Iceland - July & August 2008

This was my big trip in 2008, and also my first major overseas backpacking trip. The trip was inspired by a few photos I saw in glossy outdoor magazines -- the terrain just looked other-worldly -- and by rave remarks by a respected adviser. Plus, Iceland is one of the most advanced countries of the world and most of its citizens speak English, so traveling was easy and worry-free.

In planning for this trip I struggled to find good information on backpacking in Iceland. Information I gleaned from tour operators, message boards, personal websites, and a few emails and phone calls to Iceland-based contacts helped to ground me, but I began my trip knowing that I would need to figure out most things on my own and react accordingly. To increase the amount of quality, non-superficial information available on backpacking in Iceland I have spent a lot of time developing content based on my experience. I hope you find it helpful.

I spent 25 days in Iceland and backpacked for 22 of them. I started with the 49-mile Laugavegur, a popular and beautiful trail in the south-central part of the country. Then I hitchhiked to Hofn in order to start my east-to-west traverse, which I figure was about 500 miles long with almost ~150 miles of cross-country travel. I finished several days earlier than I expected, so I spent one day doing the "Golden Circle" before returning to Laugavegur in order to do some last-minute training for the Leadville 100 foot race that was just 1.5 weeks away.