Reykjavík Grapevine - nov. 2019, Side 13

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landscape Iceland’s characteristic
other-worldly feel.
Going up
At the base of Laki mountain we
were greeted by a friendly rang-
er. The area in which the fissure
is located now forms part of the
huge Vatnajökull National Park, so
guides are on hand at various points
to provide visitors with information
and to make sure the rules are ad-
hered to. These are, predominant-
ly, stick to the goddamn trails. I’m
looking at you, Justin Bieber.
The first hike of the day was to
the top of Laki. The path was at
times steep and slippery but well
maintained, with crude stone steps
placed along some of the more chal-
lenging stretches. Hiking boots are
essential, but the trail is suitable for
less experienced walkers. The view
from the top takes in both Mýrd-
alsjökull and Vatnajökull glaciers,
as well as the 25km long chain of
craters that make up the eruption
site. The weather in the Highlands
can be quite erratic, but although
the wind was punishing, the sky
was clear and we were blessed with
excellent visibility.
Celebrity spots
From Laki we made our way
through the Highlands towards
the south, stopping at various
points for short hikes and photo
opportunities. My favourite walk
was around the water-filled Tjar-
nargígur crater. The bright blue
lake against the surrounding dark
volcanic rock and pale moss looked
incredible.
But the final stop of the day was
by far the most famous, and that’s
thanks to a completely different
type of natural disaster. The beau-
tiful Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon has be-
come one of the most photographed
places in Iceland in recent years,
and all because of one particular
man-child and his penchant for
traipsing through rivers in his un-
derwear. That’s right, Justin Bieber,
I’m still looking at you. After the
Biebs’ famous video for ‘I’ll show
you’, tourists flocked to the valley
to check out the celebrity spot. As
a result, much of the surrounding
landscape has been damaged by the
sudden rise in foot traffic and park
authorities had to rush to build
proper trails and fences. Fjaðrár-
gljúfur is the only place in Iceland
where I have seen barbed wire,
which is pretty sad. Some things
are just not worth a selfie, kids.
The drive back to Kirkjubæjark-
laustur was a short one, during
which our guide, seemingly having
run out of volcano facts, regaled
us with tales of celebrities he had
ferried about in the jeep. Even more
of an incentive to take the tour, if
you particularly want to have the
opportunity to have sat in the same
vehicle as Anne Hathaway.
We finished off the day with a
well-deserved pizza in Systrakaffi,
because it is a well-known rule that
all volcanic adventures should end
with pizza. And besides, as I have
made abundantly clear, nobody
likes a hangry journalist.
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