Reykjavík Grapevine - 23.09.2016, Page 54

INTERVIEW
The Cave Tamer
The Raufarhólshellir lava tube
is to be developed—for its own
protection
Words ARTA BALODE
Photos HELGA LAUFEY GUÐMUNDSDÓTTIR & ART BICNICK
Raufarhólshellir, the third larg-
est lava tunnel in Iceland, is easily
accessible from Reykjavík: after
a 35km drive, it’s simple to enter
and explore the almost 1.4km long
cave on your own. Soon, though,
this is set to change. A project to
build facilities around the lava
tunnel has been approved, and
construction is due to begin this
autumn. Hallgrímur Kristins-
son is the one leading the project,
and a few minutes into our chat,
I get the impression the project
couldn’t be in better hands.
Improve or close
The cave’s proximity to the capi-
tal, combined with its astonish-
ing beauty, makes it a popular
site to visit. "It's the most popu-
lar cave in Iceland,” says Halli.
“No any other cave gets as many
visitors as Raufarhólshellir." But
as the number of foreign adven-
turers in Iceland increases every
year, the cave faces consequences.
When I visit the site, climbing
over rocks and watching my step,
the overall picture is not encour-
aging: I see broken glass, toilet
paper, leftovers from a fire and
cigarette butts. Halli notices my
surprise. "Building infrastruc-
ture is something that needs to
be done,” he says, “otherwise the
landowners would close the cave,
because of all the garbage and
harm."
He particularly stresses the
importance of the project's out-
come being in a harmony with na-
ture. "We want to emphasise the
beauty, instead of messing things
up," he continues. "I honestly be-
lieve that by creating infrastruc-
ture, we both protect the cave, and
make it possible for everyone to go
there."
Lost in the dark
He has a point—there are plenty
of stories about rescue teams be-
ing called to rescue tourists from
the beasts lurking in the darkness
of the cave's underworld tun-
nels. I hear about some climbers
who arrived fully equipped with
professional caving equipment:
an iPhone flashlight, which, of
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 15 — 2016
54
course, ran out of battery during
their descent. With experience
or hindsight, of course, nobody
would ever end up in such a situa-
tion. Halli cites such instances as
another reason why the changes
are in fact necessary.
"We're taking our first steps
now," he says, radiating enthusi-
asm to protect the tunnel from
further damage, whether deliber-
ate or unconscious. Apart from
setting a date for a voluntary cave
cleaning day, the project’s organ-
isers have carefully planned out
the most nature-friendly meth-
ods to execute their plans.
Whilst the depths of the tun-
nel are unaffected by weather, the
entrance area does see some sea-
sonal differences." In wintertime,
there are big snow piles coming
into the ceiling openings, as well
as astounding icicles," Halli ex-
plains. Whatever the weather,
Raufarhólshellir will remain a
popular site—some tours are due
to start very soon, with the im-
provements scheduled to be fin-
ished in 2017.
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