Reykjavík Grapevine - sept 2019, Qupperneq 43

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exploring the north. But for us, it
was time to press on. The fog had
lifted the previous evening, but it
returned with a vengeance, cloak-
ing the near-empty road in a thick,
pearly silver haze.
Having seen the dramatic power
of lava to shape the landscape, now
we were to see the power of water
and ice. Our next stop was Ásbyrgi, a
vast canyon with rock walls over 100
metres high. Scientists believe it was
carved out in a mighty flood from
the Jökulsá glacial river, thousands
of years ago. It’s a magical place to
visit, with the canyon cradling a lush
green wood where you can walk,
emerging every so often onto view-
ing platforms where Ásbyrgi’s vast-
ness becomes clear once more. Some
say that Ásbyrgi is the capital of the
húldufólk, or “hidden people”—and
it’s true that the misty forest felt pro-
foundly numinous. But perhaps the
overwhelming sense is one of raw,
elemental force; the power of water
to carve out mighty, extraordinary
worlds.
The edge of the world
The power of Icelandic nature was
the most vividly on display at the Di-
amond Circle’s most famous stop.
Even from the car park—a good
10-minute walk away—you can hear
the thundering of Dettifoss, the most
powerful waterfall in the whole of
Europe. Fierce spray emerges beside
this breathtaking torrent as the iron
grey water churns over the edge at
over 500 cubic metres per second.
For reference, Gullfoss, the largest
waterfall on the Golden Circle route,
flows at around 140 m3/s. We were
thoroughly soaked, and complete-
ly and utterly awestruck. Were the
earth flat (no arguments please), this
is surely what the edge would look
like.
We were nearly finished our epic
trip, but no sightseeing expedition
in Iceland is complete without that
pungent, sulphurous smell of rotten
egg. At the Hverir geothermal field,
it was present in spades. Just a short
jaunt from Mývatn, Hverir is a bleak
but beautiful expanse of brightly
coloured rock, riddled with fuma-
roles and pools of bubbling mud.
Steam rushed from vents in thick
clouds, just cool enough to walk
through, which made for a delight-
ful change from the chill of Dettifoss
and Ásbyrgi. Should you wish to
warm up even further, the beautiful
Mývatn Nature Baths a mere minute
drive away—a perfect place to relax
after a long drive.
For us, however, it was time to
head back home, with the memo-
ry of the Diamond Circle sure to
stay with me for a long time. The
Golden Circle is wonderful. But to
see a rougher, more elemental and
more profound side of Iceland, the
Diamond Circle is a trip you cannot
miss.
“Were the earth flat (no argu-
ments please), this is surely what
the edge would look like.”
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