Hiking in the Heart of the Icelandic Highlands
Northern lights, natural hot pools and wilderness walking

Seven days of exploration in the Strútur region discovering spectacular views of three major ice caps: Mýrdalsjökull, Eyjafjallajökull and Tíndafjallajökull and the narrow and calm lake of Holmsárlón with its beautiful turquoise colours. An opportunity to immerse yourself in the wild beauty of the Icelandic highlands and relax in the natural hot pools.

Key information
August 21st – 27th 2020

*We have chosen the end of August as with good conditions this is one of the best times to see the Northern Lights*

7 days

Easy – Moderate

Airport : Reykjavik

Boutique Hotel *** in Reykjavik

Transfers included

Private 4 x 4 vehicle

At A Glance
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Days 1 - 2

Arriving into Reykjavik we can relax in the  Boutique hotel before enjoying a welcome meal in a local restaurant. Our adventure starts the following day with a journey to Hvanngil and then onto the South Fjallabak trail upto the highlands. We hike along mossy lava fields and enjoy glacial views of the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap below which the Icelandic volcano of Katla lies.
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Days 3 - 5

The highlands extend over 40,000km and are amongst Europe’s largest unpopulated areas.  Over the next 3 days we will admire the turquoise lake of Holmsárión with its majestic waterfalls, the magnificent Holmsá river and the biggest crater on our planet. Then explore the foothills of Torfajökull-Hrafntinnusker where we can observe gorges guarded by dragons and petrified trolls! Followed by the opportunity to relax in the hot springs of Strútslang at the foot of the volcanic caldera of Holmsàrlon. It is not uncommon to see flocks of barnacle or pink footed geese in this remote area. The Highlands are home to some of Iceland’s most active volcanoes: Hekla, Eyjafjallajökull and Katla, which sit under Myrdalsjökull, Iceland’s fourth largest glacier.
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Days 6 - 7

Our final day in the mountains we enjoy hiking on the famous Laugavegur trail before transferring from Fjallabak South to Reykjavik on a 4×4 mountain bus. A farewell dinner to end our wonderful adventure.
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Need To Know

 
Accommodation
3 x nights in Strútur mountain hut 

1 x night in Álftavötn mountain hut

Mountain huts are provide simple, yet comfortable accommodation options in remote areas. Sleeping arrangements our dormitory style with hot showers and toilet facilities. A 4×4 vehicle carries luggage and the food supplies to our hut and back on the last day. We pride ourselves for providing the best cuisine in the highlands! Breakfast is Scandinavian style, with muesli, breads, jams, smoked fish, charcuterie and cheese. The picnics;  a variety of sandwiches, smoked meats and fish, excellent local cheeses, green salad, tomatoes and cucumbers. Dinners, varied and often excellent, include fish and lamb dishes, served with pasta, rice or potatoes, vegetables and a green salad.

* Both huts are located close to the Strútslaug hot springs*

2 x nights in 3* centrally located Reykjavik Hotel – https://aldahotel.is – includes Sauna, Jacuzzi, Fitness centre.

 

What’s included
All accommodation

All breakfasts, lunches and dinners, drinks on first and last night 

We provide private vehicle support to transfer our luggage and utilise if one day your body needs to rest.

Guides
Our Icelandic guides are exceptionally experienced with a passion for sharing the mountains, flora and fauna with you. All qualified and licensed Mountain Leaders they will bring the trip alive.

We adopt an excellent guiding ratio meaning we can cater for differing levels within the group and offer extra add-ons where appropriate, such as taking in a side peak or giving two different trail choices.

One Guide – 1 – 7 clients

Two Guides – 8 – 14 clients

 

Booking and Price
Cost: €2150 pp

Single Supplement available

We manage every booking independently to ensure attention to detail and provide a personalised service.

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Terms & Conditions
Terms and Conditions (updated Jan 2019)All trips are sold subject to these Terms and Conditions (hereinafter T&Cs). 

1. Insurance

All clients need to be adequately insured for all activities they are taking part in. Insurance must include repatriation and details should be provided at the beginning of each trip.

All European clients should obtain a European Health insurance card (EHIC), however, this is not a substitute for travel insurance.

2. Health and fitness

Trip members have the responsibility to select a trip appropriate to their abilities and interests. In order to assist with this, all trips are graded and we welcome the opportunity to discuss trip details/answer questions in advance of your reservation. Trip members must be in sufficiently good health to undertake the trip, and if unsure seek medical advice in advance. For your own safety, you need to inform us of any medical conditions in advance or at the start of the trip. Trip members are also required to bring adequate clothing/equipment as advised in the pre-departure information.

