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Hornstrandir

In the land of no men

By Northern Adventures

July 6^th, 2012

Introduction

(Thu Jun 28th - Sat Jul 7TH, 2012)

Craggy mountains, precarious sea cliffs and plunging waterfalls ring the wonderful, barely inhabited Hornstrandir peninsula, at the northern end of the Westfjords.

Hornstrandir represents Iceland’s very last corner of inhospitable terrain, and its coastline is the most magnificent in the country.

Rugged cliffs, precipitous mountainsides and sandy bays backed by meadows of wildflowers make up this official nature reserve on the very edge of the Arctic Circle. This is one of the Europe’s last true wilderness areas.

A handful of hardy farmers had lived in Hornstrandir until the 1950s, but since 1975 the 580 sq km of tundra, fjord, glacier and alpine upland have been protected as Hornstrandir nature reserve and has remained uninhabited. The area has some of the strictest preservation rules in Iceland, thanks to its incredibly rich, but fragile, vegetation. Descendants of some of the old farmers have recently returned and rebuilt their old houses.

We returned to Iceland (our 2nd visit) for a 10-days hike across this abandoned and exceptional area. Fjords, mountains, lonely houses and churches, lost graveyards; no villages, no roads, no shops, nothing.

Just an unspoiled nature, beautiful flowers, arctic foxes giving good night, and seals peacefully playing at the coastline.

Our itinerary was the following: Fljótavík -> Hlöðuvík -> Hornvík -> Hornbjargsviti -> Bolungavík -> Reykjafjörður -> Hrafnfjörður -> Grunnavík.

Hornstrandir remains a place when wilderness stands for its true meaning.

The Journey

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It was a rewarding experience to take a domestic flight from Reykjavík to the small town of Ísafjörður; the journey offered wonderful views and exhilarating feelings flying in a small aeroplane across Icelandic mountains and fjords.

We spent a night in our tent in the local campsite in Ísafjörður. Nothing really special happened in the evening; we had to get up early to catch a chartered boat to Hornstrandir.

Day 1: From Fljótavík to Hlöðuvík

The boat journey was thrilling; in an hour, we were dropped off in Fljótavík bay (as the only passengers from the boat).

The rest of the passengers, being on a day trip only, continued to Hornvík.

On the sandy shore of the bay, a young couple waited for the boat to be picked up - apparently they ended their journey here. Soon, we became alone. The sun was shining, and despite heavy backpacks we felt energised and ready for the upcoming adventure.

In the beginning of July, there were endless fields of wildflowers around the former settlement of Atlastaðir.

Quite surprisingly, we also met a few people here; usually elders spending short Icelandic summer in restored houses of their ancestors.

It was one of those rare summer days in the northern wilderness when the sun is shining so intensively that one doesn’t feel being close to the Arctic circle.

We hiked in the eastern direction along the beautiful Fljótavatn lake, and were trying to find a path climbing to the ridge on the northern side of the lake.

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Looking for the footpath across the ridge wasn’t successful; we had to retract back to find a proper way to the pass we had to cross. Here, there were still last patches of snow; summer had barely started.

Views back across Fljótavatn lake and Fljótavík bay were stunning; our adventure just began.

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It was quite a climb to the pass. The sun was shining intensively and we were looking forward to the descent to Hlöðuvík bay.

Behind another ridge, we finally got a chance to see what lies ahead of us - and admired magnificent cliffs of Hælavíkurbjarg.

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Finally we descended to Hlöðuvík bay where we pitched our tent on a meadow a few meters above the shore.

Here, we found tens of little buoys - and had some funny time playing football. Beware, though - these things are rather heavy! :-)

It was really a wonderful place we camped in - evening colours were magical, and in the beginning of July, sunset turned into sunrise seamlessly.

The night was calm and windless, and we enjoyed a good night’s sleep during our first night in the Hornstrandir wilderness.

Day 2: From Hlöðuvík to Hornvík

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The morning was chilly and cloudy, however soon the sun started to break through clouds that accumulated throughout the night.

We continued hiking in the eastern direction on a beautiful sandy beach, aiming to reach Hornvík bay in the evening. There was a rather high pass we had to cross during the way.

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On the other side of Hlöðuvík bay, there was a lonely restored wooden house we walked by. A friendly owner spending summer here was enjoying solitude and nice weather, and we stopped for a brief chat.

Instead of a refrigerator, he had put his beers into a water stream nearby… a paradise! :-)

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The climb to the pass was followed a rather strenuous path, however the views from the ridge were very much worth the effort.

It became chilly and cloudy but with no rain, luckily - rain was what we were afraid of, knowing that the weather in Hornstrandir is notoriously changeable, and severe storms and heavy rains are quite common.

We descended to Hornvík bay in the afternoon.

Then we pitched our tent in the campsite; there were a few other tents as well, and around ten other hikers - obviously, Hornvík is the most popular place of the Hornstrandir peninsula.

