Ring Road Iceland - Reykjavik

I have completed my 1,332km (828mi) journey around the Ring Road of Iceland finishing at the Árbæjarsafn Open Air Musuem, a historical museum about Reykjavik. The museum was born as a result of concerns that the city's historical legacy is disappearing. Built in 1954 the museum provides an insight into the lives and work of the people pre-20th century through displays of various types of buildings and cultural artefacts.

Any art or architecture enthusiast would revel in the exploration of The Einar Jónsson Museum. The first art museum in Iceland, it was the pipe dream of Iceland's first sculptor Einar Jónsson. Einar gifted all his works to the country on the proviso that a museum was built for them. Although the gift was initially rejected, following fundraising between Parliament and private contributors the art museum came into existence in 1916. The building, designed by Einar, is as much a sculpture as all the works it holds within its walls. The nearby sculpture garden is keeper of 26 bronze casts of his works. Einar worked with clay and plaster and in order to protect them the museum actively turns the sculptures into bronze casts. I also found many of Einar's works just meandering around the city.

No Reykjavik visit is complete without seeing Hallgrímskirkja, a parish church and national sanctuary 41 years in the making. At 74m (244ft) high, it is the largest church and one of the tallest structures in Iceland. It is an architectural feast with a façade reminiscent of the basalt column rock formations found throughout the island.

Outside the church is the statue of explorer Leif Erikson, which was a gift from the United States commemorating the 1000th anniversary of Iceland's parliament. Leif was a Norse explorer from Iceland and considered to be the first person to reach the North American continent around 1000AD.

Now if I had the time, I'd swing by the Golden Circle for a few days to see the Thingvellir National Park which is also a UNESCO site. Thingvellir is a rift valley where the North American and European continental plates separated. The nearby Thingvallavatn, is the largest natural lake in Iceland and reaches depths of 114m (374ft). On the northern shore of the lake is Silfra, a fissure filled with incredibly clear blue water. A perfect site for scuba diving and snorkelling. One of the diving sites is 100m (328ft) long with clear visibility from end to end.

However, I must end the journey here and as I travel homewards, I'll happily reflect on the natural and beautiful wonders I've experienced on this trip.



PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures



The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events

Ring Road Iceland - Hella

Hella is another reasonably new community and a great base to slow down, rejuvenate and visit the surrounding area. It started in 1927 with a store being built near the bridge that crosses the Ytri-Rangá River. A decade later the store was bought by a co-op society and moved into other businesses and by the 1950s it was a flourishing little town that continued to grow and develop bringing more services such as schools, community centre, sports centre and an administrative building. Today the town's economy is dependent on service and tourism.

A short easy hike away from the bridge, I came across Ægissiðufoss waterfall. Nothing like what I've seen throughout Iceland so far, a tall, menacing, powerful falls, but it is wide and cascades over a couple of layers into Ytri-Rangá River that flows onwards into the Atlantic. The river itself is popular for salmon fishing and a great foreground for photographic composition with Mount Hekla in the background.

Hekla is a very busy volcanic mountain. At a height of 1,491m (4,892ft) it has erupted more than 20 times in the past 1,100 years and during the Middle Ages it was called "Gateway to Hell". Due to its frequent eruptions, the tephra layers that covered about 10% of the land are now used to date other volcanoes in the country.

Hiking is a popular pass time on Hekla especially since the path leads up to the summit. The first ascent was in 1750 completed by two students. Although the path is marked up to the halfway point the rest of it is on a broad ridge walk with half of that on snow. The hike passes three craters along with some steaming sulphur.

Hekla also has a pastry named after it. It's an upside-down cinnamon roll with icing sugar drizzled over the top to look like the snow-topped volcano. Much as I'd like to have one the nearest bakery for this specialty is Boston, Massachusetts.

PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures

The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events

Ring Road Iceland - Vik

In the shadow of Mýrdalsjökull glacier sits the tiny seaside village of Vik. It only has 300 inhabitants but it is not short of services for the locals and tourists. Vik has much to offer and most of it all within walking distance. 

