Across Black Deserts to Emstrur 🇮🇸
- Day 3 Hike – Saturday 22nd August 2026
- Hvanngil – Emstrur
- Distance 16km plus extra canyon hike of 4.5km
By Day 3, we’d well and truly settled into trail life. Wake up, pack everything back into the backpacks, eat breakfast, put the boots on and head off into the wilderness.
We were still feeling really good. Three days in and our legs were holding up, the backpacks weren’t bothering us too much and we were still thoroughly enjoying the trek.
Into the Moon Landscape
The weather was decent when we set off, although it was noticeably windy. Visibility was good enough though and that was the important thing because the landscape today was something else.
The further we walked, the more the scenery transformed into a vast, barren, almost moon-or-Mars-like landscape.
Black volcanic earth stretched endlessly into the distance, with huge mountains and glaciers appearing across the horizon. It was difficult to comprehend just how vast it was.
You could walk for what felt like hours and the landscape barely seemed to change. And then, just when you thought the scenery couldn’t get any better, we’d catch sight of another glacier.
We could see the enormous glaciers stretching across the landscape, looking almost surreal against the stark volcanic terrain. It was wild, remote and incredibly beautiful.
Another River Crossing
There were more river crossings along this section of the trail and today’s was slightly wider than the others. Off came the boots. Up went the trousers and into the freezing water we went.
By the time we reached the other side, our feet and legs were completely numb. Nothing quite says “living our best Icelandic adventure” like standing on the opposite bank waiting for your feet to remember how to function. Still, we dried off, put the boots back on and carried on.
Race Against the Rain
We knew rain was forecast from around 2pm, so we had our eyes firmly on getting to Emstrur and getting the tent up before the heavens opened. And, if we’re honest, we’d originally been considering carrying on past Emstrur to the next campsite. Which, looking back, would have been a very bad decision. Because Emstrur turned out to be one of the highlights of the trek.
As we approached the campsite, the landscape opened up around us and we were greeted with one of those views that makes you stop in your tracks. The campsite itself was unreal.
We found a spot right at the top of a hill with views stretching straight towards the glacier. So naturally, we pitched our tent there. Because why wouldn’t you?
The only slight concern was the increasingly windy conditions. Let’s just hope we don’t get blown away overnight.
Emstrur – And Then We Went Back Out Again
Once the tent was up, we could have quite reasonably crawled inside, got warm and called it a day. But we’d come all this way. And we’d heard about the enormous Markarfljótsgljúfur canyon circular nearby. So, despite the rain now arriving, we headed back out to hike. Because apparently five days of trekking with a heavy backpack isn’t enough exercise.
The circular walk, around 4.5km, took us out to the massive canyon and it was absolutely worth getting out into the rain for. The scale of it was incredible.
Markarfljótsgljúfur is one of Icelands largest and most spectacular canyons. It stretches for about 10km (6 miles) and reaches depths of up to 200 metres (660 ft).
Standing there looking down into the vast canyon, surrounded by the black volcanic landscape was one of those moments where you realise just how tiny you are in this landscape. This was a very visible trace of the natural forces that have shaped Iceland over thousand of years.
And we were so glad we’d stopped at Emstrur. Had we carried on to the next campsite, we’d have missed it completely.
Sometimes the best decisions on an adventure are the ones you almost didn’t make.
Back to Camp
By the time we made our way back to the tent, the rain had stopped and we were completly dry. We’d had another incredible day on the trail, discovered another completely different landscape and seen such a spectacular place.
Three days down. Still loving it. Still feeling good. And still, thankfully, no major arguments over the tent. Although there was still time.
Tomorrow we’d leave the vast black landscapes behind and head towards Þórsmörk. And if the last three days had taught us anything, it was that Iceland had absolutely no intention of running out of surprises.
Day 3 verdict:
🦵 Legs: Apparently still haven’t got the memo that they’re supposed to be tired.
🌬 Wind: Definitely making itself known
🌧 Rain: Arrived right on schedule
⛰️ Landscape: Straight out of Mars
🏔 Glaciers: Absolutely spectacular
🏞 River crossings: Feet officially frozen
🏕 Campsite: Unreal
🎑 Tent view: Glacier front row
🚶♀️ Extra hike: Absolutely worth it
😊 Best decision: Stopping at Emstrur
🙄 Worst decision: Pitching a tent on a windy hill and hoping for the best
Check out todays video below👇
Mary's Outdoor Adventure's 