Reykjavík Grapevine - 29.08.2014, Blaðsíða 36

36 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 13 — 2014TRAVEL
Despite its hostile and uninhabitable na-
ture, Vatnajökull has a magnetic appeal
that's created a brisk trade in day-trip
incursions onto the glacier. Over thirty
glacier tongues overspill from the ice cap,
each tumbling down to ground level with
a unique path and style, and whilst many
of them terminate in iceberg-filled lakes
such as Jökulsárlón, some slowly retreat
across dry land, scraping vast furrows in
their wake and offering a chance to set
foot on the ice.
Rorschach waterfall
Nestled between two such glacier
tongues is Skaftafell, a south-facing
nature reserve with a diverse, quickly
changing landscape that's home to a
range of flora and bird life. We arrive a
day early just to explore this area, which
is criss-crossed by hiking trails of various
length and difficulty. The easiest and most
popular is a short dirt trail littered with
rocks and boulders and punctuated by
naked tree roots and well-kept wooden
walkways. It winds upwards from sea
level quickly through thickets of trees
and shrubs, with the buzz and flutter of
insects and birds in the air. Before long,
the track offers a view across the grey
wash of the sand plains below, tangled
with shining, sea-bound rivers.
There are several waterfalls along the
way, from fine trickles to foamy torrents,
making a nice warm-up for the crown
jewel of the Skaftafell reserve. Svartifoss
is one of the most spectacular waterfalls
in Iceland, not because of its size but
rather a freakishly beautiful rock forma-
tion. The fall pours down over a cliff of
geometric basalt that has been slowly
eroded from underneath by the water
spray, creating an overhang of gothic
columns that might have sprung from
H. R. Giger's imagination. Fellow visi-
tors discuss their interpretations of the
scene—some see a forest of stone trunks
and branches reaching towards the sky,
others the graceful arches of a cathedral,
and others still see a macabre ribcage
opening from the cliffside. But whatever
Rorschach associations it brings out,
Svartifoss is a spectacular natural gem.
Taking the high road
After a few minutes of lingering for pho-
tographs the majority of visitors head
straight back, but for those interested
in continuing their hike there are plenty
of signs and maps charting the area. We
opt to head for Sjónarnípa, a viewpoint
two and a half kilometres to the east. The
path soon rises beyond the sheltered lea-
side bank of Vatnajökull, with the lush
vegetation giving way to bridged swamps
and sparse weeds that shiver in the freez-
ing wind falling from the glacier. Soon,
the air is frozen, the plants vanish alto-
gether, and the path leads over a bleak
rock-strewn desert.
The view from Sjónarnípa is better
than we could have hoped. Having as-
cended deceptively gradually, it turns out
the path is now around 300 metres above
sea level, with the huge Skaftafellsjökull
glacier tongue wending its way through
a wide valley far below. Its texture comes
from crevices and white peaks streaked
with ash, giving way to steep white out-
crops of compacted snow, smashed into
strange shapes by the pressure of crawl-
ing downhill from the towering summit,
just visible through gathering clouds.
Sparse pairs of walkers sit in awed si-
lence, humbled by the scale of the scene
before them.
The return path is three kilometres
of dirt track that thankfully dips out of
How to get there?
Trip provided by Glacier Guides, book trip at wwwglacierguides.is or call +354-6597000.
Accommodation at Skaftafell provided by Hótel Skaftafell, more info at www.hotelskaftafell.is or call +354-4781945
Skaftafell1
Words John Rogers
Photos John Rogers
Vatnajökull is the second largest glacier in all of Europe, covering 8% of Iceland's land
mass and dominating the southeast corner of the country. Visible only on clear days,
the glacier's peak sits atop a vast sheet of compacted snow and ice, estimated to be
up to a kilometre deep at its thickest point. Seen from the Skaftafell Express minibus,
weaving gradually closer via the coastal ring road, it seems dizzyingly, impossibly
high—like an odd, ancient, otherworldly life form, nesting amongst the mountains.
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