Starting in town, Vik is rich in maritime history but quite surprisingly has never had a harbour, largely due to strong waves and shallow shores making it too difficult for ships to navigate without stranding. However, the nearby museum centres around Skaftfellingur, a trading ship that serviced the south coast for 20 years (1918-1939). Renown for saving a crew in 1942 from a German submarine, the ship was salvaged in its entirety in 2001 and made available to see in the museum. 

Up on the hill is the famously photographed Vikurkirkja Church. With its white walls and red rooftop, the church is a safe haven should the highly active volcano, Katla, erupt. Katla is covered by Mýrdalsjökull's ice cap and it erupts every 40-80 years (16 eruptions have been recorded to date). Although the last eruption was in 1918, scientists predict that an eruption may occur soon. Should that happen, the concern is that it would cause a flash flood big enough to annihilate the whole town, hence making the church the safest place to be. 

If having an active volcano beneath a substantial glacier isn't impressive enough then imagine an ice cave beneath the volcano. It is referred to as Katla's Ice Cave Dome. With crampons on, I climbed a few steps on ladders to the entrance of the cave where I was greeted by a narrow snake-like ice tunnel before entering the dome. The opening that formed in the ceiling made me feel like I was standing in a cathedral. In 2018 a secondary cave was discovered inside this one when a new opening was found. I'm told that ice caves are an ever-changing phenomenon making each visit different from the last. 

Black sand beaches permeate through southern Iceland or anywhere with volcanic activity since the sand, as I mentioned in my letter from Höfn, is cooled lava shattered into small particles. However, the black sand beach of Reynisfjara, a short walking distance from town, is the most famous. It provides access to Reynisdrangar, two basalt sea stacks that are all that's left of a cliff (just like the 12 Apostles on Great Ocean Road, Australia). In folklore the stacks are said to be two trolls who unsuccessfully tried to drag a three-masted ship to land and when daylight hit, they became needles of rock.

PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures

The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events

Ring Road Iceland - Hof

On the way to Hof, Iceland the Ring Road crosses over the famous Jökulsárlón glacial lake. It is the deepest lake in Iceland at 284m (932ft) and as a result of glacial melting it has grown fourfold since the 1970s. As icebergs calve from the glacier's edge they start floating towards the sea. Waves polish the icebergs and float them onto the black sands of Breiðamerkusandur, a glacial outwash plain. It is nicknamed Diamond Beach, because the polished ice on the black sands looks like diamonds glistening in the sun. Due to floating icebergs in the lagoon the bridge is reinforced with a row of stone boulders that prevents the icebergs from hitting the pillars and stops the foundations from eroding.

When I arrived in "Hof, Iceland" I was very curious about why the name Iceland is tagged on the end of Hof. It's the only village in Iceland that seems to carry the name like this. I couldn't find an answer but what I did discover is how new this village is. Hof, Iceland was nothing more than a collection of farms until 2017 when increased tourism created a shortage of housing in the region. The local government wasted no time and commenced building new streets and housing around the already existing primary school.

The village's church has been there since 1884 and it was the last turf church ever built in Iceland and the only one that continues to be a practising parish. Looking at the church from the rear it looks as if it's sinking but it's actually partially buried in the ground in order to use the earth as natural insulation.

The village is in the foothills of Ӧræfajökull glacier which covers the largest active volcano that last erupted in 1727. At 2,110m (6,955ft) the volcano is the highest peak in Iceland. The volcano has phreatic eruptions which happens when magma heats ground water. The magma's extreme temperature causes "near-instantaneous evaporation of water resulting in an explosion of steam, water, ash, rock and volcanic bombs" which then deposit in the surrounding areas. The volcano's 1362 eruption destroyed everything in the region and deposited 10km³ (2.4mi³) of volcanic material. It took 40 years to resettle the area. Unsurprisingly the region's name was changed to Ӧræfi, meaning "wasteland".

