Jökull - 31.12.2001, Page 75

Across Vatnajökull in 1956
There was hot water and we were filthy. Using a finger
to estimate temperature, a cup to catch suitable water
and soap, we stood in the lake and sluiced ourselves,
cup by cup. We had to select carefully betwixt too hot
and too cold, but on getting into a set of clean und-
erwear I felt a new man! Day seventeen, 14 August,
was spent in resting and investigating our surround-
ings. An explosion crater close to camp, volcanic
tuff which floated on water, and cliffs that fell to the
Öskjuvatn, showing layers of lava flow, suggesting
that the lake filled a collapse of the original caldera
bed. There was a slight smell of sulphur but the lake
water was greatly appreciated; we tried to wash some
clothes. Next day we walked north out of the caldera
through low hills and on through stoney flats and lava
fields without surface water. We found a dry stream
bed, heading in the right direction, which provided
us with easy walking on firm sand. In the late af-
ternoon a thin mist arose and, after a short but fruit-
less search, we dug for water, found it about 70 cm
down, and camped on the sand. At this and the next
camp, photographs show that we were still drying out
our washing, strung up on a line between tent and
ice axe! The stream bed continued as our highway
and now occasional tussocks of coarse grass appeared.
On the afternoon of this day, nineteen, we came to
where a full grown river burst forth, this spring being
surrounded by grass, plants and small shrubs. Anot-
her kilometer or two and there a wide river flowed
between verdant water meadows. Apart from the al-
gae, we had seen no living thing, plant or animal, for
two weeks and the sheer joy of returning to the world
of the living remains with me vividly today. From the
map I believe that this wonderful surge of life is at
Suðurárbotnar. There appeared to be a track through
the meadows but it was soon lost and eventually we
pitched the tent at a bend in a small stream, maybe
20 km south of Mývatn. Mist in the morning made us
use a compass and. heading north, we entered a bog
which caused considerable delay. We detoured to the
west and I recollect that we walked alongside a major
drainage channel cut into the turf or peat south of the
western side of the lake. On this, the twentieth day,
August 17, we arrived in Skútustaðir on the southern
shore of Mývatn. After talking to the local parson we
camped on the village green and phoned Jón.
We spent two more weeks in Iceland. With our
tent on a spectacular apron of grass jutting out into a
lava flow near Reykjahlíð, free of our heavy packs we
walked up to 30 km/day doing the usual tourist things,
visiting hot springs, steam jets, boiling mud pools,
etc. and boating on the lake. Then we took the bus to
Akureyri and camped by the Youth Hostel. We hitch
hiked to Dalvík, and began a five day back-pack trip
over the mountains between Eyjafjörður and Skaga-
fjörður coming down Ingjaldshnúkur into Kolbeins-
dalur. Many herds of horses were in this valley, each
with a stallion who rounded up his dependents and
came forward to confront us, very definitely not amu-
sed by the invasion. I was worried; even if I dumped
my pack there was nowhere to run! We walked over
to Hólar to camp and, after a rest day, reached Aust-
ur Vatnabrú where we pitched our tent by the river.
We met the bridge warden, Þorsteinn Björnsson, who
accepted some of our remaining biscuits, entertained
us to cognac and coffee, and made a diary entry of
our visit. Next day we took the bus to Reykjavík and,
using transport offered by the police, placed our tent
in front of the University building. This was followed
by two nights at the Youth Hostel (5 kr./night), then
to Leith (Scotland) on the Gullfoss, which rolled 40°
in calm seas, just in time to attend the Tattoo at Edin-
burgh castle.
ÚTDRÁTTUR
Rakin er ferð þriggja ungra Breta ytír Vatnajökul í
júlí-ágúst 1956. Bretarnir gengu norður Djúpárdal,
um Síðujökul, Háubungu, Grímsvötn og komu niður
af jöklinum við Kistufell. Þaðan lá leið þeirra í Öskju,
um Suðurárbotna til Mývatnssveitar og til Reykjavík-
ur. Ferðin frá brúnni við Djúpá og norður á Skútustaði
tók 20 daga, þar af voru þeir viku á jöklinum.
JÖKULL No. 51 73