The friendly warden - there is just one taking care of the whole nature reserve - told us that walking further to the east means being completely alone. This was something we appreciated - there is not enough solitude on trips like this.

Day 3: From Hornvík to Hornbjargsviti

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We woke up into another cloudy morning, however thin clouds disappeared quickly and beautiful sunny day began.

After breakfast, we set up on the trail on the sandy shore of the bay, and crossed the Hafnarós river - a truly refreshing endeavour.

We continued hiking along Hornvík bay in the northern direction, aiming to climb to the famous and spectacular Hornbjarg cliffs.

We left our backpacks somewhere in the middle of the way, knowing we have to return and continue to the north-east afterwards.

There were two seals playing on the coast, and we saw big whale bones as well - everything in beautiful setting with abundant wildflowers.

Hornbjarg cliffs were magnificent.

Lucky with the weather, we enjoyed wide views around in all the directions.

On this beautiful summer day, it was a truly special place to be at. Endless carpets of wildflowers, lush green grass, and spectacular rock formations formed a truly unique area.

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We hiked on a narrow path winding along the ridge across beautiful meadows, and admired commanding views from several spectacular viewpoints.

We hesitated to leave the area, knowing it's such a unique place and we got really lucky with the weather. So we were hanging out here extensively and took the things easy: sitting on the cliffs, enjoying views, laying on the grass, having phone calls with our relatives (one of the very few places in Hornstrandir with the mobile coverage, thanks to the altitude).

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Finally, we returned back to our backpacks, and continued hiking in the direction to Hornbjargsviti lighthouse.

It was already late evening when we reached the place.

We camped at the lighthouse and used the “facilities” of the “campsite”; the amenities were basic, however in stunning location with close proximity to a beautiful waterfall.

In the beginning of July, days are really long in Iceland; having woken up in the middle of the night, I witnessed really beautiful sunset (or sunrise?) - the lighthouse and surrounding landscape were illuminated by beautiful low light, and though it was really chilly, everything looked like in a magical northern fairy-tale story.

Day 4: From Hornbjargsviti to Bolungavík

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The morning was sunny, however soon clouds started to gather and turned the landscape into a melancholic mood.

We were about to hike across numerous mountain passes and valleys this day; it was about to be a long hiking endeavour.

There were numerous beautiful waterfalls along the path that followed the coastline, often spectacularly falling from high rock cliffs directly to the sea. Places that would attract hundreds of visitors if they were in a more accessible location were waiting here just for us, and these beautiful waterfalls were not even named or marked on the map; just too common wonders of the area…

The journey to Bolungavík was long and tiring; it was really a long hike with a few decent climbs.

Views from the passes across the valleys and sandy beaches were magnificent, and numerous river crossings barefoot down in the valleys refreshing.

So we continued hiking to the east for the day long, finally reaching Bolungavík bay around midnight.

We pitched our tent on the shore of a narrow river that was flowing through the valley. It was already early morning when we fall asleep - it was a long hiking day indeed…

Day 5: From Bolungavík to Reykjafjörður

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The morning in Bolungavík was special: white sea fog accumulated throughout the night, and we started hiking on the shore surrounded by low lying clouds.

The journey along the rocky shore was not easy - it was one of those pebbly areas at the sea where hiking with heavy backpacks is not a casual stroll.

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Furufjörður was another special place we reached. There was a lonely restored house there and a small graveyard with a tiny wooden chapel.

“Rest in peace” apparently achieved its true meaning here: graves had become overgrown by grass and wildflowers over the years, and death looked like a peaceful and natural part of human lives here.

From Furufjörður, we continued hiking further east across a ridge to another bay called Þaralátursfjörður, and having crossed the broad river here, we kept walking in the direction towards Reykjafjörður farm.

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Reykjafjörður was abandoned by its last inhabitants in 1959.

The buildings have been well maintained since and they still stand on the lowland at the north-west side of the fjord. The old farm houses are on a hill just by the ocean, and other houses, in which people stay during summer, are further in the fjord.

We pitched our tent in a designated camping place, and witnessed a spectacular sunset illuminating surrounding sea cliffs.

There is a special feature here in Reykjafjörður. A hotspring - and an open-air swimming pool.

Quite surprisingly, it is the only hot spring on the Hornstrandir peninsula, and that is also why it became a fixture on our itinerary. Around midnight, we enjoyed a swim… an unforgettable and unique arctic experience.

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Day 6: Relaxing day in Reykjafjörður

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We stayed in Reykjafjörður for another day, lazily exploring its surroundings, chatting with friendly owners, and warming up in the swimming pool.

This was a place where we enjoyed a well-deserved rest, having hiked tens of kilometres during the past five days.

Another special feature of Reykjafjörður were arctic terns.

This bird species is famous for its attacks as a way of protecting their nestlings - they are very aggressive to humans coming near their nests. The attack consists of dive-flights to a head as the highest point of a human body.

