Backpacking
Sun July 21 - Hotel Accommodations
Mon, July 22 through Sun July 28
Monday July 29 We will tour the south coast and take a 3 hour Glacier hike - crampons will be provided by the guide for this adventure. We will have hotel accommodations. Please note: Meals are on our own for the remainder of the trip. There will be stores and restaurants available.
Tuesday July 30 - We will head to the Thingvellir National Park. Along the way, we will see several waterfalls and hot springs areas with Geysers. If you been to Yellowstone, it is very similar.
Wednesday July 31 - We will finish our guided tour with a hike to a hot springs to soak our tired but happy selves. We will be dropped off in the heart of Reykjavik.
Thursday Aug 1 - On your own in Reykjavik. There is so much to see and do, that I wanted to have a full day here. There are several museums, so I could arrange a day tour if people are interested. Otherwise, the only thing included in the trip is the accommodations for Thursday night.
July 22 pick up for an 7 day/6 night backpacking trip from Landmannalaugar to Thorsmork Valley. This will include hiking to Magni and Modi Volcanoes.
Hiking distance is between 7 - 10 miles per day, with elevation between 1500 and 2600 ft although there are two days with very little elevation change. The last day is the most difficult, 10 miles and 2600 ft. If you can manage this, the rest of the trip is easy hiking.
We are self-contained, so you will need to bring your full backpack, tent, sleeping bag, etc. I have arranged for a mid-trip resupply to reduce the weight for food, which will be provided by the guide, as the import restriction would make it difficult to bring in enough nutrition for the entire trip. If you are missing gear, this can be rented for an additional cost.
My expectations is that people will need to arrive on Sunday July 21st and will leave sometime Friday Aug 2nd. Personally, I plan to leave on Saturday Aug 3 and take an extra day in Reykjavik.
We have economy accommodations and will be staying in multi-bed rooms. We will be staying at a popular hostel the last two nights in Reykjavik. I wanted us to be in the heart of Reykjavik, so accommodations are more expensive, but the convenience of being able to walk to our destinations seemed more important.
I am very excited by this adventure! Cost is $2700 per person based on a group of 10. I have to provide a $750/per person deposit by Nov 1st to hold our reservation. $70 is non-refundable. The balance of the trip must be remitted by Jun 15th 2019. After May 1st, the deposit is only 50% refundable and after June 15th, the trip cost is non-refundable.
Please remember that you need to provide your own meals for the last four days on the tour. I would budget about $50 a day for meals. An option would be to bring some freeze dried meals for these days. You are allowed to import 6.6 lbs. There are other restrictions so if you are interested in this option, let me know.
In addition, there is always a risk that the currency exchange will impact the final balance due, so be prepared for a small increase or decrease for the June payment. Also, it would be nice to plan to provide a tip for our guides. Tipping is not expected in Iceland but always appreciated.
That being said, if I increase the group size to 12 persons, it will reduce the cost per person to $2400, so I plan to open the trip to 12 persons.
So let’s add this up:
$750 due Nov 1, 2018
$2000 due Jun 15, 2019 (If we have 12 committed that will be reduced to $1700)
Total - $2750 to Karyn Scott-McKinney for the trip
With meals and incidentals you should budget for approximately $3000 plus airfare. You must make your own travel arrangements.
Let me know what other questions you might have. I will have a planning meeting in November for the group as well as one in the Spring.
Looking forward to sharing this adventure with you!
Shirley Williamson and Karyn Scott-McKinney
