Gazing out the window from the Arctic Adventures mammoth bus, marveling at the barren, mysterious moonlike landscape, I subconsciously began whispering the lyrics, ‘Walking on the Moon’ by British Rock band The Police.
We were on our way to the Laugavegur Trail. Cited as one of the top 20 hikes in the world by National Geographic, this ancient trail winds through geothermal areas, rhyolite mountains, dormant volcanoes, glacier valleys and volcanic ash terrain.
My friend Val and I had arrived in Iceland three days earlier on Sept. 6, 2024, for a 15-day Icelandic adventure, which included three days in the capital Reykjavik, five days hiking The Laugavegur Trail and seven days jeeping around the perimeter of Iceland known as Ring Road.
Exploring Reykjavik for a few days gave us ample time to wander the city aimlessly and simultaneously hit some cultural landmarks.
As we roamed, we stumbled upon various attractions including the Sun Voyager Viking Ship, Hallgrimshorfur Lutheran Church, various intriguing monuments (including ‘Sad Person’, ‘Unknown Bureaucrat’), Skolavordustigur—The Rainbow Street, symbolizing inclusivity and creativity—The City Hall, a statue of Leif Erikson and The Bookstore Bar.
People in Reykjavik were extremely friendly and willing to share life experiences; this is where we first were introduced to the concept of “Elves in Iceland”.
Catching our Arctic Adventures Bus at the Reykjavik City Hall on the morning of Sept. 10 at 6 a.m., our energies were high as the mammoth wheels drove south along highway 1, then veered off to an ‘F’ Road, pressing through river crossings and rocky terrain heading to the trailhead of The Laugavegur Trail.
Laugavegur is the most popular trail in Iceland, with an estimated 75,000 to 100,000 people hiking it each year. The name means “hot springs route”.
Val and I were joined by our three friends, Lisa, Liv and Cindy, as well as 10 other hikers from the UK and USA. Our fearless guide, Aron, a 23-year-old 6’7” Icelander, led us through the mysterious terrain, regaling us with ancient Icelandic tales.
Our hut-to-hut hike included daily distances of 8 km, 26, 12, 14, and a glacier hike.
This trail in the land of ice and fire—Mount Hekla, Mount Katla, obsidian rock forests—began to take on a life of its own. The shrieking silence was overwhelming; we soaked up the air, atmosphere, energy and positive vibes.
My friend Val and I started making spontaneous movies—walking through volcanic ash, pretending to fall off cliffs, scanning wild landscape with the deafening wind blowing, crawling through steam vents, wandering sheep dotting the landscape, self reflection, rocks, rocks and more rocks, interviews of our fellow walkers and Aron.
We walked with Aron every chance we had; he was a walking encyclopedia of Icelandic personality and information. An intriguing revelation came during the fourth day when we uncovered his belief in elves –
“Elves are everywhere and fascinating to me. I grew up learning about elves and there are so many unbelievable events that we can’t really explain… I just believe that the elves really protect us,” he said.
I was hooked. For me, the obsession with elves had begun.
For our final six days, Val and I began our drive around Ring Rd. We picked up our jeep and found ourselves amid a brutal re-introduction to standard driving. Ring Rd., a lonely but intriguing two-lane highway, covers 1,321 kilometres and circles the perimeter of Iceland.
Our first stop was Hvammstangi in an AirBnB on the ocean with host, Ingvar, a lovely, retired soul with a history of sheep farming.
Staying in the communities of Akureyri, Egilsstadir and Hvolsvollur, we came upon individuals who expressed an unequivocal belief in the existence of elves. Elise in Akureyri proclaimed “We walk in a powerful energy field with the elves. They protect us always”.
Elves, it is believed, live on rocks and tiny homes built beside houses scattered across the landscape. Valborg, our host in Hofn, stated “Of course, I believe in Elves. They live on the stones in the mountains, and we need to be gentle around them because they are always there”.
Further investigation pointed to construction in Iceland, and how the Elves, ‘hidden people’, ‘Huldufolk’, need to be considered and respected.
According to Oliver Wainwright, if you want to lay a road, build a house, or construct a dam in Iceland, there’s one influential group you must clear it with elves first.
Elves. A magical and serious concept. Who would have thought that I would leave Iceland with more questions and curiosity than when I first arrived. The beauty and mystery of Iceland had become a reality.
As the plane propelled across the ocean bringing us home, a sense of gratefulness set it—grateful to be going home (there’s no place like home), but also thankful to the intriguing adventure that Iceland had to offer!
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