Iceland – Land of Fire and Ice…and Sheep

Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon

We visited Iceland the first week of September as part of our big two-week Summer trip combined with a week traveling in Russia (post to come next).  Iceland is a relatively small, sparsely populated, and beautiful country that is very geologically active which has shaped much of the landscape.  Ocean shoreline and tundra give way to towering volcanoes and steep, colorful mountain ranges covered in glaciers and eternal snow.  While many of Iceland’s amazing sights can be seen from the roadside making it a very easy travel destination, we endeavored to see it a bit more intimately with a hike into one of the coastal mountain ranges.  The combination of days spent hiking in awe of the scenery and several days spent driving from village to village to see as much of the island country as possible was a good mix for us and we highly recommend it.

Roadside waterfall

The weather in Iceland can be variable due to it’s location in the north Atlantic Ocean.  As a result, the western half was experiencing a snow storm and gale-force winds when we arrived.  Luckily, we were planning to head east to hike and sightsee.  We arrived on Saturday evening in time stroll around Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital and most populous city with a population of about 120,000 (according to Wikipedia).  Although the weather was grey and drizzling, it was nice to see the city.  The next day, we left early to hit the road and make it to the start of our hike in the Lónsöræfi Nature Reserve in southeast Iceland.  We found it a bit difficult to plan our hike with resources online but the rangers at the visitor’s center in Hofn were extremely helpful and sorted us out.

We started our hike in the late afternoon under grey sky with intermittent rain near the Stafafell campground heading to our destination at the Eskifell hut.  Our four-hour hike took us along the Jokulsarsandur river and included three frigid river crossings en route to the hut.  We found the hut deserted with a stocked supply of dry firewood to keep us warm and settled in for the evening.

We awoke at 6:00 am the following morning to voices outside the hut.  It turned out a group of five guys who walked for seven hours lost through the night due to inaccurate GPS coordinates of the hut.  We had short introductions before confirming we were headed to the same place that afternoon and they quickly passed out in their sleeping bags.

Colorful mountains

We caught a bit more sleep as well before starting our hike under clear blue skies.  The hike followed along the ridges high above the Jokulsargljufur river en route to the Mulaskali hut.  We had all day to cover the six-hour hike so we were able to take our time and enjoy the expansive views along the way.

The Mulaskali hut sits nestled next to the river at the bottom of the gorge amongst colorful, rhyolite mountains in a site that has been home to sheep farmers since the 1800’s.

Mulaskali hut

Local resident at the Mulaskali hut.  Sheep were everywhere in Iceland!

Since the high season was over, the ranger that is usually at the hut had left for the season but we enjoyed the company of the guys we had met that morning.  They turned out to be three Icelandic and two Finnish college students and they provided plenty of entertainment.  We shared stories and laughter long into the evening.

The following day was spectacular.  We hiked for almost nine hours covering over one thousand meters in elevation gain and loss as we climbed up the Vithibrekkusker mountain and enjoyed the best views of the trip.  We then hiked back in the direction we came and found a great camp spot along a trail-side lake.

Ridge-line hiking at it’s best.  We experienced the strongest winds of the trip on this section of the hike that literally picked us up off the ground.

Mirror pond in the morning stillness next to our tent in the morning – a rare break from the wind.

Unfortunately, we had to end our hike on day four, but unlike the hike in, we had clearer skies and could see all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.  The hike out was pleasant and we enjoyed the views and finer details that were hidden on our way in four days earlier.

A lonely flower

We finished the hike without plans for the rest of the day or that evening.  After looking at the map, we decided to head north along the coast in search of a resting place.  Several hours and an accidental off-roading excursion later, we found ourselves in the tiny seaside village of Borgarfjardarhreppur where we decided to stop for the night.  We found a very nice B&B with a hot tub to rest our tired legs and from which we had our first of two northern lights sightings.

Roadside views as we followed the ring road up the east coast of Iceland around fjords and mountains

The following day, we set our sights on Dettifoss which is said to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe.  When we saw the mist thrown into the air as we drove almost 10km away, we knew it could be true.  It is such an impressive waterfall.  If your trip to Iceland takes you to the north, Dettifoss is a must see.

Dettifoss

We left Dettifoss and had a nice drive back along the ring road to Hofn, our destination for the night.  Hofn really exceeded our expectations.  It is a small fishing village located on a peninsula jutting into the ocean and the views across the bays and onto the mainland are very scenic.  Hofn is also known for having delicious, fresh-caught lobster.  And we can comfortably say it was the best lobster we have ever had – a must when stopping in Hofn.  That evening we were treated to another special sight when we saw the northern lights for a second time.

Green glow of the northern lights

After Hofn, we visited Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon which was a highlight of the trip.  The lagoon was formed from the receding glacier that is still caving into the water today.  The result is a beautiful lagoon with giant icebergs floating in deep blue glacial melt against a stunning backdrop.  We took a zodiac boat tour which lasted over an hour to get deep into the lagoon and proved to be a great experience.  We also visited the beach not far away where you can see icebergs washed up on the black sand sea-shore.

Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon

After Jökulsárlón, our next stop was Skogafoss, Vik and the Reynisfjall sea cliffs.  Vik was a bit sleepy but the sea cliffs were beautiful and had very unique rock formations.  It is generally supposed to be a great spot to see puffins, but unfortunately all the puffins had already left for the season.  As a consolation for missing the puffins, we were treated to a couple of seal sightings as they swam through the channel.  We also saw one more playing and eating in the surf by Reynisfjall sea cliffs near Vik.

Seal playing in the surf

Reynisfjall sea cliffs

We gradually made our way back to Reykjavik over the last two days with stops for the Gullfoss, Geysir, horseback riding and a visit to the Blue Lagoon – rated as one of the top spas in the world.  All of the sites are within close reach of Reykjavik so are easy to see on any trip.  We especially enjoyed our trip horseback riding on Icelandic horses.  Our two and a half hour ride was with a horse farmer and some of his friends who were moving a few horses to another farm, and they took us through some beautiful country landscapes.

Gullfoss

Horseback riding through the Icelandic countryside

Our high hopes for Iceland were fully met – gorgeous and varied scenery, big backcountry, and friendly people all made it a great trip!  Definitely put Iceland on your short list of places to visit.

More pictures from the trip are saved on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tdubatoz/sets/72157635957866045/