Trekking end of May-June in Iceland

Hi there,

I am going to Iceland at the end of may-beginning of June for 2 weeks. I was planning a couple of longish treks..including the Landmannalaugar - Þórsmörk and Kerlingarfjoll..but I have just realised that it may be difficult/dangerous due to the snow. I guess every year the weather could be different, but I was wondering if someone who has been there could advise? I will be self-sufficient (meaning with my tent and food, map and compass), but obviously I don't want to put myself into a dangerous situation.

Any alternative trek to suggest in this period of the year?

Thanks in advance

You have to look at the bus schedules as well. The bus lines for the Lannamanalaugar trek, for instance, only start much later in June.

Thanks Willemspie,

this is a good point, I still have to "study" the area in details. I was hoping for a mix of public transport,hitchhiking, walking. Perhaps I am too optimistic, but even though I have only 2 weeks I was planning to visit just a couple of location and regarding walking...days will be long!

Here tours start from June 1 - http://www.landmannalaugartours.com/
So, I think there can be still snowy, but not that dangerous.

Here tours start from June 1 - http://www.landmannalaugartours.com/

You keep on mentioning this company #3. Do you have any connection with them? Do you know precisely how they achieve this date?

As I mentioned in another thread, you can go to L in a road vehicle when the road is open, and you can go there in a snow vehicle if the snow cover is sufficiently complete. Being a tour operator does not exempt you from these basic rules of travel in Iceland. So there has to be an interim period between the winter and summer tours when you can't go there in any surface travel vehicle, only a helicopter.

So my guess is that this 1 June date means that they will go there as soon as the road opens, which on rare occasion is as early as 1 June, but usually is rather later in the month. And just because the transport goes there, doesn't mean the trek is suitable for you at that date, there are plenty of people who go there for other reasons. For example Thmk is usually accessible by early to mid May, but that doesn't mean the Thmk-Skogar trek is doable by ordinary trekkers that early.

If you trek to/from L in early June, there will be substantial snowbands and they won't be well trodden yet, so if you aren't a brilliant trekker happy about walking a lot over snow, it isn't for you. Most deaths on the L-T hike occur in the shoulder season before there is substantial passing traffic. The most common cause of death is hypothermia. This is because there isn't the passing trekker traffic to notice you and rescue you if you fall and immobilise yourself. The cellphone coverage has got better in recent times, so you can call out helicopter rescue if you have the phone coverage and can get to the phone, but it definitely isn't complete coverage and there will be extended dead spots on such a hike because of the folded terrain.

Access to Kerlingarfjoll will be trickier because it is much less visited.

compass

Not much use in Iceland because of large and localised magnetic deviation and the common occurrence of magnetised minerals in the ground. If you need a navigation aid, a GPS would be better.

Any alternative trek to suggest in this period of the year?

There are plenty of forum threads on this, search the forum for what you find, then come back with Qs. But realise that you are coming too early for a very good choice. You might also wish to consider buying yourself a copy of the Cicerone guide to trekking in Iceland, it has about 10 longer treks as well as a longer list of day-walks.

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