarf-land. Difficult to photograph. Meant for looking on the spot.

I eat a bit and look at the map. The last stretch is also not on the GPS map. When I’m leaving then I see the first hikers after many days.

For start I have to climb. The situation with trail markers is about the same. For a tourist it is complicated under such circumstances to follow the call to stay on marked trails. Most of the markers I still manage to find eventually. Practice. When I don’t find it right away then I try to figure out the most logical way to reach the next waypoint combining it with the landscape and then there’s usually also the trail.

The grain in the air starts to move in large quantities and with great speed. This is a new weather. Snow is getting ready to cover the ground.

I have to cross the slope under vertical mountain and between snow patches and rocks. After the slope there is a climb to the pass and then everything should go happily downhill. From the pass I see that there’s sunshine in Bakkagerði and foaming waves land in picturesque half circle. At the same time wind is trying to rip the camera from my hands and sweep me off my feet.

Downhill is easy. Suddenly there is some movement ahead of me. Something big but there should be no road. Reindeer run through the river. Now I would like to have something else than wide angle lens with me. So we just stand and look at each other. Human is a danger for reindeer because they don’t have a natural enemy here so they are hunted in order to “keep the population under control”. People always think that they should bring order to nature. Now is hunting season. This group of reindeer escapes unhurt over the mountain.

Back in the village. The car is still there. All together I have walked 97.35 km.

I have a hotel room with a price of a hostel bed and with separate bathroom. This is something special here. I spread all things out at once. Boil myself in the shower. A big dose of food and internet. Coming back from dinner it is cold and rainy outside. Why do people come here? Wind is trying to take the house apart.