I Spent 72 Hours in the Most REMOTE Part of Iceland

#kraigadams
Hornstrandir Nature reserve is the peninsula at the far north of the extremely remote Westfjords. In July 2021, I did a 3 day trip around the peninsula, and it was easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.
0:00 Main Video
12:36 How to visit Hornstrandir
Check back soon for the written guide to Hornstrandir
Follow along on Instagram: / elsbethweeks

[@kraigadams]

good memories. great job with this

[@DeltadronesBr]

Hello Kraig! I met you nearby my Home, in Patagônia Chile! Great trip too!

[@LindaY007ttc]

Beautiful video - thanks so much for sharing! Now I have a new addition to my bucket list! 😂 I love the format of you talking at the end, wrapping things up and sharing what you’ve learned - so helpful!

[@adventureawaits5003]

Wow this is so amazing!! Video is very well done too so much great landscape and scenery!!

[@DeltadronesBr]

I will make my second trip to Iceland, but i'm going to cross Laugavegur trail, from Landmannalaugar to Skogafoss. Hornstrandir is a goal for the next few years maybe. Great video! Very informative! Thanks!

[@ElsbethWeeks]

You are going to love Laugavegur! It is a landscape unlike anything else in the world! And so diverse too :) I loved both hikes, but Hornstrandir is the one with my hear :)

[@vbcool83]

I just have to say one thing. You made my day with this video. This one is definitely on my bucket list!

[@WanderingSoleTV]

Gorgeous, what a fantastic trip!

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Thanks for your kind comment :)

[@Dennisli478]

Awesome and detailed trip report!

[@francoismach8778]

fantastic informative presentation, many thanks for sharing all those useful tips. We definitely appreciated the itinerary part, thank you.

[@PABackpacker]

Wow. Great video of a beautiful place with spectacular views. Thanks for making this.

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Oh thank you! Appreciate the kind words :)

[@ClaudiaRodriguez-yq1qx]

I love your tips at the end of the video, very useful!

[@LifeAdventureFam]

THANK you for this video, It's absolutely stunning place, please continue the itinerary on the last part of the video, we learned lots of information. Planning to this hike this year. Cheers!!! PS - Love the artic foxes.

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Thanks for this nice comment! I am glad this was helpful! I hope you guys have a great time in Hornstrandir this year :)

[@Unadventurousadventures]

Thanks for posting this amazing video and for all the advice at the end, like where to buy fuel, taxi's, etc. Heading up there this summer, can't wait.

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Haha, yeah I was really stressed about buying fuel (since we flew and couldn't get it in Reykjavik) I wanted to make sure anyone who wanted to know where to find it would have the information in a straight forward way! Have a great trip! It's beautiful :)

[@waterfallmadman]

That is my kind of hike. Beautiful waterfall in the middle of nowhere. Awesome seeing those foxes on the beach. Such a beautiful place. Great video.

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Haha, when I was adding that clip in - I definitely thought of you! Thanks :)

[@DavidPMcEntee]

Incredible video. LOVE IT! Well done, I am 100% getting out here next year. Looks beautiful.

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Oh thank you so much for such a nice comment! You definitely should go, you will not regret it :)

[@cyruscrossan]

That intro sequence though. Awesome video as always and making want to visit Iceland!

[@ElsbethWeeks]

I know you would get some amazing footage in iceland!

[@katherineweeks4788]

Wooooow! Best video I’ve ever seen on KZbin!

[@toddbonin6926]

Wonderful video of a dream destination. Thanks for sharing!

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@hikingiceland]

What a beautiful video! Makes me want to go out right now to feel the nature and fresh air :) but also makes me miss the summer here in Iceland 😅

[@ElsbethWeeks]

I set my phones home screen to a photo I took here! Every time I pick up my phone, I wish I was back in Iceland!!

[@christopheblanchi4777]

Great video! We are adding this hike to our list. We will be going to Iceland for our 3rd time this summer, and you got me hooked. This trip is simply stunning. The plan now looks like Hornstrandir for 4 days, a week of driving around the country followed by the Laugavegur trail.