3. Dietary Requirements

We endeavor to work with clients and accommodate their dietary requirements. However such is the nature of adventure travel we may be limited to specific menus e.g remote Mountain Huts, Tea Houses in the Himalaya’s etc. We fully encourage you to contact us in advance to discuss your requirements then we have every opportunity to explore options thereafter.

4. Cancellations and Fee Schedule Per Person

91 days or more prior to departure – €250 cancellation fee

61 – 90 days before departure – 25% of the trip cost

46 – 60 days before departure – 50% of the trip cost

45 days or less: 100% of trip cost

Fees are calculated from the date we receive written cancellation notice which can be via email. If clients are unable to access email and cancel over the phone we will confirm in writing the cancellation.

If you cancel 91 days or more prior to departure, it may be possible to transfer to another trip without occurring any fees. Please discuss this with us in the first instance.

With specific departures, there may be an increase in cancellation fee if the accommodation provider T & Cs mean we are liable for payment.

5. Complaints

If you have a complaint, please contact us as soon as possible, in the first instance your leader is often your obvious point of contact. This ensures we have every opportunity to explores solutions to the problem(s) arising and we will do all we reasonably can to resolve the complaint. You must tell us within 4 weeks after your holiday of any complaints that you feel have not been dealt with properly.

6. Alterations By Us

We will tell you as soon as reasonably possible if we must make any alteration to your holiday. Most alterations are minor, but very occasionally we might have to make a major alteration. A major alteration is a change of location or to a lower standard of accommodation for a substantial part of your holiday, a change in start/finish dates or necessary price rise in your holiday caused by rises in costs (e.g. exchange rates, internal transport etc). You may then choose as follows:

  • To accept these alterations
  • To withdraw from the holiday, in which case we will repay all monies paid to us including your deposit and this is the sum of our liability to you
  • To accept an alternative holiday that we may propose to you, in which case if the proposed holiday is a lower price we will pay you the difference and if it is a higher price we may ask for the difference.

You must inform us of your choice as soon as possible after we contact you.

7. Group Leadership

On a guided holiday your leader is responsible for the safety and enjoyment of the whole group and has sole discretion, on behalf of Live Breathe Hike, to exclude temporarily a participant from the group. They may also choose to terminate the participants holiday without the possibility of a refund if the leader thinks the participant is likely to endanger the group safety or spoil its enjoyment.

8. Your Responsibility

Mountain holidays by their very nature are adventurous, with a certain level of risk is undertaken. Individuals need to conduct themselves in a safe and responsible manner at all times; responding to advice, guidance, and instruction that may be given by the group leader / experienced professional and take all reasonable actions to eliminate accidents or injury.

9. Our Responsibilities

We will take all reasonable care to ensure that the information we give to you is accurate, including on our website, in your schedule and information pack. We will do all that we can to provide the service as described in the information we give to you. We are not liable if any failure is:

  • Attributable to anyone other than us
  • Attributable to a third party unconnected to us, and unforeseeable or unavoidable
  • Due to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control and could not have been avoided even if all due care had been taken
  • Due to an event which even with all due care we could not foresee or forestall

10. Cancellation By Us

Live Breathe Hike reserves the right to cancel any trip prior to departure for any reason whatsoever, including insufficient signup or logistics problems that may impede trip operations. The refund of all land payments received shall relate Live Breathe Hike from any further liability.

Live Breathe Hike must normally make substantial payments to its suppliers far in advance of the scheduled trip departure date. If a trip is canceled due to force majeure; (acts of God, war, strikes, earthquake, flooding etc), Live Breathe Hike will promptly refund the portion of the trip cost not already advanced to suppliers and use its best efforts to recover and refund the balance as promptly as possible. However, Live Breathe Hike does not guarantee recovery of any or all of the advance payments made.

11. Additional Costs

Live Breathe Hike shall not be liable for (a) expenses such as additional nights and meals not specified in the individual trip itineraries, but which may required to get to from a trip start or end; expenses due to the delay of a trip for any reason (e.g. bad weather, trails conditions, land slides, flooding, sickness etc); (c) expenses occurred in recovering lost luggage by airlines, belongings left behind on a trip or in shipping purchases or other goods home from abroad; (d) visa and other incidental costs.

Live Breathe Hike reserves the right to take photographic or film records of any trips, and may use any such records for promotional and/or commercial purposes without payment.

 

The Icelandic Highlands

Away from crowds, noise and bustle, the Highlands offer silence, serenity, peace and extreme natural beauty.