Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.02.2007, Blaðsíða 22

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It is still pitch dark outside at nine in the
morning when my photographer and I meet
up with our guides from Arctic Rafting out-
side the Cintamani Centre on Laugavegur,
heading for the Þingvellir National Park,
about an hour outside Reykjavík, to explore
the lava cave Gjábakkahellir in the lava field
Gjábakkahraun, formed in volcanic eruptions
from a nearby shield volcano south of Mount
Hrafnabjörg thousands of years ago.
Gjábakkahellir, considered 15,000 years
old, was discovered during the construction
of the nearby Kóngsvegur (King’s Road), built
for the visit of Fredrik VIII, King of Denmark
(and Iceland) in 1907. At the time, there were
about 30 caves of this kind known around
the country. Today, there are about 500
known lava caves around Iceland. The caves
have formed in previous volcanic eruptions,
when the top layer of the flowing lava cools
down, creating a hard crust near the surface,
while underneath, conduits form where a
stream of low-viscosity lava continues to
flow. When the lava eventually stops flow-
ing, small tubes, or tunnels, are left as the
lava drains through, leaving cave-like chan-
nels like this one.
On location, we were joined by 14 tour-
ists from France and Italy, eager to find out
what lurked beneath the surface of the mys-
terious lava formations around Þingvellir. First
order of business was to fit the two-inch ice-
spikes on my size 12 boots and to fit the hel-
met and the headlamp on my considerable
cranium. The light is obviously of vital impor-
tance, but the spikes are equally necessary
when exploring deep caves in the Icelandic
wintertime. Rainwater seeps through the lay-
ers of lava, taking a good 20 years to travel
from the surface to the floor of the cave, 18-
20 metres below. Once there it forms thick
chunks of ice on the floor, making it nearly
impossible to travel across without the spikes
to dig in.
Cold and Dark Places
About 20 metres into the cave, all trace of
daylight had vanished and we were reduced
to using the small headlamps attached to
our helmets. In order to make the transition
smoother, we sat down for about two min-
utes, allowing our eyes to adjust to the dark-
ness. Sitting in the dark, nearly blind, the
other senses were brought to the forefront.
The distinctive smell of soil and mould that
is present in most caves became very obvi-
ous and the sound from the constantly drip-
ping water became twice as loud. And even
though this was a relatively warm January
day, the outside temperature around 5°C,
there was no mistaking the cold in the cave
at -2°C.
Once our eyes had adjusted to the dark-
ness, we began to see the peculiar shapes
of the cave. The awe-inspiring and rugged
scenery creates a subliminal feeling in the
viewer. The roof is filled with both long ici-
cles, formed as the dripping water hardens
in the cold, as well as lava stalactites, formed
when the melting hot low-viscosity lava drips
from the ceiling while it cools down and
hardens. The surface, or the cave’s “floor”
on the other hand, is littered with rocks that
have come loose from the ceiling and walls.
It is safe to enter the cave during the win-
ter months, while the frost holds everything
together. There is a two to three week period
during June/July when the frost thaws from
the soil and big rocks from the cave’s ceiling
come loose and fall to the ground, the cave
is not recommended as a travel destination
during that period.
The most important thing to remember
during cave exploration is to keep your eyes
glued to the ground, every single step of the
way. First-timers tend to forget this and start
walking while gazing at the cave’s incred-
ible roof, often resulting in nasty spills and
badly sprained ankles on the uneven surface.
Travelling through the cave can be quite a
challenge. Apart from the stony and jagged
floor, the slippery ice and the darkness, I soon
found out that it is absolutely impossible to
move gracefully wearing spikes. My foot-eye
coordination was severely hampered by the
two extra inches strapped to my soles and
it took a few minor bumps to figure that my
legs were a bit longer than I was used to. On
top of that, the spikes kept getting tangled
up in my trouser legs, and I nearly tripped
over a few times.
After one hour, light finally started to ap-
pear in front of us as we reached the other
end. After climbing up through a relatively
small hole, up towards the roof, we were
back in the sunlight, again waiting for our
eyes to adjust to the light.
“How long do think the cave is?”
Our guide was asking participants to
guess how far we had travelled in one hour.
I will not reveal the right answer, in case you
should ever find yourself on a guided tour
through Gjábakkahellir, but indicative of just
how deceptive you senses can be in this sort
of environment, guesses ranged from 300
metres to three kilometres.
Trip provided by Arctic Rafting
Laugavegur 11, Tel.: 562 7000
www.arcticrafting.is
Exploring the Þingvellir Lava Fields From the Inside Out
Text by Sveinn Birkir Björnsson Photo by Skari
Energy for life through forces of nature
www.bluelagoon.com
Distance from Reykjavík ca. 30 km
At nine square kilometres, Lake Kleifarvatn is
the largest lake on the Reykjanes peninsula
and the third largest in southern Iceland, al-
though its size tends to vary a bit, especially
in recent years. After an earthquake in 2000
the lake started draining rapidly. Like water
draining from a sink, its water level began
to decrease. This obscure occurrence caught
the attention of local as well as international
geologists who are still speculating how this
was even possible.
Located in the middle of a highly volcanic
area about 35 kilometres south of Reykjavík,
the lake, surrounded by a barren landscape
of sandstone cliffs and black sand beaches, is
easy to reach and ideal for a day trip as there
are many great hiking trails around the area.
