My husband, Phil, and I just got back from a backcountry hiking adventure in Iceland. This is not necessarily a quilt related post, although the landscape was so beautiful I hope there will be some quilt inspiration from the trip.
Day One – Hikers in Iceland Landscape
We took four days to hike the Laugavegur Trail, which runs about 38 miles across a varied landscape in the southern part of the country, from Landmannalagur to Porsmork. It’s a challenging hike, with lots of elevation changes up mountains and down ravines, plus unpredictable weather that can make life even more difficult.
We took an excursion bus 4 hours from Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, to the trailhead at Landmannalauger, arriving there about noon. The day was cloudy when we left and rainy by the time we arrived. We opted to hike from hut to hut–modest cabins with either foam mats on the floor or basic bunk structures covered with foam mats and shared with other hikers. Each hut had basic kitchen facilities, but hikers must carry all food themselves for the trip. We had freeze dried hiking meals with us, which were light and easy to carry. Just add boiling water at the hut each morning and night. They were surprisingly good. The option to stay in a tent didn’t appeal to us!
Day One – start of the Laugavegur Trail in the rain.
My backpack weighed probably 15-20 pounds with a full water bladder, while Phil carried 30-35 pounds. We had good gear–backpacks that fit each of us, rain gear that kept us dry, and layers of lightweight wool clothing to keep us warm–and sturdy hiking sticks!
Here’s a drawing I took a photo of on the second day showing the elevation changes.
The first day was almost straight up over the mountain, then down again the second day. Hiking sticks were a must to help keep our balance on the uphills and downhills.
There was such a variation in the landscape from day to day–snow covered mountains, geothermal pools, snow bridges–even in August, glaciers and otherworldly barren moonscapes.
Ice bridge in August!
At the highest elevation morning of the second day.
The image below reminded me of a George O’Keefe painting.
Beautiful color contrasts.
The landscape at times had a Lord of the Rings feel to it.
There were several river crossings that had to be done on foot. Most were relatively easy and the water didn’t come up over our knees–this one even had a cable to hold onto. We took off boots and socks and changed into water shoes to make the crossings.
One of several river crossings
On the fourth day, the weather was forecast to deteriorate. The “wardens” at the hut the night before warned us that we needed to leave no later than 8 AM and preferably earlier to get as far along the 10 mile hike as possible before the weather hit.
We left the hut at 6 AM, along with most of the hikers we were sharing with that night. The first part of the morning wasn’t too bad–we even were treated to a full rainbow!
But about six miles in, the rain began pelting our faces and the winds were gale force–just under hurricane strength.
The wind blew us around like toys and it was tough to keep our balance on the mountain ridges with no tree or bush cover at all. There was one last river to cross and it was a doozy. It was about a quarter mile wide with braids of flowing water alternating with rocky sandbars. The problem was the river was fed by a nearby glacier, and the combination of the rain and the warmish temperatures (about 50 degrees) had the river swollen with water, running fast and very cold.
Phil went over first. We didn’t bother taking off our boots–they were already soaked anyway. There were no marked paths to follow–you just had to take your best guess. I chose poorly, unfortunately. The water rose over my knees and I couldn’t stay upright because it was flowing so fast. I made it almost to the sandbank and reached out with one of my sticks for Phil to grab onto before falling into the river with my backpack on. It was cold!!
He was able to keep hold of my hiking stick and pulled me to safety. But we still had about two miles to go to reach the hut.
Rain and gale force winds on the last day
I was very glad to see those red roofs in the distance! Each day we found that the last two miles were almost always the longest. Sometimes you could see the huts, but they were still a significant distance away. The rain continued all day and night and into the next morning and the winds were so high that the flagpole in the photo above bent.
We Did It!
Happy faces at the end.
One more obstacle remained. The water was so high and fast that the excursion bus company we had contracted with to bring us back to Reykjavik couldn’t cross the river to pick up passengers. So we had to walk another 2.5 miles the next day to a second location in Porsmork–so a bus with larger tires could take us across the river to meet the excursion bus back to civilization. The driver warned there would be a lot of “rockin’ and rollin” and he wasn’t wrong! I was grateful for his skill.
This was one of the most challenging adventures I’ve ever been on. Early on, I realized “the only way out is through and the only good way through is together”–a very apt line from a Robert Frost poem–I wouldn’t have made it without Phil. There was no calling an Uber to come pick you up if you got tired!
It was an amazing experience and I’m glad I did it now that it’s over. We met some interesting people from all over the world–at dinner each night there were many languages being spoken, although most people also spoke English. At 66, we were decades older than most of the hikers we met, but we weren’t the slowest!
I’m hoping to use at least one of these photos as inspiration for a new quilt. Thank you for reading to the end–it’s great to be able to share!
I can’t wait to see what pieces come from this experience. What a brave undertaking! I’m in awe 🥰
Thank you Gayle–I’m giving it a little while before I tackle the quilts, but I’m thinking about it!
