Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.05.2010, Side 35
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KEFLAVÍK
BORGARNES
STYKKISHÓLMUR
SNÆFELLSJÖKULL
DRANGAJÖKULL
FLATEY
NESKAUPSTAÐUR
BLÖNDUÓS
SIGLUFJÖRÐUR
BOLUNGARVÍK
HRÍSEY
NARSARSSUAQ
Greenland
FAROE ISLANDS
REYKJAVÍK
AKUREYRI
EGILSSTAÐIR
VESTMANNAEYJAR
ÍSAFJÖRÐUR
VOPNAFJÖRÐUR
ÞÓRSHÖFN
HÚSAVÍK
GRÍMSEY
KULUSUK
Greenland
Blue Lagoon
AKRANES Geysir
Gullfoss
Jökullónið
Kárahnjúkar
Krafla
Hallormstaður
NUUK
Greenland
ILULISSAT
Greenland
www.airiceland.is
CONSTABLE POINT
Greenland
23
Trip provided by Atv-adventures in Grindavík.
Book trip: +(354) 857 3001 or Info@atv4×4.is
Lift from Reykjavík to Blue Lagoon provided by Iceland Excursions.
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 06 — 2010
Travel | All-Terrain Vehicles
A walk through customs and a small
wait for suitcases at the Kef lavík In-
ternational Airport plus a dip in the
Blue Lagoon just about sums up the
Reykjanes peninsula for many tour-
ists who then hop on a bus to Reyk-
javík. But that’s glossing over the
incredibly vast expanse of lava fields
certainly worth closer inspection.
South Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull
may have the limelight today, but
there are over 100 volcanic craters
and thirteen different lava fields on
the Reykjanes peninsula. And what
better way to romp through the rocky
terrain than by ATV—all terrain ve-
hicle.
This adventure begins early
morning at Reykjavík’s Iceland Ex-
cursions office, where we caught a
bus to the Blue Lagoon. When we ar-
rived, Kjartan Sigurðsson from ATV
Adventures was waiting for us in the
parking lot. ATV Adventures works
with Iceland Excursion’s schedule to
get you on a tour and back in time to
catch a bus back to Reykjavík or on to
Kef lavík airport, which can be quite
convenient.
After a short ride with Kjartan,
we arrived at their home base in
Grindavík. With his brother, Jakob
Sigurðsson and father Sigurður Óli
Hilmarsson, they got to work out-
fitting us for the trip. A warm blue
jumpsuit, boots, gloves, helmet and
we were set.
GETTING THE GRIp OF IT
I put my finger to the lever and with a
small jolt my ATV took off down the
street. A driver’s license is required
to operate the vehicle, but on tandem
rides, the father-son-trio told me they
have had everyone from age four to
eighty.
With my eye on the yellow vehicle
in front of me, I focused on keeping
up with the group of some obviously
experienced ATV drivers. “You’re do-
ing great,” Sigrún Harpa Einarsdót-
tir told me when we stopped. “For
someone who has never driven an
ATV,” she added.
That was nice of her to say, I
thought, as I continued struggling to
keep the ATV going straight, which
seemed to be an effort against its
will. As I approached particularly
rugged lava rocks I cringed in antici-
pation of bottoming out. But the tires
took them on, no sweat, and I began
to relax.
Finally, I got the grip of it when I
fully realised that I was driving the
ATV rather than the ATV driving me
every which way on the uneven lava.
It was that simple.
A 360° LAVA-ScApE pANORAMA
Between Fiskidalsfjall (Fish-valley-
mountain) and Húsafell (House-
mountain), we climbed up to a nice
lookout where we got off our ATVs
to take in the panorama lava-scape
stretching in all directions, the result
of thirteen different eruptions in the
area from 250 to 10,000 years ago.
Below us in the distance was the
Blue Lagoon, slightly masked by the
thick white steam rising from the
geothermal plant. Kjartan told me
many of their guests bathe in the la-
goon’s geothermal waters before or
after the ATV trip. Note: Although
the ATV pick-up and drop-off is at
the Blue lagoon, the price of entrance
is not included in the trip.
To the left of the lagoon, at the foot
of Þorbjarnarfell (Thor-bear-moun-
tain) was a small cluster of trees they
called, Selskógur (Mountain dairy-
forest). Trees are especially uncom-
mon given that area is covered with
lava rock, which is suitable for little
growth except moss. “We tell people
if you get lost in a forest in Iceland,
you just have to stand up,” Sigurður
joked.
SpEEDING, SHIpWREcKS AND
SOup
Looping down the hill, I took on the
rocky path with more confidence.
When we reached the bottom, we
continued on a gravel straightaway
towards the ocean. Reaching 40 kilo-
metres, what a liberating rush it was
to race through the wind.
We were heading to the ocean to
check out a shipwreck. The rusty
brown ship had been ripped in two
and thrown onto the shore, the bow
in one direction and the stern in the
other. Before a proper harbour was
built in Grindavík, a large number
of ships fell victim to the ocean’s
powerful waves. Along with the rich
history of shipwrecks is an equally
incredible story of Iceland’s Rescue
Team, which has saved at least 260
people off this small stretch of coast-
line since 1930.
After the tour, we went to Bryg-
gjan for some lobster soup. It was a
small cosy restaurant on the wharf,
looking out on the harbour. As we
chatted over lunch, I found out that
there is far more to Reykjanes than
Kef lavík Airport, the Blue Lagoon
and seemingly endless lava fields.
Their longer ATV trips include a
number of other attractions. There’s
Gunnuhver, a muddy geothermal hot
spot. And, Valahnúkur, location of
Iceland’s first lighthouse and a great
lookout to Eldey (Fire Island), home
to the world’s biggest gannet colony.
Not to mention, they take people to
a bridge crossing between America
and Europe.
While their longer trips are pric-
ey, they sure seem packed with far
more of what Reykjanes has to offer
than my tour allowed for in an hour.
Still, as we raced back to their garage,
I was pretty content with the ride and
pleased with the family’s personal
touch.
ATV Adventures’ “Panorama Tour”
costs 9.900 ISK. There are more elabo-
rate, more expensive tours available.
ANNA ANDERSEN
HöRðuR SVEINSSON
Romping Through Lava Fields
An ATVenture