besthike.com

June 21, 2011June 21, 2011

hiking Kjos, Skaftafell, Iceland

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Kjós (‘Dell’)

Distance: 24 km

Walking time: 8 hrs.

Skaftafell, is part of Vatnajökull, the largest National Park in Europe.

Skaftafell Visitor Centre is the most popular access. Indeed, this is the most popular campground in Iceland.

… OK, it’s EARLY in the season (June 13-14). The hordes have not yet arrived. It was closed 4 days not so long ago due to eruption of the Grímsvötn volcano, a fairly frequent occurrence, actually.

There are plenty of hiking & glacier walk options from this trailhead. Most are headed to Svartifoss.

The only backcountry tenting allowed out of Skaftafell Visitor Centre is Kjos (see map below), at the start of an unusual glacial flood plain valley called Morsárdalur.

One of the bridges had been washed out, so I needed to go in-and-out to Kjos via the same ‘route’ (It’s not signed all the way.)

Here I’m taking the easiest Morsá river crossing.

Water crossings are the biggest challenge when hiking this island. I can see why Alastair Humphreys took a packraft on his crossing of Iceland, unsupported.

Aside from the route finding, Kjos is a pretty easy walk without much elevation gain.

There’s the campsite, just coming into view.

I set up here instead, under a rock overhang.

Instead of scrambling adjacent peaks, I relaxed in the tent. The weather was a continuous drizzle. Visibility was poor, anyway.

I was quite content listening to my audio book, The Girl Who Played with Fire.

This hike reminded me of similar walks towards glaciers in the Yukon. But a big difference here are the big, black desolate areas of volcanic ash. Stark and photogenic.

I’d love to do a long walk over the ash black wasteland one day. It would be like crossing salt flats.

See more photos from this hike on flickr.

June 20, 2011June 15, 2011

hiking Svartifoss, Iceland

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Svartifoss (Black Fall) is a waterfall in Skaftafell … Iceland, and is one of the most popular sights in the park.

It is surrounded by dark lava columns, which give rise to its name. The hexagonal columns were formed inside a lava flow which cooled extremely slowly, giving rise to crystallization. Similar well-known lava formations are seen at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, and on the island of Staffa in Scotland. …

After seeing the unique falls, I continued on to the Skaftafellsjökull glacier overlook.

I left a Summit Stone at the base of this sign.

From there you can walk up and alongside the big ice.

It was a tad bit windy, as you may be able to tell from this photo. (I might have been able to BASE jump using just my jacket.)

See more photos from this day hike.

June 19, 2011June 15, 2011

Iceland Arctic Fox VIDEO

On the Hellnar to Arnarstapi coastal walk in Iceland I nearly tripped over a fox. We were both trying to get close to nesting sea birds on coastal cliffs.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Notice the fur is turning dark and falling out, the better for summer hunting.

… Iceland Arctic Fox, Vulpes lagopus fuliginosus …

There are only an estimated 2000 animals on the island, yet I managed to see 3 of them in 4 days. hmm …

If you want to know more, check out the new Arctic Fox Center (Icelandic: Melrakkasetur) researching the beasts.

June 18, 2011June 15, 2011

Krafla caldera, Iceland

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

The best of my hikes near Lake Mývatn was up to the Krafla Power Station. Especially since I had no idea what was going on here, at the time …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Krafla is a caldera of about 10 km in diameter with a 90 km long fissure zone… Its highest peak reaches up to 818 m and it is 2 km in depth. There have been 29 reported eruptions in recorded history. …

You can hike close.

End of day, I headed for the new Mývatn Nature Baths, promoted as the Blue Lagoon North.

June 17, 2011June 15, 2011

Leirhnjúkur geothermal area, Iceland

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Leirhnjúkur is a lava field close to Lake Mývatn in the north of Iceland. A loop of up to 5km in length is a popular day hike.

There was still a bit of snow, early in June.

You must be careful where you step. You might get a hot foot if you step off the boardwalk.

The colours of Hell … and bizarre volcanic oddities, make for an entertaining walk.

See more photos from this day hike.

June 16, 2011June 10, 2011

Hverir mudpots, Iceland

Hverir is a geothermal field to the east of Reykjahlid, to the side of the ridge known as Namafjall. The area is quite active, with mudpots and sulfurous puddles bubbling and steaming away. You will also see plenty of boiling springs, fumaroles and vents. The area naturally smells very heavily of sulfur, and you can often be engulfed in the steam clouds. A series of pathways meander through the area, which are roped off. Do not wander outside these areas as the area can be very dangerous. …

Iceland Attractions

more photos

Yet another of the excellent short walks close to Lake Mývatn

June 15, 2011June 10, 2011

Mývatn pseudocraters, Iceland

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

What’s a pseudocrater?

… a volcanic landform which resembles a true volcanic crater, but differs in that it is not an actual vent from which lava has erupted. …

They are pretty good fakes.

The best examples of pseudocraters are found near Lake Mývatn (lake of MIDGES) and on Mars.

see more photos from this short day hike

June 14, 2011June 10, 2011

Hverfjall (Hverfell) Crater, Iceland

The Yellowstone National Park of Iceland is near Lake Mývatn (lake of MIDGES) in the North, an area of active volcanism.

Like Yellowstone, this area could blow up any time.

There are a dozen great day hikes to choose from. You could link them together – I met a British couple doing this – or drive trailhead to trailhead, as I did.

A short walk from the Information Centre is Hverfjall.

This one last erupted 2500 years ago. Whew.

It’s an easy walk up and around the rim. Weather permitting.

My photos.

June 13, 2011June 9, 2011

Hellnar to Arnarstapi, Iceland

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

5km return

The Snaefellsnes Peninsula, close to Reykjavik, is a popular hiking destination.

Of many possible coastal walks, I chose the most popular, Hellnar to Arnarstapi.

It’s busy, but I still loved it. You can drop non-hikers in your group at the trailhead Coffee shop.

There are restaurants at either end of the trail, as well. Here’s pretty Arnarstapi.

The Visitor Centre is in Hellnar. I got good advice there.

This section of the coast is famed for “weather worn caves and sea arches“.

The vistas are gorgeous, for sure.

I nearly tripped over one of the supposedly rare Arctic Foxes. (That’s my 3rd in 4 days. How rare could they be?)

The fox was picking up an easy lunch. Dumber birds hatch eggs too close to the cliff top. I could have collected enough for an omelet, myself, without scrambling.