[@ElsbethWeeks]

That sounds like an amazing trip! You are definitely going to have an great time. Good call on four days in Hornstrandir, my big regret was not having more time!

[@brianmccormack84]

I have fifty years backpacking adventuring going to Iceland wasn't sure if I was going to go tracking love your video very informative I am going to go on a little track and thank you so much

[@arsalanazhar3340]

Great video, hope u keep on uploading ur content is awesome

[@colinboothman3646]

Such a great video! Awesome editing!

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate that!

[@stephanieweeks762]

Loved seeing the arctic fox show up on your video - great detail, excellent filming

[@ElsbethWeeks]

They arctic foxes were so precious! Thanks :)

[@nathanlivingston5658]

Awesome video great information. Thank you

[@PastaOfMyDomain]

Yep. Im jealous. Thank you and well done.

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Haha thanks for the comment - Hornstrandir is something else!

[@StephenMcGillUK]

Great video !!! I had 5 weeks in the Highlands this summer and i am doing the Westfjords for a week next summer with a few few days in Hornstrandir - after watching your video i'm going to extend the trip and go for longer so i can have more days in Hornstrandir for sure. thanks for the advice, and it was wonderful to watch your hike. I need to learn how to edit videos, yours was awesome

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Thanks for watching! 5 weeks in the Highlands sounds amazing! I hope to get back out there and see more in the future! Extending is a good idea! I hope you get good weather :) and, this was definitely what I would consider my first “good” video, so I appreciate your kind words!

[@donniebel]

Great format

[@phila3884]

Did this hike in reverse from your trip. Went with an organized tour, 2 days, ferries included. Furnished camp and food included. Highly recommend. This went to the top of my bucket list from the moment I became aware of it and luckily got the last tour of the season- in late Sep! Sun/rain/clouds/cold- maybe not the hike for novices, I agree, but not terribly strenuous. I wished I had a telephoto- so many arctic foxes they were almost mocking me!

[@josegabriellugo]

Thanks for the helpful advice . I am going this summer hope I find nice weather. Thanks for Sharing

[@ElsbethWeeks]

I hope you get good weather! It is an absolutely beautiful place and I want to go back some day :)

[@josegabriellugo]

@@ElsbethWeeks Ellsberg another question, I am planning to go this summer alone, Others hikers said that Hornstandir could be dangerous if get foggy, or the high tide to crops the river,I have my all trail and GPS. What would de your opinion? 🤔

[@Navigator200]

That final shot was incredible

[@alwaysanotheradventure]

It continues to be a helpful video, thank you. The bit at the end works well to. You might consider posting a link to your GPS track if you have it. Thanks for making the video.

[@stigfloberghagenphotography]

Great video 🙂👍

[@nancysmith903]

I enjoy your trips and your comments at the end of the videos. I just recently found your channel and would love to know where you’re from, how did you become loving these far away places, and not to be too nosey, how you fund your travels. Thank you for your time.

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Not nosy at all! I think there are way too many people on KZbin who are living "dream lives" and not being really open about how lucky they are to be doing it. I'm originally from Chicago (area) but now live in San Francisco. I've always kind of felt drawn to just exploring. When I made this video I was a full time engineer at a FAANG company, so I had a job to support this, now I am currently on a sabbatical and just living off of savings. I've been very lucky with the career I've had

[@balazsgyurak4551]

Thank you so much! This was very useful. I am planning my trip there as well this summer, and I want to take your exact route you took, but in 4 days instead of 3. The only thing I'm worried about is exactly what you said: I've never been to backpacking (although I'm an experienced day hiker). I am planning to do a couple of warmup trips before summer, but yeah I definitely won't be super experienced when I get there. I feel pretty confident though and I know the limits of my abilities - what do you think? Should I go for it, or gain more experience? (my problem is, for various reasons if I don't go this year, it very well may be a few years before I can go again)

[@Hypedhitman]

This looks amazing. I made a promise to my mother in law that I would take her to Iceland before her 60th birthday and it’s coming up. Can’t wait. Side note, you have very pretty eyes.

