The Austurafréttur Trail changed my life. I went on this very unassumingly, knowing nothing about what to expect. What I encountered was beyond my wildest dreams of what a hike could produce.
Details
Distance – 17km’s
Days required – It’s possible to do in 1 day from Vik, however, I’d recommend staying in Pakgil.
Total Incline – 600M
Highest Point – 750M
Difficulty – 7 / 10.
Guide – Not necessary
Accommodation – Austurafréttur Trail starts from a very well equipped campground at Pakgil. Check my post HERE for more info.
Gear Required
Usual hiking gear will be enough for this. Boots, breathable shirt, light puffer jacket and a waterproof jacket.
Costs
FREE – No park fee’s are included. The only costs would be if you stay at Pakgil campground.
Getting There
Austurafréttur Trail is 3 hours from Reykavik, or 45 mins from Vik. However, the easiest thing to do is camp or stay in a cabin at Pakgil.
My Experience Hiking the Austurafréttur Trail
I arrived in late September to Pakgil with no knowledge of anything around. The couple that run the campground were extremely friendly and let me know about the hikes in the area. I camped the night in my van next to a small stream flowing through the campground.
I set off around 7AM as the sun was coming up. The hike starts from a small trail straight up the side of the valley wall to the right of the communal kitchen cave. The pathway is very well marked with yellow markers.
The Austurafréttur Trail hike climbs for about 2 hours, winding through service roads for the highlands. Crossing over streams and passing by valleys. I had an amazing time stopping to take photo’s of the very unique landscapes.
The steady incline will quickly disapate into a moderalty undulated rocky landscape.
Don’t get lost!
Around the 6 kilometres mark I had a rough experience with a heavy fog setting in. The trail markers suddenly stopped and in the still air I could hear nothing but the cracking of glaciers around me.
Knowing the direction I was going, I blindly continued on. In time I stumbled across the Huldujökull lookout. This was fascinating! The Kotlujokull glacier rolls out of the highlands, down into the valley some 400 metres below, creating a spectacle of glaciers falls, water falls and views as far as the eye can see. It utterly breath taking.
The trail follows the vally ridgeline for about 3 kilometres, providing an unrelenting offering of icelands best sights along with jaw trembling verticle drops. Be careful on the damp ground when you get close to the edge.
From the Huldujökull lookout will start to traverse along the Austurafréttur ridge, a 400 metres high cliff face overlooking vast Kotlujokull glacier as far as the eye can see. This ridge follows along for about 3 kilometres which will leave you in awe.
Around the 14 kilometres mark the trail heads back inwards. Glimpses of Pakgil in the distance can be seen through the valleys. The winding trail leads down moss covered hills in a reasonably steep fashion.
The trail ends in a sharp descent to meet the road that leads into pakgil. One final obstacle, a creek crossing, and you’ve got 200 metres walk back to camp along the road.
All up the hike will take between 5-7 hours depending on how much you break. What a place.
