We woke up to dense fog, wind and tiny frozen rain. Not the most inviting weather to continue our trek, but we knew it would probably clear once we began to descend. Our guide introduced us to a breakfast called Mountain Muesli: Muesli with hot water and cocoa powder. Some of us also added left-over rice from last night’s dinner. Everything we didn’t eat, would have to be carried down the mountain. Can’t say it was a breakfast I would have eaten in any other scenario, but it did the trick.
We left the hut around 8:30AM and despite GPS and a guide with over 20 years of experience, we proceeded to get lost in the fog. We laughed and made jokes, just as most grown adults do when faced with an unsettling situation, but nobody panicked. We had radio contact with other guides and we eventually found our way in the correct direction, but the mishap took us back and forth, up and down and we were warm while walking and freezing while waiting. Overall, it cost us about an hour and a half of time. But this my friends, is why you hire a guide. Anybody can get disoriented in the fog. I’d rather it be my guide than me.
As we knew it would, visibility opened up once we dropped into the valley. There is little else to say except that we passed 16 waterfalls and some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen.
Not a bad spot for lunch…
And then…these guys were there to welcome us.
Skógar Falls. We had reached our destination. We climbed on a bus, sweaty, covered in mud and happy. Ever heard the expression “Iceland is green and Greenland is ice?” Well, I haven’t been to Greenland yet, but Iceland is definitely green. And definitely beautiful.