North of Hof, Iceland is Svartifoss a slender 20m (66ft) high waterfall. The beauty of this waterfall is the geometric rock face being a 3D wall of hexagonal basalt column. These columnar joint formations are often an inspiration for Icelandic architecture such as the main church in Reykjavik.

Fjaðrárgljúfur is an ancient, massive river canyon with steep walls up to 100m (330ft) high and water winding its way through the canyon for at least 2km (1.2mi). Its origins date back two million years when the pressure of flowing water from glaciers cut through the bedrock creating these deep channels with steep valley walls. Sadly, the canyon's environment was threatened due to the influx of visitors and the authorities closed access to the canyon.



PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures

The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events

Ring Road Iceland - Höfn

I chose Höfn, a town slightly south of the Ring Road, because I wanted to visit Vatnajökull National Park. What I didn't expect was a thriving community with excellent modern services, a strong fishing and agricultural industry and rapid growth in tourism.

Historically speaking Höfn is a relatively new town unlike the others I've travelled through that can trace back their history for centuries. It has a harbour surrounded by sea on three sides that is usually difficult to navigate due to shifting patterns of shoals. Regular dredging is needed to remove excess sand from the harbour so ships may safely moor.

Across Skarðsfjörður Bay is Stokksness Peninsula and the dramatic Vestrahorn mountain. At the tip of the peninsula is a radar station used by Iceland's Air Defence System to monitor their airspace. Vestrahorn is a 454m (1,489ft) tall scree mountain largely made up of subvolcanic rock. The scree formation is a result of water flowing into rock walls and freezing due to temperature fluctuations. The frozen water then splits and splinters the bedrock which then tumbles to the base of the steep slope accumulating as loose rock.

Between the peninsula and the mountain is a beach with black sand and green tufts of grass sprouting from it. The beach got very dark at night making it a great spot to see the Northern Lights. The black sand is a result of volcanic activity. It is formed by rapid cooling of lava when in contact with the sea. The lava then shatters and breaks down into small particles until it looks like sand. Unlike normal sand that is hardier and more resistant to weathering, black sand continues to break down. A by-product of this breakdown is that shores become deep very quickly making waves behave differently to what we may be typically accustomed to elsewhere. Common advice I hear is to keep a substantial distance of at least 30m (100ft) from the shore in case a rogue wave that is much larger and reaches much further up the shore sneaks up on the unsuspecting visitor.

Finally let me tell you about Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier. Covering an area of 8,100 square km (3,127sq mi) in some areas the thickness of the ice cap is anywhere from 400 to 1100m (1,312-3,280ft). Beneath the ice is a landscape of valleys, canyons and gorges. Highly active volcanoes also hide beneath with Grímsvötn being the most active. Its last eruption in 2011, caused multiple earthquakes and an ash cloud rising to 20km (12mi). Vatnajökull has 30 glacier tongues which are huge sections of the glacier falling from the top of the ice cap, down a long slope, at a very slow pace and as it reaches the bottom the glacier tongue starts breaking and forming deep cracks with enormously loud noise eventually ending in a lake or the ocean.



PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures

The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events

 

Ring Road Iceland - Djúpigovur

Having reached east of Iceland, my journey took me through a jagged coastline of fjords. Although Egilsstaðir is the largest town in this region, Djúpigovur is the oldest municipality by receiving its trading license in 1589. Located on a peninsula between two fjords, the town is home to the oldest commercial building in the country known as Langabúð (early 19thC). Today the building is a café, heritage museum and has an exhibition on local sculptor, Ríkarður Jónsson who in 1918 won a competition to create a new coat of arms for Iceland.

Not far from town is an outdoor art installation called, The Eggs of Merry Bay. Along the bay are 34 large replica eggs that are meant to be a tribute to the native birds of Iceland. Each egg, set atop a concrete slab, "depicts the shape, patterns and colours of the individual bird egg it represents". With the exception of one, the eggs are all close in size. The larger singled out egg, was the sculpture honouring the red-throated diver which is the official bird of Djúpigovur.

