This time, the summer festival was held on the east side in Höfðavík by the Lagarfljót River. The weather forecast was promising, and there was talk of a heat wave in the east. The first ones arrived on Thursday and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Most arrived on Friday and settled into their various RVs or tents. There were 70-80 participants at the meet in 35 vehicles.
The beach at Höfðavík was also at its most beautiful.
The excitement was palpable. Saturday dawned, and many people started their day early, as the plan was to set off on the annual Land Rover trip at 10:04 AM. The group departed right on time, heading along the Lagarfljót River and up the Fljótsdalsheiði.
From there, a trail was taken that reindeer hunters use for hunting, and the path led up to Thrælaháls, where the view was said to be good in all directions.
However, it turned out that at one point, the easterly lull passed over a bit quickly, causing some sandblasting in the area that blocked the view to some extent, and at times, almost completely.
When we had traveled a long way down the trail, it became a quagmire for a short stretch where large rocks and muddy soil mixed together. This proved to be an obstacle for the stock cars, and they sank into the wet even when they were standing still.
It was therefore decided to avoid causing damage to the trail, and the cars that had not yet crossed the pass turned around and went back the same way. However, a few cars that had already crossed continued on their planned route. They then returned to the campground by various routes. Some stopped at Skriðuklaustur, while others extended their route to Kárahnjúkar and down into Jökuldalur, stopping at Stuðlagil and from there to Egilsstaðir and the campground at Höfðavík.
In the evening, there was a joint barbecue and the Land Rover Games were held, where events included a fan belt toss and brake rotor boccia.
Afterwards, everyone chatted and enjoyed each other's company late into the night. On Sunday, the formal program concluded, and most people prepared to go home or on to other adventures in the East.
Text: Árni Árnason Photos: Árni Árnason and Dóra G Wild.