Fjallabak

  Unforgettable 8-day trek in the highlands of Iceland - We were a small (private) group with big expectations and Fjallabak delivered, and then some ... the result exceeded our expectations.
The organisation, the landscapes, the length of each... read more day's hike, the accommodation and the food were all excellent. And not forgetting Matta and our guide Stebbi - Matta for her patience in addressing our endless queries and changes in the months leading up to the trip, and Stebbi for being our slightly off-the-wall, bohemian guide who made each day an adventure.
For our next visit to Iceland we wouldn't consider anybody else - Fjallabak is a family company and it shows in their personal touch and the small things ... like Matta going out of her way to fulfil our request for restocking our drinks supplies at the mid-point 🙂

  La réserve naturelle de Fjallabak est magnifique et notre trek hors des sentiers battus a dépassé toutes nos attentes. L'itinéraire concocté par Fjallabak Trekking n'a fait que croiser l'"autoroute" du... read more Laugavegur, et nous étions quasi seuls sur les sentiers. Les conditions météo étaient loin d'être idéales (trombes d'eau et vents à 80 km/h certains jours), mais l'organisation parfaite a fait passer ces désagréments au second plan.
A l'exception du refuge surpeuplé de Hvanngíl (à l'intersection du trek surfréquenté du Laugavegur), les hébergements étaient très corrects, voire très agréables (le petit refuge cosy de Strútur).
Je lis des commentaires négatifs écrits il y a deux ans sur Fjallabak Trekking. Mes amis et moi avons vécu une expérience diamétralement opposée et très positive. Nous étions pourtant un groupe de niveaux variés, appréciant l'aventure avec un minimum de confort (pas de portage trop lourd, hébergement en dur). Mais si on redoute la pluie et l'imprévu, c'est vrai qu'il vaut mieux éviter de randonner dans les montagnes islandaises.
Compte tenu de ces contraintes, notre guide a toujours fait les bons choix (rythme, itinéraire, sécurité) et son enthousiasme communicatif faisait oublier les conditions difficiles. La souplesse de l'organisation nous a aussi permis de raccourcir une étape un jour de tempête. L'émerveillement face aux paysages, le bonheur d'une soirée ensoleillée et la compagnie bienveillante d'un logisticien-cuisinier hors pair ont fait de ce trek un souvenir inoubliable.

  Mon premier séjour en Islande remonte à 2004, avec Philippe Patay.

Depuis, je suis revenue sur cette île plusieurs fois, par moi-même ou avec Fjallabak. 
Pour marcher, pour contempler,... read more pour découvrir les oiseaux.

L’organisation et la qualité des guides de cette agence ont toujours été d’une qualité rare, celle de véritables artisans qui connaissent profondément le pays, qui choisissent savamment les parcours, les assurant avec autant de responsabilité que de chaleur humaine et de créativité.

Été 2019 : « Le Trek des Elfes »
Nouvelles retrouvailles avec Fjallabak. 5ème séjour avec leur agence.

du 7 au 13 juillet 2019

Quel bel itinéraire ! Le Trek des Elfes est magnifique ! 

Je ne connaissais pas encore ce rivage retiré et isolé du Nord-Est de l’Islande.
J’en ai aimé la diversité des paysages tout le long des marches, en itinérance de fjord en fjord, de refuge en refuge, par-dessus les montagnes.
Un bonheur de chaque instant, pour les yeux, pour tous les sens en éveil.
Loin du bruit, des voitures, de la vie des hommes.
Le temps s’arrête pour une immersion totale dans la nature arctique.

Les chants des oiseaux accompagnent les marches.
Le temps est avec nous, pour une belle variété de lumières et d’éclairages.
Quelques gouttes de pluie, tellement de ciels bleus, avec juste ce qu’il faut de gris, ou de brumes, pour nous laisser surprendre par la magie des contrastes.
Aurélien est un accompagnateur parfait, pour la réussite de notre vie en petit groupe.
Joyeux, sympathique, attentionné et prévenant pour chacun.
Et… si bon cuisinier, ne négligeant aucun détail pour enrichir et varier les saveurs de nos dîners au chaud dans les refuges confortables et de nos pic-nics face aux panoramas sauvages.

