Reykjavík Grapevine - 29.07.2016, Page 64

One of the first sights that greets a
visitor to Iceland is a cone-shaped
mountain a few kilometres east
of the main road from Keflavík to
Reykjavík. Its name is Keilir. The
mountain looks like a true vol-
cano, and indeed, it is one—but of
slightly different origin than most
similar (and larger) mountains.
It’s a subglacial formation from a
volcanic fissure eruption beneath
the ice cap that covered the Reyk-
janes peninsula during the last Ice
Age. It is attached to a low ridge
that dates from the same erup-
tion. The volcanic material, manly
tephra, piled up in a large cavity in
the ice, while meltwater contin-
ued to enter the vent.
Later, after the ice vanished,
scree slopes developed. In the pho-
tography book ‘The Essence of Ice-
land’ (2009), I wrote of Keilir: “You
come to the country flying. On the
way to and from the international
airport a mountain greets you, as
long as the day lasts. One of those
you recall long afterward, or al-
ways. Not so bad, having a moun-
tain for a friend.”
Route character
The approach walk, on moss cov-
ered lava, is excellent, as is the
climb, despite the dusty, loose
scree, and there are fine views.
Route description
The lava road to Keilir is found
off road 41 between Keflavík and
Reykjavík, about halfway between
the two cities and a short dis-
tance southwest of the Vatnsle-
ysatrönd road (420). Drive to the
grassy plains of Höskuldarvel-
lir. Park where the road makes a
sharp eastward turn. Follow the
right-hand side of a low ridge for
a few hundred metres. A broad
trail leads into the rugged lava
flow. You are able to follow it to
the southwest and descend from
the lava onto gravel flats. Head for
a spot where the Keilisbörn ridge
connects to the cone of Keilir. A
trail marks the ascent route, steep
and loose at places. Use a proper
map for reading the distant envi-
ronment.
Difficulty rating: 4
Overall rating: 6
SHARE & LINKS: gpv.is/hi11
HIKING
Keilir: The cone
Words ARI TRAUSTI GUÐMUNDSSON
Photo HAFSTEINN RÓBERTSSON
Elevation:
378 m
Ascent time:
1.5-2.5 hrs
Length:
3.5 km
Map no.:
27
Elevation diff-
erence: 280 m
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 11 — 2016
64
ON THE ROAD
Svartifoss
Words JOHN ROGERS Photos ART BICNICK
There are few things more regret-
table on a road trip than looking
back over your route and realis-
ing that you came very close to
something intensely beautiful,
but didn’t quite turn the right cor-
ner. And while, for many, explor-
ing the beautiful, varied terrain
of the Skaftafell nature reserve is
a big item on the itinerary, oth-
ers drive right past. Those who do
stop sometimes take the stairs to-
wards the various hike routes, and
look at the little waterfalls along
the way, before returning to the
car. Little do they know that just a
few minutes more, and they’d have
happened across of the most ma-
jestic sites of natural beauty in all
of Iceland.
Svartifoss (“Black Fall”) is a
towering basalt waterfall that
tumbles from a dramatic over-
hang of naturally geometric basalt
rock. The spray from the water-
fall’s impact has, over time, erod-
ed the underside of the cliff, leav-
ing a jutting rounded lip above.
It’s an oddly affecting site with a
visceral atmosphere: like a black
stone ribcage torn open.
Basalt pillars are a recurring
sight around the coast of Iceland,
from the stairway-style cliffs of
Grímsey island to the dramatic
cave at Reynisfjara on the south
coast (as seen as the hiding place
of Noah in the eponymous Ice-
land-shot movie). It is said that the
appealing geometry of these for-
mations had an influence on the
thinking of Iceland’s formative
architects, and that the pillars of
Svartifoss contributed directly to
the shape of Iceland’s most iconic
building, Hallgrímskirkja. So
make sure you don’t accidentally
drive straight past it on your way
to Jökulsárlón.
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ÍA
We’re expecting a busy summer but you
can check-in 2 1/2 hours before departure
and have plenty of time for refreshments
and shopping in KEF.
We offer unlimited free Wi-Fi, many
charging stations and a range of nice
restaurants and stores. Icelandic design
and quality brands tax and duty free
at the Airport.