Classified as a "Cittaslow" town, Djúpigovur is the first and only one in Iceland. Cittaslow is a cultural trend towards slow movement. Founded in 1999 Italy, Cittaslow's aim is to improve the quality of life in towns by slowing down the pace, promote healthier lifestyles, environmental protection, cultural diversity and resist cultural standardisation. Djúpigovur is one of 192 Cittaslow towns around the world.

The nearby Papey Island was settled by two monks who might have fled Norse attacks on the mainland and founded a hermitage. The island's name is Celtic, meaning "Friar's Island". It has the oldest wooden church in the country. Uninhabited since 1948 when the last resident left, it is a great place to see puffins, guillemots, other birds and seals.

Climbingslopewaterfalls is the literal translation to Klifbrekkufossar, a waterfall that looks like a series of waterfalls one above the other falling from a 90m (295ft) height but Klifbrekkufossar is a singular waterfall that lands on a series of ledges before winding itself down the river. Being spring-fed the river is not contaminated by dirt, like glacial rivers, thereby making the water clear and clean giving the waterfall a sense of purity.



PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures

The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events

Ring Road Iceland - Egilsstaðir

Along the second longest river on the island, known as Jökulsá á Fjöllum, are three substantial waterfalls; Selfoss, Dettifoss and Hafragilsfoss in close proximity. This glacial river is 206km (128mi) long and flows into the Greenland Sea. Its source is Vatnajökull, the largest ice cap in Iceland that covers 8% of the country.

The most spectacular of the waterfalls is Dettifoss. Incredibly powerful with its 44m (144ft) drop and 100m (330ft) width it is also deafeningly loud. The waterfall can be seen from both the west and east banks and on a good day a rainbow may be seen from the west bank. Selfoss, much smaller, is only a kilometer away upstream. Although it doesn't have the same volume or power and is only 10m (32ft) tall, Selfoss is much wider than Dettifoss and best seen from the east bank since most of the water flows from the west. Hafragilfoss is downstream of Dettifoss and just as powerful with its single 27m (89ft) drop.

My next stop was the Jökuldalur Valley, known for its forceful glacial river and basalt column canyon. The river used to roar its way from the Highlands, cutting through the valley which for many centuries due to its force and high level made crossing it inaccessible and very dangerous. However, in 2009 the river's source was diverted by a hydroelectric plant and created the Hálslón reservoir. From the reservoir the river flows with the same force for 60km (37mi) in underground tunnels to drive the hydroelectric turbines of the power plant.

What's left of the original river course is now fed from surrounding mountains, creeks and small rivers. No longer a glacial river carrying 120 tonnes of sand, mud and dirt, it is now a clear, blue river flowing to its final destination. The greatly reduced water level has exposed the basalt columns that makes up Stuðlagil Canyon. These hexagonal columns are a result of basaltic lava slowly cooling over time and as the columns shrink in volume they crack creating these symmetrical columnar patterns. The canyon is also home to pink-footed geese during nesting season when they lay their eggs along the gorge. A little further down is Stuðlafoss, a waterfall that cascades down moss-covered basalt columns. The shorter columns at the bottom stack in front of each other resembling an ancient throne.



When you think of Iceland, it probably conjures images of ice caps, glaciers, barren land, volcanoes but not of trees or forests. So it's hard to imagine that once, Iceland was heavily forested when the climate was warmer and the glaciers were smaller. Then the Vikings came and since trees were their main source of building materials for housing and boats and smelting metal, the forests diminished over time. Native trees were mainly birch with some rowan, willow and aspen trees. At the turn of the 20th century reforestation projects and woodland planting schemes commenced and have been ongoing ever since. Near Eggilstaðir is Iceland's largest forest, Hallormstðaskógar, covering 740 hectares. The forest has 40km (24mi) of hiking trails and a tree museum consisting of 70 species of trees. The most delightful part was being able to collect edible mushrooms and pick raspberries and redcurrants. When I ran out of water I was able to refill my bottle directly from the stream as it's clean and drinkable.



See you soon,

Richard



PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures

The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events