Très grande réussite. J'ai adoré ces jours. Je repartirai avec eux !
Merci à toute l'équipe de Fjallabak.

SophieK

  Me and my in law family booked this very special trip to an area which is usually very secluded and not seen by too many tourists.
On our 5... read more day trek we hiked through the most incredible nature we could have ever imagine and we experienced even the outcome of the just recent glacier flood of the majestic Skaftá river.
Our guide Laurent, our driver Palli and our contact at Fjallabak were helpful and knowledgable from the first contact on and especially our trekking guide took good care of the group and knew literally a story of every stone we passed 🙂 . There were 7 of us and he took care that we were safe and sound all the time without loosing the "adventureous" touch 🙂

To sum it up: I can highly recommend going with Fjallabak, a small trekking company who organises its treks beside the beaten paths and treated us as a group of friends and not as some paying clients.

Me and my family miss Iceland already and we will definitely come back for the next trek 🙂 More

  Que dire des services de cette sympathique agence ? Tout simplement extra ! Sur la base de l'itinéraire que nous souhaitions effectuer, Matta nous a concocté une série d'hébergements (guest... read more house, B&B) accueillants et sympathiques.
Pour ce second séjour en Islande, nous avons découvert avec émerveillement les fjords de l'Ouest et du Nord-ouest...
Merci à Fjallabak de nous avoir conseillé de passer 2 nuits à Djupavik, au bout du monde !!
L'organisation était impeccable, et nous avons apprécié de pouvoir soumettre notre itinéraire, et qui ait trouvé une parfaite concrétisation grâce à Matta.
Merci pour tout ! AGENCE À RECOMMANDER.... même pour des trekkeuses en herbe !

  The Fjallabak Trekking company is a small family operated business that caters to travelers trying to get off the beaten path. We spent 6 days trekking in the Fjallabak... read more nature preserve with a small group of nine. Traveling just one week into the fall "shoulder...More

  Amazing Westfjords  - This was our second trip with Fjallabak. In a very different part of Iceland, but with the same friendly, expert support and guiding. We did the guided "Birds and Fjords"... read more tour, a big circuit of the Westfjords with lots of stops for photos and birds. Excellent planning and selection of small and sometimes very remote guest houses. Would do it again in a minute. Also recommend Fjallabak for self drive planning. They know this country inside out

  Our group of 8 (4 old guys, two couples) had a wonderful 7 day trek, generally east-west, mostly off trails, in all kinds of weather. The arrangements were thorough and... read more reliable and our guide was knowledgeable and energetic. Our group became friends while walking and cooking, though our guide did most of the work. The cuisine was wonderful, not what we’d expected in huts. Sometimes our group was the only one in a hut and sometimes there were more.
What you get with a Fjallabak trip is the opportunity to get away from the well-travelled routes, local insight with the ability to improvise, and food that was in sharp contrast with anything I’ve experienced backpacking. A good thing too considering the calories we burned walking 10+ miles a day through an extraordinary landscape.

  Fjallabak created a varied and exciting holiday for us: 7 days of self-drive followed by the 6-day Trek in the Elves Mountains. I had heard that the south of Iceland... read more tends to be more touristy, so we chose to avoid that part of the country and spent the two weeks in the North and East (plus the Snaefellsness peninsula). The landscape is incredibly varied and absolutely stunning: surreal moonscapes, desolate lava fields, weirdly coloured mountains and magical pools that appear from nowhere. For the self-drive, I had asked for a mix of self-catering accommodation and guest houses, and everywhere that Matta had chosen worked perfectly. A few small hiccups during the week were resolved speedily and without any fuss and all in all the organisation couldn’t have been smoother.

The trek was perhaps the pinnacle of the trip and was completely spectacular. We walked for a full 3 days without seeing a single other person, and on the remaining two days we only saw a handful. And the warm and welcoming mountain huts, nestled on their own in the middle of nowhere, were again perfect for a family wanting adventure without getting too cold and wet...Altogether a wonderfully memorable holiday.

