Iceland review - 2012, Qupperneq 59

ICELAND REVIEW 57
a road to the roots of the volcano where a parking lot will be
made, along with a tourist reception built into a lava wall so that
it won’t stand out in the landscape. The tunnel into the crater
would lead through the reception.
BalCony wiTH a view
Árni has fought for the preservation of caves in the Bláfjöll area.
He maintains that opening Þríhnúkagígur to travelers would
help protect it and has been quoted as saying: “Preservation isn’t
about not doing anything. Preservation lies in doing something
strategically.”
The hole into the crater would only be one thousandth of its
wall space. Inside there are plans to build a small balcony which
would serve as the main viewing area. The tunnel would lead to
the balcony and, for those who can handle the climb, a long, steep
staircase would run from the balcony to the bottom of the crater.
The project is estimated to cost ISK 1.5-2.0 billion (USD
13-17 million, EUR 9-13 million) and if all necessary permits are
obtained, the operations could be completed as early as 2014. 
How to Get tHere
To reach Þríhnúkagígur, people
have to hike from the Bláfjöll ski
cabin for about 45 to 50 minutes.
The cabin is a 25-minute drive
from Reykjavík.
For more information, visit
insidethevolcano.com.
Limited access. People can only access the crater by lowering themselves into it, which was first done in 1972.
Everyone wears helmets when they descend with the lift.
The three peaks from which Þríhnúkagígur crater draws its name.