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Such a nice comment! When you make it out there, both you and your mother in law are going to love it! Definitely an incredible place :)

[@solab7386]

Thanks a lot for Thai subtitle, Hope to be there in someday.

[@ElsbethWeeks]

I also hope you get to see it! It's truly an amazing place :)

[@antnguyen]

Great video! You did such a nice job of capturing the solitude of Hornstrandir, but I'm also curious as to how many other hikers were there. I'm sure there wasn't a whole lot of people, but it looked like you two were alone on the horn!

[@ElsbethWeeks]

I actually didn't realize quite how unpopular our route was until we got there. There were two guys who had an identical itinerary to us, but that was it - not even other footprints over the snow from Heysteri to Hloduvik. The horn was a different story - lots (buy Hornstrandir standards) of tents set up at camp. We only saw 6 other people on our trip to the horn (mostly on our way back), though , so I guess it pays to head out there super early!

[@antnguyen]

@@ElsbethWeeks ugggghhh that’s amazing! Going to have to put Hornstrandir on the ever growing list…

[@jeffreyalanday7432]

Your presentation was quite good! Don't change the format!

[@gurbazsingh4251]

Love your video! I also watched Kraig's video and fell in love with Iceland even more! It is my dream to do this hike even tho I am a lazy bum. I have a very genuine question which is kinda holding me back to do this hike. How did you manage the poop situation? Since I'm from India, we use a water jet rather than TP.

[@ElsbethWeeks]

So, there are toilets (drop style) but you would have to bring your own tp. And no bidets! Still an upgrade from most backcountry in USA where you dig a hole! And also, the foxes are very tiny! Just cute, not scary at all!

[@alzaplin5101]

Liked your videos, I have hiked, (trekked) in some really cool places and you might think about doing them. 1..nepal...;2. Ladakh , India, starting from Leh...3. Sikkim, India. 4..Bhutan: snowman trek... Nice to see you exploring the world , keep it up...

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Oh I dream of going to the Himalayas! Hopefully I can make it out there this year, but it is all depending on the covid situation :( Definitely very excited to see that part of the world one day!

[@fahadsfilms]

Beautiful work , Greeting from Pakistan 🇵🇰

[@jefterReis]

Thanks for the video! Definitely going to the horn in 23. Does it take a compass to hike around the reserve? How did you know where tô go? 😊

[@ElsbethWeeks]

We downloaded maps onto our phones offline. The trail was well marked by large rock cairns. The only sections that were a bit confusing and we needed to pull the maps out were when the trail was under snow. I think if you go a bit later in the season (late July) most snow will be gone

[@luciemarkova782]

Beautiful video ! I would love to complete this hike too. Are there any indications, or paths/trails you can follow in Hornstrandir? Or do you absolutely needs a GPS in order to complete the hike?

[@ElsbethWeeks]

There are paths, but sometimes they get overgrown. The large stacks of rocks are cairns - as long as you can see the next one, you are heading on a path. I would still recommend to have at least a map or phone with gps. There are some places where the trail might be obscured by snow, or intersect with another trail and you head the wrong way. If you are just doing the coastal trail to the horn (or going across the peninsula as we did) it is mostly obvious to just follow the most well-worn trail. Have a great time! This is easily one of my favorite places in the world! :)

[@randallgvideos]

I've been to Iceland a few times, and wow did you ever luck out on the weather!

[@levb.7338]

I've been to Hornstrandir twice. You got lucky with the weather. You seem to have taken the more popular route... It's also not 100% true that there isn't any phone reception. There is some from Hesteyri -> Hloduvik. None from Hlodvik to the Horn, but there is a little bit of reception at Hornbjarg (the horn) in good weather. I've been on several long arctic distance hikes, and Hornstrandir is still my favourite one. True northern solitude.

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Ooh I am so jealous! Where else have you gone hiking in the Arctic? I have a couple up there that are very high on my todo list!