  ICELAND ADVENTURE OF HIGHEST QUALITY - Matta from Fjallabk Trekking organized a 7 day hike with a driver and a mountain guide into the South East area OF Iceland. it has been one... read more of the most amazing experiences of our lives. we were a group of 6 friends and our guide and driver made 8. We drove through rivers and lakes, walked through snow covered mountains, had spectacular lunches in the green fields and lakes, saw churches and puffins, walked on moss covered lava fields, stayed in comfortable warm cosy hotels with wonderful food. The sense of freedom and isolation in this vast serene landscape was truly felt. After this Matta organized a vehicle for 7 of us to drive to West Fjiordland and every suggestion, hotel and road map was very considered. Well done Matta, you made our experience truly memorable and we will recommend you and your company most highly. Alan and Silvana from Cape Town

  Completely off-track trekking, the only paths we crossed were those of the sheeps.
Explanations in French and English, multinational hikers which makes it a nice experience

  Warmly recommend Fjallabak to everyone interested in a unique secluded experience in the Icelandic nature. - We had a the most beautiful trek in Elves mountains.
This part of Iceland is not overrun by tourists, and we had the feeling of being completely alone in those... read more great landscapes. Fjalabak trekking offers sublime service and deep knowledge of the area.

  We were a small (private) group with big expectations and Fjallabak delivered, and then some ... the result exceeded our expectations. The organisation, the landscapes, the length of each... read more day's hike, the accommodation and the food were all excellent. And not forgetting Matta and our guide Stebbi - Matta for her patience in addressing our endless queries and changes in the months leading up to the trip, and Stebbi for being our slightly off-the-wall, bohemian guide who made each day an adventure. For our next visit to Iceland we wouldn't consider anybody else - Fjallabak is a family company and it shows in their personal touch and the small things ... like Matta going out of her way to fulfil our request for restocking our drinks supplies at the mid-point 🙂

  Completely off track trekking
Hard sometimes with the weather
Adventure company
Good service
Only bad point is the level of the members can be too different and it... read more slows or tires one or the other group

  Le chemin des elfes: parcours avec paysages magnifiques, très riches et diversifiés, cela va des champs pleins de fleurs à la rocaille des sommets, à chaque fjord son paysage et... read more ses caractéristiques...j'ai apprécié aussi les accompagnateurs professionnels et agréables, respectant le rythme de chacun et ayant une très bonne connaissance de l'Islande. Sans parler des repas toujours bien préparés avec des petites attentions pour le groupe. C'est l'avantage d'un organisme à taille humaine que l'on ne peut que recommander pour de prochains séjours en famille, seul ou avec des amis..
Françoise

  I did a short trek, the Trek at the Doors of Hell in late June with Fjallabak a family run business and it was amazing, we had the sensation of... read more being alone in the incredible nature that Iceland has to offer.
I am looking forward to visiting another region of Iceland with you next year.
Thank you!

  Our trek in the Elves Mountains August 2020: - Well planned itinerary with solid walks every day in fantastic landscape - Just as we like it - not many other... read more travellers around (mainly sheep) - Basic and well organized huts - Good cooking that included local produces - Professional guide, but not one for many rests, so good we were fit! - Always a good plan B up the sleeve for varioius weather conditions Definitely not our last trek on Iceland, we are now totally inspired for new outdoor adventures on this fascinating island.

  Perfect trip for some proper walking and being immersed in amazing landscapes. Fjallabak kept the promise of small group, well organised program, and curated itinerary away from the crowds. Huts... read more were comfortable, with well equipped kitchens allowing variety and high quality of food. Challenge mainly weather driven winds can be very strong making the walking tougher. Everything can be managed with the right gear. Laurent our guide was very experienced, competent, and great at managing the group, making the experience both interesting and fun.

  We had a wonderful trek near Mount Hekla. Our guide was fantastic, as was the food. The overall organization is closely tied to the land and has extensive expertise. Not... read more your average tourist experience. If you are looking for an authentic Icelandic nature adventure, this is your company. We are already planning to go on another trek!

  We did a 4 day trek with Fjallabak with our family (adult children) and totally loved it. It was really interesting to see Iceland this way and get out in... read more it!. We did not really see anyone else but the hikers in our group for 3 days, until the last day we descended upon Landmannalaugar valley. We loved the other people in our group and our guide Yoan did a nice job leading us through the wilderness around Hekla, feeding us well and being very positive and knowledgeable.