Cindy
Yikes! What a brave adventure! Glad you made it through it!
Thanks Alleta–me too!
What an adventure! That hike up the mountain looked challenging, but the river stories, oh so brave. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Candy–I realize now I didn’t really know what I was getting into but it all worked out and we had an adventure!
Cindy
What an amazing adventure – I’m envious! I was so inspired by the landscape of Iceland when I visited in March. The colour and textures were so interesting. Haven’t made a quilt but have done some textile pictures – collage/appliqué etc.
By the way I’ve one of your books which is inspiring me to try Improvised patchwork and quilting.
Thank you Jenny—it is a great place full of color and contrast! I hope you have fun playing with Improv when you get to it.
Cindy
Wow, quite an accomplishment. Loved reading the details.
Thanks Eleanor!
OMGosh!!! Bravo!!! what an incredible experience and stunning pictures. Congratulations to you both for your spirit and accomplishment! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Debbie–I’m glad you enjoyed reading it!
Cindy
Sounds like you had an epic adventure! Certainly excitement galore with the weather conditions. I’ve been to Iceland a few times and can relate to your enthusiasm over the beauty of the landscape. Your photos look magnificent! Happy you made it without any major incidents though. Falling in the water must have been scary. Glad you made it out safely.
Thanks Lenny–it’s funny we there almost there at the same time!
Wild! I’m glad both of you came out of this ok. Harrowing….
Thanks Rachel–I am too!
Cindy
You are tough! And you looked so happy and exhilarated at the end. What joy!
Thanks Jery–I was glad we made it through! It was an unforgettable experience.
Cindy
I spent a couple of days in Iceland this past spring. I would love to learn your process of creating a quilt from a photo!
How fabulous a trek, I wish I’d been able to spend more time in Iceland. It was spectacular. I just got to do the Golden circle tour from Reykjavik.
Karin–it’s a beautiful country no matter how you see it! This was our second visit–the first one was more of a sightseeing visit but we enjoyed it so much we wanted to go back!
Cindy
Oh Cindy, I loved this report! I’ve also done treks in wild places with wild weather that make you question your sanity for doing it! But what a great feeling when you’ve actually done it! I wish I could do that one! Your photos are spectacular. Thank you for posting this! I look forward to your workshop at our guild in November .
Thank you, Ann–I’m glad I’m not the only one who has done something that made me question my sanity! I’ll see you in November.
Cindy
So amazing! Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Barb!
You go, girl! What a fantastic adventure!
Wow! You are a much braver soul than I am! Kudos to you for taking on this wonderful but challenging adventure!
Thanks Judy–I think it was more I didn’t really know what I was getting into! It’ll be fun, he said…
Cindy
Amazing in oh, so many levels! Well done❣️
What a brave undertaking. At our age I thought I was being brave taking on the painting of the entire second floor in our house. LOL. I enjoyed reading of your adventure and seeing the gorgeous photos; both very impressive.
Thanks Fran–I think I’m going to stick to more sedate options from now on!
Cindy
A great adventure indeed glad you made it safe.y, love the
Photos, look forward to the seeing a quilt.
You are my hero! I’m not sure what impresses me more — your courage, perseverance, or your writing skills. Your photos are wonderful. The best one shows you alive & smiling at the end!
Thank you Joan–I appreciate your kind words! The alive part at the end was really good.
Cindy
Omg!! What a walk! When I see the picture I know immediately that it was Iceland. When I was 25 I was there. By train and ship from Germany, girl alone, with a backpack, four weeks. And there were no tourist, roads, teaffic and tours like today. I slept on a wooden church bank or find a bed at a a farmers house at the childrens room. Took the puplic bus to go around the island. But, had better weather.. I am sooo sorry for you to have this weather conditions! But how strong you are!!! It will always in your heart, this wonderful place of earth. Good to have you healthy back. Your book with your signature arrived me and I am so happy. Iceland is fire & ice.. ok in your case rain & cold… I am so sorry. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Wow–that sounds like an adventure too, Eva! Thanks for telling me about it. I hope you enjoy your book!
Cindy
Hi Cindy: I got back from circumnavigating Iceland a week ago. Your hike is much more than I can do at my age. I am impressed with your perseverance. The beautiful fall colors I found in the fruit bearing blueberry bushes and Icelandic ash trees. I enjoyed the textures in those colors as well.
I have been studying my photos ( yours are much better) to look for quilt inspiration.
It is an other worldly place. The people are so kind and delightful.
I look forward to seeing your designs.
Thank you Carrie–Iceland is a beautiful place no matter how you visit it! I hope your trip inspires a quilt or two!
Cindy
wow Cindy, Wonderful pictures and descriptions. You always find inteesting topics to send us. My husband, at 94 says he’s glad we didn’t go with you but liked the pictures.
Thank you Sandy–I’m glad you and your husband enjoyed the pictures!
Cindy