[@levb.7338]

@@ElsbethWeeks sarek national park in Sweden is the one I would recommend. A bit more challenging than Hornstrandir, mainly due to lack of cell phone signal (not even patches) and varied terrain

[@ElsbethWeeks]

@@levb.7338 Oh no! Another place I have to add to my list :( Joking, I am always happy to learn about a new place (even if my list is already too long!)

[@anddavinci6691]

Hello! Do you think this hike would be suitable for someone who's not quite a beginner but not a seasoned hiker either? Also, are the steep parts truly as steep as they appear in the video? Lastly, did you make it to the Horn? Thank you!

[@ElsbethWeeks]

There are some quite steep sections. If you are nervous I think the best option is to take the boat to the Hornvik campsite and stay a couple nights there and do the day hikes. Alternatively, if you are in Isafjordur, there is the information office and they can help you make a more informed decision based on the conditions! Have a great time!

[@davicpetrovski155]

How did you transport the gas container for the food?

[@ElsbethWeeks]

We bought the gas canister at the gas station in Isafjordur. No restrictions bringing gas canister on the boat :)

[@briceweeks3774]

You seem to be using additional video techniques? Great video. Bummer about the drone.

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Definitely some new editing techniques here! Thanks

[@gurbazsingh4251]

HI I'M BACK AGAIN. Quick question 🥺- What if you've never hiked in your life. So is there a way that you hike less? I mean can the boat drop you off closer to Hornstrandir cliff so that you hike less?

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Yes! You can take the boat directly to Hornvik. Here are the boat schedules: www.westtours.is/en/hornstrandir/sjoferdir-boat-scheduale www.westtours.is/en/hornstrandir/borea-adventure-boat-sceduale The West Tours folks (The tour agency with the boat schedules) also organized day trips if you don't want to camp! If there is something confusing, I recommend emailing West Tours - they are super nice and super friendly! Not only did we schedule the boat with them, they also helped us get to the airport and held our luggage :)

[@jamesvrtis8863]

Did you spend the night in Isafjordur? Or did you fly and take the boat the same day?

[@r0chsh]

I would be a bit apprehensive to go somewhere so remote but looks like it's worth it!

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Haha knowing you I cannot believe that you would be apprehensive at all!

[@ruthpalsson6930]

It is not really that remote these days with all our technology. My husband and I walked from Furufjörður to Hornstrandir over 4-5 days in 1978 - before there were any tracks, toilets, rangers, bridges over creeks etc. We had a map and a few notes on which headlands we could walk around on which tide and when we had to go up and over! A wonderful experience. No GPS, no EPIRB. If things went belly up, we were on our own.

[@ReactiveDogDiaries]

I would really love to hike there with my dog, is that possible to bring dogs?

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Sadly dogs are not allowed :/ Hornstrandir is a conservation area for the foxes and birds

[@crescermeditando]

Im going by myself on August, would you mind if a ask some questions ?

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Sure thing! You can ask here, but I am a bit more responsive on IG if you would rather ask there :)

[@samuelthesinistercastaneda6200]

I hope you’ll go to Ellidaey Island there at Iceland

[@ElsbethWeeks]

Oh no! It's another thing I must add to my list :p I already know I will have to come back to hike Kerlingarfjoll and see the Eastfjords, now I will add Ellidaey to my list also!

[@samuelthesinistercastaneda6200]

Elsbeth Weeks YEY! I’ll wait for it Maybe tropical environment soonest

[@gurbazsingh4251]

Also, whatsup with the foxes? What if ya'll confront a big ass fox?

[@FR3iT4S]

man i wish i was bird hahaha... 11:29

[@ThomasDeegancool]

Needs more dubstep tbh

[@ElsbethWeeks]

SMH...

[@isabellaholostoy4794]

So dramatic haha a bit 2 much

[@MattIvey]

KEF LALF VIK??? Oh honey. No.

[@MattIvey]

Been there 5 times. Please get the names right...