Laugavegur Trail: All River Crossings
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- Опубликовано: 26 авг 2022
- This video shows all 4 river crossings during the 3 days Laugavegur Trail in Iceland.
I did the trail from 31.7. until 2.8.2022. Weather was great, crossing the rivers was easy. But be aware that conditions can we worse after a lot of rain or earlier in the season. Always ask the hut wardens about the conditions of the rivers!
I didn't want to buy new sandals just for the crossings, so I brought what I already had at home: some old "barefoot" running shoes ("Merrell Vapor Glove"). They worked great for me, super safe feeling, super good "vibram" sole. Although they were wet after the crossings of course. But not as wet as normal sportshoes, it was easy to carry them attached outside of my bag. And even wet they stayed super lightweight.
Flip flops or too loose "crocs" are not recommended, as there is a danger to lose them in fast flowing water. Barefeet is also not recommended, as rocks can be slippery and "sharp".
Some more tips for the crossings:
- Watch how other people cross. But don't follow them "blind" if they make bad choices. Only follow them if you see that they have found a good spot to cross.
- Attach boots securely so you don't lose them (for example hang around the neck)
- Unbuckle the waist belt of your bag, so you can easily get rid of it in case you fall. Also deep water will "lift" up your bag and you will lose ground if you are too tightly attached to it.
- Choose the widest (and therefore most shallow) part of the river. "Calm" looking water is usually deeper than "wild" looking water.
- For deep rivers, link elbows with your companions and wade across sideways.
- Make sure everything in your backpack is packed in waterproof bags (in case you fall or the water gets too deep).
- If water is deep and fast flowing, always walk diagonally against the current, never have the current in your back!
- Use sticks! "3 point technique": only move 1 stick or 1 foot at a time, so "3 points" are always secure in the water.
- Usually "knee deep" is fine to cross. If water gets deeper than your thighs and is fast flowing, it can lift your feet from the ground! So better avoid and find a better spot to cross!
#iceland #laugavegur #hiking
Thank you so much for posting this video. It is so helpful for someone like me who is preparing a trip to Laugavegur Trail be able to get an idea what to expect along the way! Especially the river crossing. I am planning on going mid June next year. Never really done multiday hiking alone. So I am a lil nervous but also excited at the same time. Thx for sharing!!
Thank you! Happy to hear it is helpful! 😀 I am sure you will not be alone, I met many other hikers on the way. So you can meet and talk to people, or you can stay by yourself, whatever you feel like every day. Enjoy it! It is a great hike!
Also thanks for taking the time to film these crossings!
thanks, it was fun :-D
Thank you! This is EXACTLY what I was looking for. It answered all my questions - except for one. You didn't appear to have cold feet after crossing. Was it so cold it made your feet numb?
It was VERY cold 🥶 But I am quite resistend and don't scream 😅
So if it's flooding or too dangerous, do you turn back and go home?
Is it a season type of a flooding or camping a night or two would settle the river for a safe crossing?
Also I've never trekked/camping before, and I'd like to do some solo trekking around the world next year, I'll be glad to hear some suggestions 😊 I'm thinking choquequirao trail is a good one to start with, maybe follow it up with this laugavegur trail as a second challenge!
hi! well, if it is really too dangerous too cross and the hut warden from a nearby hut also says "no", i would not risk my life. i would trust the hut wardens or rangers that they have a suggestion where to cross safely or what alternative hiking route to take.
as much as i know most of the rives can be much deeper in the beginning of the hiking season (june) because there is still a lot of snow which melts. also after heavy rainfalls you probably can expect more water. rainfall is temporary, so you should be good to go when weather improves. the seasonal melting water is not so temporary, so i would avoid going when there still is a lot of snow. melting water from snow and glaciers should be less in the morning and more in the afternoon (because the sun melts it during the day).
the choquequirao trek sounds great, havent done that.
i can recommend the w-trek or o-trek in patagonia, or in europe the tour du mont blanc in france/italy/switzerland and the kungsleden in sweden. also things like the annapurna circuit in nepal can be done solo without guide/porter.
there are also plenty of multidayhikes in the alpes.
How can you tell where is the safest point to cross?
Usually the crossings are a bit of a "traffic jam" because they slow down everyone. I didn't have a single crossing without some other hikers around, trying to cross too. So we shared our ideas and passed on the best way to cross to the next people. Or I arrived and just watched other people crossing. That is probably the "safest" if you feel unsafe: wait for other people. It's good to read some websites about "how to cross rivers" in order to understand the basics. Calm water very often is deep, while fast flowing water is not so deep. Of course you want to avoid fast flowing deep water... It is good to cross a bit diagonally and against the flow of the water, it feels more "stable" while walking with the sticks. Very often the rivers have some shallow "islands" in the middle, so you just cross from the shore to that island and then from the island to the other shore. It makes the river less wide...
oh PS: in order to have the camera on the other side and film myself, I usually crossed without my backpack 2 times and only in the end WITH backpack. that was actually a pretty good way to figure out a safe route. maybe go without your bag and figure out the conditions, before you go with the heavy bag, which makes you feel more unstable.
All really good advice, thank you!
@@mgrallert that's a great idea! especially if you happen t be alone.
@@rawveganfoodforthought2333 have a good hike 👍