Iceland 2004 (July 3rd – July 22nd) |
 |
|
|
A 3 week tour into the highlands of Iceland, visiting volcanic and
jökull areas (Ice and Fire), natural hot springs and the fantastic
nature of Iceland. Using a 4WD car, a lot of walking tours and mainly
spending the nights in tents. In
total 3500 km of driving, of which 1000 km on mountain roads.
The tour was a result of impressions from a similar 3 week tour, using
4WD buses, 29 years ago. Thorsmörk, Fjallabak sydri, Laugafell, Laki and
Kjölur were new areas this time, leaving out Askja and Vestmannaeyjar.
Askja, including the Gaesavatnaleid, and Kverkfjöll and more time in the
Skaftafell area are wishes for a possible next trip. |
Tour agenda (short description of the tour, day-by-day) |
 |
|
| Our route, covering nice places like Thorsmörk, Laugafell, Mývatn, Skaftafell, Kerlingarfjöll, Hveravellir. Also covering | |
| the three main mountain routes crossing Sprengisandur, Kjölur and Kaldidalur and nice mountain routes around Mýrdalsjökull. | |
 |
 |
| Seljalandfoss | Crossing rivers into Thorsmörk. Icelanders return on Sunday |
 |
 |
| Basar camp site with view towards Mýrdalsjökull | Sea campion (Silene), common in sand and gravel |
 |
 |
| Mýrdalsjökull (Krossárjökull) and Tungnakvist | Coffe break in Godaland, Thorsmörk behind |
 |
 |
| Hails at 1000 m, close to
Fimmvörduhals, Morinsheidi plateau below |
Hole in Hrunajökull |
 |
|
| "Mordor" land, from south of Morinsheidi towards Mýrdalsjökull | |
 |
 |
| Canyon in the beginning of Fjallabak sydri route | Lava fields before Maelifellssandur |
 |
 |
| Colourful route to Landmannalaugar from the south | Landmannalaugar camp site, gravel |
 |
 |
| Cold evening at the Landmannalaugar pool | Nice bath in the hot spring, flow of water, 70 degress, behind |
 |
 |
| Climbing Bláhnúkur mountain, old lava field and camp site below | View of Landmannalaugar colourful mountains |
 |
 |
| Graenagil ("green gorge") with
Bláhnúkur rhyolit-coloured mountain to the left and Laugahraun lava field |
Entering Sprengisandur vast stone and gravel desert |
 |
 |
| Laugafell pool, an oasis in the desert | Lots of flowers around the pool |
 |
 |
| Roseroot (Rhodiola) and wood crane´s bill (Geranicum) | Arctic riverbeauty (Epilobium) |
 |
 |
| Road crossing on Sprengisandur | |
 |
 |
| The sign for unbridged rivers | View towards Vatnajökull |
 |
 |
| Aldeyarfoss (at the end of
Sprengisandur), surrounded by basalt columns |
Godafoss |
 |
 |
| Reykjahlíd camp site at Mývatn | New lava field at Krafla |
 |
 |
| Wild thyme (Thymus), common near lava fields | Bubbling holes at Námaskard |
 |
 |
| Dimmuborgir formations | Pseudocraters in Mývatn |
 |
 |
| Old lava pillars (klasar) at Höfdi | Lupins for preventing erosion
(but enemy to other vegetation), on the road to Húsavik |
|
|
|
| Húsavík harbour, with whale
spotting boats (we saw humpbacked whale, minky whale and dolphins) |
Húsavik fine whale museum |
 |
|
| Puffin at the cliffs of Tjörnes | |
|
|
|
| "Valley of horses" north of Húsavík | Ásbyrgi camp site, beneath the strange canyon sides |
 |
 |
| Hljodaklettar (echoing rocks) at Jökulsá á Fjöllum | Basalt, cutoff, columns |
 |
 |
| Raudholar (red hills) | Holmarfossar, side stream to Jökulsá á Fjöllum |
 |
 |
| Dettifoss dark, mighty, waterfall (from western side) | Dettifoss |
 |
 |
| Selfoss nice waterfall, just north of Dettifoss | Akureyri church |
 |
 |
| South-east coast | Parts of old whale at Hvalnes reef |
 |
 |
| Studying the nice ground (round
stones and flowers) at Hvalnes reef |
Passing
Skálafjellsjökull, on the steep and curvy mountain road to Jöklasel |
 |
 |
| A short walk on Skálafjellsjökull, at Jöklasel | