Lost Fjords 2016 - Trekking tour in the Vestfirðir peninsula ...

Lost Fjords - Trekking tour in the Westfjords Peninsula 2024 - 6 days / 5 nights

Guided backpacking tour in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in Iceland´s Westfjords.

Accommodation in tents.

Trip difficulty: Demanding.

The Hornstrandir nature reserve is a place of magnificent untouched beauty and wildlife. The sheer basalt mountains stretch from the sea to the sky chaotically divided by deep fjords, secluded alcoves and valleys.

At the coastline, the relentless power of the ocean has molded towering sea cliffs, richly populated by birds. Many of the alcoves and scurries of the coast are home to an abundance of seals. Inland the crawling glaciers of the last ice age have hewn ancient mountain passes and lakes into the rugged peninsula and there the Arctic Fox wanders in its natural environment.

The Lost Fjords trip is a full-on backpacking trip where we are self-sufficient, carrying our equipment and sleeping in our own tents along the way.

HT04 Map

AVAILABLE:
June 28 to August 23

DURATION:
6 Days / 5 Nights

TOUR ID:
HT04

Included

Not Included

Itinerary

Day 1. Reykjavík – Ísafjörður – Aðalvík

Pre-departure meeting the day before departure.
We meet at the office in Aðalstræti 17 (downtown main street) the day before departure at 5pm, where we will answer any questions and make final preparations.

Departure Day.
We depart from the harbour in Ísafjörður on our passenger ferry Bjarmi at 9am. We make our way to the abandoned village of Hesteyri. We have now left the modern world behind and are entering a wonderland of sounds, from soothing streams to the whisper of the waves by the beach. We start our hike in Hesteyri and head for Hesteyrarskarð mountain pass. From there we start to make our way down the other side to sea level.
Overnight at Látrar.

Day 2. Aðalvík - Fljótavík

From Aðalvík we have the option of a big detour to the top of Straumnesfjall mountain to explore an abandoned radar station built in 1953 by the American army. They quickly figured out this was a pretty harsh place to live, so they abandoned the station in 1960. They might also have gotten tired of not seeing any enemies, ever. We will then head over to Fljótavík. To get to our destination we need to cross Atlastaðaós river, which can get a bit tricky as it is sensitive to sea tides, so we need to aim to be there at low tide.
Overnight at Atlastaðir.

Day 3. Fljótavík - Hlöðuvík

We will start the day hiking along the green banks of Fljótsvatn lake. The lake is beautiful and the mountain range on our left-hand side is impressive. We need to cross a few mountain passes to get across the mountain range separating us from our next destination, Hlöðuvík.
Overnight at Búðir with an optional evening walk to Hælavík.

Day 4. Hlöðuvík - Hornvík

Today we head up a steep slope to the mountain ridge Skálakambur and follow a route marked with cairns towards the steep Atlaskarð (327 m) mountain pass. We will go around Mt. Kollur and from there start making our way towards Höfn in Hornvík, the heart of Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. This is a place of dramatic natural beauty and should not be missed out by anyone traveling in this area. It is necessary to spend more than one day at this awe-inspiring place so we will put up camp there for two nights.

Day 5. Hornvík – Hornbjarg - Hornvík

Nothing compares to the beauty of Hornvík, surrounding are two of Iceland's largest bird cliffs. Like the entire Hornstrandir area, Hornvík is very remote and is only accessible by boat or by foot. We hike to Hornbjarg cliff where thousands of birds can be seen and the massive sculptures of mother nature make human beings feel very small and vulnerable. Many visitors state that the hike to Hornbjarg was the highlight of their Hornstrandir trip. At the end of the day we head back to Hornvík where we spend the night.

Day 6. Hornvík – Veiðileysufjörður – Ísafjörður - Reykjavík

Today we will pack our tents and gear, hit the trail and cross yet another mountain pass to get to Veiðileysufjörður fjord. After crossing the mountain range, we descend down to the coast again, following the beach for a while until we get to Meleyri. From there we will get picked up by a boat that will take us to Ísafjörður, back to civilization after almost a week in the wild. For those eager to wash off their hiking dust, a visit to Ísafjörður swimming pool is ideal. Others can relax, go out, eat and just enjoy the town.

This itinerary is a guide only and is subject to change depending on the weather, conditions and the ability of the group.