We used to walk with our trekking poles above our heads which helps in the way that the bird attacks the pole, not the head - the locals went even further, using construction helmets as their head protection :-).

Day 7: From Reykjafjörður to Hrafnfjörður

On the next day, we were eager to set out on the trail again.

We walked back to Furufjörður, and wanted to hike along the ridge instead of descending to the valley and climbing up again.

Here, unfortunately, there was no path to follow though the map was showing one, and we had to enjoy some tundra walking across arctic meadows.

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It was yet another sunny day, and wide views across Furufjörður fjord were really beautiful.

We had to cross a rather rapid and dangerous mountain stream, however luckily we found a place where we were able to leap across it.

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In the evening, we reached the edge of Hrafnfjörður fjord.

For the first time, we camped in the southern part of the Hornstrandir area, having hiked along its northern coast during all the previous days.

It was a special and lovely evening in a beautiful setting near the sea.

We lied on the grass, enjoyed dinner, and let the setting sun warming up our faces.

Day 8: From Hrafnfjörður to Höfðabót

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The morning at Hrafnfjörður fjord was as beautiful as was the evening.

It was really a picturesque location, and we were really thankful for such a good weather we still blessed with.

In the (emergency) hut at the edge of the fjord, there were stories of bad luck of other travellers written in the log book - days of constant rain and wind, no sunshine, everything wet, days of misery. It’s a wild northern area, and even the bravest Icelanders were finally forced to abandon the peninsula due to severe weather conditions.

Barefoot crossing of the wide Leirufjörður fjord was not that pleasant given the distance we had to walk in the water - but we managed that finally.

Here, there were a few more houses, signs of a nearby civilisation - this part of the area seemed to be more frequently accessed by boats.

We camped in a beautiful setting in the small fjord of Höfðabót.

It was our last night in the wild; peaceful, quiet, and meditative.

Day 9: From Höfðabót to Grunnavík

On the next day, we continued hiking along the wide Jökulfirðir fjord in the western direction towards the former settlement of Grunnavík.

It was a pleasant walk with a few river crossings, and we also met a group of horse riders that reminded me of scenes from Conan the Barbarian movie; moods of this encounter and the harsh arctic landscape were really like that.

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It took us a few hours to reach Grunnavík - the last settlement that was abandoned here in the Hornstandir area in the mid 60’s.

It is a picturesque place with bits of melancholy - a graveyard with overgrown grass, a wonderful restored church, and a few houses close to the sea shore.

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We spent our last night in the area camping close to the sea. It was a quiet and a bit melancholic night; our adventure was about to end.

Day 10: Leaving Grunnavík

Last few photographs in Grunnavík, last chocolate bars as breakfast, and patient waiting for the boat that was going to take us back to Ísafjörður.

During the boat ride from Grunnavík back to Ísafjörður, dark stormy clouds started to gather.

We left Hornstrandir with mixed feelings: sad for leaving this exceptional place, and thankful for having a chance to spend ten days there, blessed by a unique long-lasting period of fine weather.

Hornstrandir is an exceptional place.

To some extent, it differs from other parts of the island in the way that there are almost no volcanic features like hot springs, geysers or sulphur fumes.

It offers something different, though: magnificent scenery of the deep north wilderness, moods of complete isolation, unspoiled nature; sea cliffs, waterfalls, abandoned villages, graveyards overgrown by wildflowers and grass.

Practicalities

The logistics is not straightforward which is quite understandable given the remoteness of Hornstrandir. One has to reach the remote settlement of Ísafjörður (typically flying from the domestic airport in downtown Reykjavík) and from here to use one of the chartered boats to the peninsula.
Design of the hiking route has to be meticulously aligned with the boat schedule (and boat timing has to be aligned with inbound and outband flights). The boat schedule offers different places and times throughout the week and to some extent limits starting and finish (pick up) points of the trail.
The most common starting points are Hesteyri and Hornvík, with the latter being frequented by day-trippers. Thus, the easiest and most straightforward route across Hornstrandir is from Hesteyri to Hornvík, usually taking a few days.
The northern coast seems to be more frequented by hikers than the south, also given the accessibility. It's also worth mentioning that in the south, there are a few low-tide only sections where one has to walk through the sea!
Both Hesteyri and Hornbjargsviti has been offering accommodation and meals throughout the season; I recall waffles served in Hornbjargsviti were particularly delicious.
There are three churches (and small graveyards) in the nature reserve; those in Aðalvík and Grunnavík are particularly appealing, though the small wooden church in Furufjörður has some magic, too. In any case, plan your route to visit at least one churchyard - it's deeply touching.
Not surprisingly, (drinking) water is abundant all across the peninsula.
Fancy some pets? The small foxes are (very) common in the nature reserve, both white and blue morph, though the blue morph is more common. Cute animals for sure, yet beware - they may like your food supplies! :-)

Footnotes

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FootNotes

All images are exclusive property and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without permission of the author.

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