Lake Kleifarvatn isn’t only interesting for its
size and surroundings. At numerous spots
around the lake, the grey sandstone has
been used as sculpture material. Inspired by
ancient cave paintings, creative visitors have
started decorating the walls by carving their
names or pictures in the stone, and you can
clearly see some of these modern rock paint-
ings when driving the road leading to the
lake itself.
Also worth mentioning for all those
fishing enthusiasts out there, trout can be
caught in the lake, especially at the south-
ernmost part.
Car provided by Hertz, Tel.: 522 4400
Lake Kleifarvatn
Distance from Reykjavík ca. 30 km
Ten minutes south of Lake Kleifarvatn is Krý-
suvík. As these two areas are closely con-
nected, geothermal heat with its bubbling
mud pots and hot springs is even more char-
acteristic of Krýsuvík than Lake Kleifarvatn.
When driving the main road, you’ll notice
the steam soaring from the hills immediately
as the distinct and somewhat unwelcoming
smell of sulphur from hot-springs seeps into
your car. A few metres from the marked out
parking lot, the colourful area appears.
Surrounded by lava and peculiar flora,
this area is especially beautiful during winter,
when the contrast between the snow and
the green, white and beige setting, shaped
by the bubbling pits and hot-springs provide
for a unique photo-opportunity.
As this is a popular tourist destination,
platforms have been put up around the area
for a better view of the sights. Just be careful
not to walk too close to the hot-springs, as
the surface can easily give way with danger-
ous consequences. Follow the signs and you
should be safe.
The most active volcanic area is named
Seltún, located in Hveradalur valley. Mud
pots, fumaroles and boiling hot springs can
be spotted in every direction and a warm
rivulet floats down the valley. Here, the evi-
dence of geothermal heat is visible every day
of the year. For an even more amazing expe-
rience, if you hike up to the mountain Svei-
fluháls, you’ll get a magnificent panoramic
view over the whole area.
Only minutes away south from Krýsuvík
is the Krýsuvíkurberg cliff, where thousands
of seabirds nest with a view over the Atlantic
Ocean.
Krýsuvík
Distance from Reykjavík 45 km
Notable for its greenhouses and floriculture,
Hveragerði locals have made several clever
moves to make use of the geothermal heat.
The swimming pool Laugaskarð, built in the
1940s, is one of them. Ranking among the
top pools in the country, and the best in the
world according to some Grapevine staffers,
the swimming pool alone attracts dozens of
visitors every weekend who just want to re-
lax in the hot tub. Together with the quiet vil-
lage vibe in the calm country town, the stay
is almost indescribable for those who haven’t
tried it.
But every pool in the country has a hot
tub, so what’s special about this one? There
are several things that make this pool distinct
from all others within close reach. First, and
most important of all, is the fact that it’s an
outdoor pool with an incredible view. While
soaking in the hot tub, you can gaze at the
steep mountain hills that seem to be only
metres away. Its architecture is also interest-
ing. The pool is moderately designed and, al-
though constructed almost 70 years ago, it’s
equipped with all the up-to-date indulgences
we modern folk crave so much, including a
jacuzzi, natural steam bath, massage parlour
and spa.
After lingering in the hot tub for hours,
there’s no better way of completing the day
than dropping by at Eden for some ice cream.
Just ask whoever you pass on the street, they
will know the way. Its ice-cream is so good
that despite the ice-cream kiosks located on
almost every street corner in Reykjavík, peo-
ple still drive all the way to Hveragerði for a
taste of the local ice-cream.
Laugaskarð Swimming Pool
Distance from Reykjavík 71 km
Time passes easily when visiting the small
village of Stokkseyri, situated at the south-
coast and only a 45-minute drive from the
capital. There are plenty of interesting sites
to visit, a gourmet restaurant, Fjöruborðið,
specializing in the art of cooking lobster to
pure perfection, and various impressive mu-
seums established by the town’s creative
inhabitants. Among them is the infamous
haunted Ghost Centre, located inside the Art
and Culture House at Hafnargata 9, a build-
ing that formerly served as a freezing plant.
There, guests will not only come into con-
tact with some of the country’s most famous
ghosts (who are very friendly phantoms on
the whole) they can also listen to all sorts
of old ghost stories while exploring the mu-
seum. Don’t miss out on going into room
number 19, although it will most definitely
make your heart jump a little. After the tour
a drink at the Ghost Bar, located in the build-
ing where the Brennivín-Ghost rules his king-
dom, is highly recommended.
As there are many more curious crea-
tures and intriguing spirits living among us
humans, Stokkseyri residents naturally recog-
nised the need to open up a new museum
on the ground floor, dedicated to elves and
trolls. Opening to the public in the beginning
of March, the 1,200m2 museum, entitled
Icelandic Wonders, will feature an ice bar lit
up by northern lights, with ice transported
from the Vatnajökull Glacier, and the oppor-
tunity to visit the incredible world of elves,
trolls and hidden people.
Both museums will be open daily from
14-21 during summer, and from 14-18 on
weekends during the winter months.
Icelandic Folklore at Stokkseyri
Short Day Trips Around Reykjavík
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