Tour Dates

June 28, 2024	English
July 12, 2024	English
July 26, 2024	English
August 09, 2024	English
August 23, 2024	English

Price Information

June 28, 2024 - August 23, 2024:

Price per person (excluding flights)

259700 ISK (1865 USD)

Optional

One Person Tent
Price: 15001 ISK (108 USD)

Vegan or Gluten free
Price: 12000 ISK (86 USD)

Vegetarian or Pescatarian
Price: 6000 ISK (43 USD)

Payments & Terms

Cancellation policy:
For this tour a non refundable confirmation fee of 25% of the total price must be made when the tour is booked.
Participants wishing to cancel their booking must notify TOURIS in writing immediately.
We will charge a cancellation fee of 100% if booking is cancelled 60 days or less before event.
We will charge a cancellation fee of 50% if booking is cancelled 90-61 days prior to departure.
25% of the total price is non-refundable

Useful Information: Here you will find other information for this tour.

Trip difficulty: Demanding -Long days of hiking in the mountains. May include backpacking while carrying tent, sleeping/cooking gear and food. Up to 5-600m of ascent over tough terrain including loose rock, soft ground and snow. Good section of the route might be without a trail.

Minimum number of participants: 4 persons
If you are a solo traveler, please contact us to see if you can join another group.

Max number of participants per guide: 8

Minimum Age: 16 years

Hiking distances per day:The distances are between 12-16 km a day. We're carrying all our stuff on most of the days and have to go through mountain passes up to 600 meters altitude. We keep a slow pace and enjoy the scenery of course since we're not in a hurry. This hike is a wilderness hike, the terrain where we hike is in some parts wet, mossy, rocky, muddy and everything in between, steep and flat. In some parts, there aren't any trails. Just pure wilderness.

Payment:
A non refundable deposit of 25%, of the total package price should reach TOURIS within 3 days of confirmation of booking and full payment not later than 12 weeks prior to tour departure. In case of delay on payments, TOURIS will reserve the right to treat this as a cancellation and withdraw its confirmation of the services.
Every detail regarding the booking must be included, in order for TOURIS to ensure efficiency, including the passengers name, flight information, all accommodation, tours and other services.

Bring with you:

Remember that everything you bring you will have to carry on your back for the entire hike. Try to pack as light as possible while still bringing everything you need.

Please note that we provide the tents. We use two person tents and therefore you are expected to share with one other person. If you would like a tent to yourself then you can rent a 1 person tent. Please select this option during the booking process.

Warm outdoor clothing including hiking pants and warm upper layers. Please avoid cotton as it keeps you cold when wet and takes a very long time to dry.

Waterproof jacket and pants.

Hiking boots. Please use waterproof high-top hiking boots, which provide ankle support.

Water shoes, as we cross many streams, a lake and walk through some wetlands. Make sure they are sturdy and are well secured.

It might be good to take short gaiters since we will be crossing a few snowfields and it also keeps sand and soil out of the shoes.

Hat and gloves.

Backpack. It needs to be around 50-60L. Big enough to carry all of your belongings, including your sleeping bag and your share of the food.

Sleeping bag rated to at least 0°C. Down is best since it packs smaller than synthetic.

Sleeping mattress. A thin inflatable one is best as it easily fits inside the backpack.

Personal medical kit i.e. band aids, throat lozenges, lip salves, seasickness tablets etc. Don't forget your personal medication, which you may need (e.g. Asthma inhaler, even if you don’t always need it).

Sun glasses.

Sunscreen and after sun cream.

Binoculars are nice to have for watching wildlife. (Optional).

Water bottle.

Don't forget your camera!!

Disclaimer:
All hiking trips are undertaken on the responsibility of its participants. TOURIS does not assume any responsibility for accidents which are caused by its customers or can be traced to their own actions. Participants have to sign a waiver before undertaking all trips stating that they realize that all outdoor activities carry an inherit risk.

Travel Insurance:
To avoid dispute in case of cancellation, we strongly recommend that our clients purchase a comprehensive travel insurance in their home country, that covers your cost should you have to cancel your tour. This kind of travel insurance is usually not expensive and it frequently covers other risks too.

Departure Date:

Number of Passengers:

Please Select departure date first.

Optional Extra:

One Person Tent
15001 ISK (108 USD):

Vegan or Gluten free
12000 ISK (86 USD):

Vegetarian or Pescatarian
6000 ISK (43 USD):

Please select your details here above to calculate your total price.