Southwest Iceland & the Golden Circle - Iceland - page 282

FJALLABAK ROUTE
In summer, the Fjallabak (pronounced fiat-la-back) Rte (F208) makes a spectacular al-
ternative to the coast road between Hella, in southwest Iceland, and Kirkjubæjarklaustur,
if you have a large 4WD. Its name translates as 'Behind the Mountains', and that's exactly
where it goes.
Leave the Ring Road from Hella on Rte 26 (the east side of the Þjorsá), then take Rte
F208 from near the Sigölduvirkjun power plant until you reach Landmannalaugar. From
there, F208 continues east past the Kirkjufell marshes and beyond Jökuldalur , before
coursing through the icy veins of a riverbed for 10km, climbing up to the Hörðubreið
lookout , then descending down into Eldgjá . The 40km stretch from Eldgjá to Búland is
in reasonable shape, but there are some rivers to ford before the road turns into Rte 208
and emerges back along the Ring Road southwest of Kirkjubæjarklaustur.
A 2WD vehicle wouldn't have a hope of completing even a small portion of the route
and car-hire companies prohibit taking 2WD vehicles on F roads.
You can follow the entire route by bus by leaving Reykjavík at 8am and switching to
Skaftafell-bound Reykjavík Excursions bus 10A in Landmannalaugar. The journey takes
about 12 hours. You can break it up by spending nights at the Landmannalaugar base and
exploring the area before taking the second leg of the bus journey.
Since much of the Fjallabak Rte is along rivers (or rather, in rivers!), it's not ideally
suited to mountain bikes either. People attempt it, but it's not casual cycling by any
stretch.
Well-established trekking company Fjallabak ( www.fjallabak.is ) leads multiday guided
treks and assisted backpacking (from Ikr155,000) throughout the southern backcountry,
with a specialty in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve area, which the Fjallabak Rte passes
through.
Laugavegurinn Hike: Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk
The hike from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk - commonly known as Laugavegurinn - is
where backpackers earn their stripes in Iceland. It means 'Hot Spring Road', and it's easy
to understand why. The harsh, otherwordly beauty of the landscape morphs in myriad
ways as you traipse straight through the island's interior, with much of the earth steaming
and bubbling from the intense activity below its surface. Expect wildly coloured moun-