Tuesday 20 July 1999
We pack the tent in record time and walk our way to the “Akureyri” bus station to reach the departure for “Reykjavik” in time. Hagen and his travel companion, the three German girls came along. We could sense that there was a gloomy atmosphere between the travel companions from time to time, partly because Hagen chose to go with us rather than the girls.
It’s an ordinary bus route with a lot of stops, which gives us the opportunity to buy candies and stretch out. We drive mostly on gravel roads that are in far better condition than the mountain tracks we already have experienced. At 1pm we arrive “Hveravellir” that is located in the center of Iceland right between the two glaciers “Hofsjökull” and “Langjökull”.
In the wide-open and very windy scenery we find a small hostel and a campsite. Water is a limited resource here, which means that all the water is lukewarm and tastes a bit of sulfur. It seems paradoxical that cold water is hard to get in Iceland. We put up the tent and protect it against the harsh wind with boulders found on around in the scenery. Close to the campsite we see bubbling sulfur from leaks in the surface, boiling water and steam coming up from the ground and heating up a nice little pool for the visitors.
We use all the afternoon on a 4-hour walk in the rural countryside reaching a characteristic landmark, a pointed cliff called “Strykur”. We follow a track marked with the traditional yellow sticks that is used widely all over Iceland. Pass the sticks and you’re really “off the beaten track”. The marks are absolutely necessary as the track isn’t always visible on the lava surface. On the way we climb a big lava hill and enjoys the spectacular view in the nice but very windy weather. We continue in the desert-like terrain and catch the sight of “Strykur” in the distance.
We walk and shudder slightly in the really cold wind coming from the glacier as we approach the cliff and suddenly stops. Right at our feet a vast crater appears fill with white snow along the edge, which is a strange sight in this windy, but dry and sunny desert. We climb the “Strykur” in strong breeze. The wind is hard to ignore and so is the sight from up here. Incredible or picturesque would be the appropriate word.
Both of the glaciers can clearly be seen and it’s like we can see hundreds of kilometers away. According to Hagen's handheld GPS we have walked 5,2 km in two hours. That says more about the terrain than our shape. After being blown through, taken photos on a sunny day for a once and after eaten our Mars bar, the walk back goes in a bit faster pace.
We manage to reach the campsite in just about one hour, headwind. Our feet are tender and warm as we heat up the “Trangia” cooker and eat a good portion of noodles together with Hagen. We help a chubby German girl raising her tent and ask her in for a drink. It turned out that Suzanne, as she was called, lives on Iceland as a farmer. At this time she is on vacation and is traveling around Iceland to enjoy the nature. She tells us that she is participating in a nature protection program planting thousands of trees, which we can imagine is a sought-after resource on the barren island.
Børge and I agree that this would be an appropriate evening to get really drunk, followed by a long sleep tomorrow. Anyway the bus drives at 1pm and we must admit that we have already seen all the sights around today. So the Bailey’s and the vodka are opened while the mood slightly grows and drive out all thoughts about the wild cold wind. Hagen invites us to the hut despite the fact that the atmosphere between him and his travel companions seems rather complicated.
As long as we bring the vodka we feel convinced that we are welcome. So it turns out to be. It quickly gets really cozy in packed attic, which we shortly after have to leave when some of the girls goes to bed and a number of middle-aged Italians in pink sleeping bags really wants “Silencio!” On our way back to the tent I pass the heated pool and say hello to our French neighbors who are enjoying the hot water at 2am. They get the last vodka, which they drink while Børge and I lighten the pressure and our heart just before falling asleep.