Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.12.2010, Page 18

18
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 18 — 2010
Travel | Hiking
Trip provided by Arctic Adventures, www.adventures.is.
Book trip: +354 562 7000.
”One had brought sausages he cooked
by holding them over
the glowing lava. When
someone shouted:
'It smells like burning tire',
everyone checked their
soles...
Words
Wiebke Wolter
photography
www.ellithor.com
Jumping up and down, we cross rivers on our four-
wheel drive jeep, the majestic Mýrdalsjökull glacier
on the right, the sublime Eyjafjallajökull right in
front of us and the sun showing off with perfect au-
tumn morning light. We drove through Þórsmörk
on our way to hike the volcano.
Taking the first steps towards the mountaintop, we
learned about the two phases of the Eyjafjallajökull
eruption last year. The second phase was the one ev-
eryone will remember for a long time, the one that
produced the huge ash cloud and created the highest
level of air travel disruption since World War II. The
first eruption on the other hand wasn't that interest-
ing to the rest of the world. It formed a huge fissure
with several craters in the middle of the two glaciers
Mýrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull. This ridge is
called Fimmvörðuháls, and is exactly the place we
were heading to.
OUT OF BREATH
Walking the first fifteen minutes, it was already clear
that this trip would not be like a stroll in the park.
The narrow paths with steep slopes to both sides are
likely to cause vertigo. Having to get over about 1.000
metres of difference in altitude, we were already out
of breath after a little while walking up the strong as-
cent. But after a while, we got in the groove and were
able to enjoy the amazing nature around us: glacier
to both sides, a river below us, moss covered moun-
tains, caves made of lava from earlier eruptions and
shrubs in autumnal colours from yellow to red.
After two hours and a lot of sweating and puffing,
we arrived at a plateau and had a well-earned lunch
looking at the huge cooled-down lava f low meander-
ing down the mountain. The guide pointed up to a
black peak up there somewhere in the distance and
said this is the crater we need to get to. The next hour
of pushing us up the mountain was hard. Our legs
felt heavy and we were intimidated by the steep as-
cent ahead.
When we took the last bend and suddenly stood in
front of the crater, the challenging climb was totally
worth it, and the tired legs forgotten. I wasn't aware
that we were actually allowed to walk ON the lava,
but indeed there is a marked trail on the cooled lava
f low. We found ourselves in the middle of a devil’s
kitchen: steam everywhere and below us in one crack
we actually saw red glowing lava. And all of this with
the sublime glaciers in the background. It's ice and
fire, the two strongest forces of nature combined in
one spot. Amazing!
On top of the crater it felt a little bit like being at
the Costa Brava in summer: It was quite warm, and
quite 'crowded'. Which is to say: we met other people.
Until then, it had just been us, five hikers from five
different European countries. Up there in the warm
Spanish-like breeze, we met some Icelanders. One
had brought sausages he cooked by holding them
over the glowing lava. When someone shouted: 'It
smells like burning tire', everyone checked their
soles, but it was the plastic bottom of a photogra-
pher's tripod that was melting...
SOMETHING TO REMEMBER
After this sociable intermezzo we summoned
enough courage to walk up the next crater, balancing
our way across very narrow paths. Then it was time
to go down again. The first stage was mostly going
down through black sand-like ashes; it felt a little bit
Beautiful As Hell
Hiking up to the scenery of the latest volcanic eruptions
Always best price online.
Various online-offers to all Air Iceland's destinations.
www.airiceland.is
websales@airiceland.is / tel. +354 570 3030 Contact Air Iceland or
travel agent for reservation.
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