Tonight, at the summer solstice, a group of 150 will participate in Útivist Travel Association’s annual midsummer hike of the trail across the mountain range Fimmvörðuháls, the site of the volcanic eruption that preceded the one in Eyjafjallajökull in 2010.
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Photo from Fimmvörðuháls.
The number of hikers is about the same as they have been in recent years, mbl.is reports.
“The participation in the hike is fantastic and spirits are high,” said Skúli H. Skúlason, managing director of Útivist..
Skúli added that the 150 hikers will be divided into two groups, departing from Reykjavík at 5 pm and 7 pm.
“We will walk well into the early hours of the morning,” he said.
The walk takes about 9 hours and both groups are about the same size.
Halfway, in the Útivist lodge at Fimmvörðuháls, Skúli will serve Icelandic meat soup for the hikers. The lodge is one of several stops made during the walk.
At dawn on Saturday, the hikers will climb down Básar in Goðaland in Þórsmörk. The hikers will be given time to rest for a while before the barbecue is fired up and the evening entertainment program begins.
“The weather is favorable and calm but with the chance of some showers. The weather charts indicate that the showers won’t be too heavy,” Skúli said when asked about the weather.
“Calm wind is crucial during a hike across Fimmvörðuháls. The weather is looking to be pretty perfect,” he added.
The midsummer hike is one of the highlights of year for Útivist. The Útivist Travel Association was established in 1975.
JB
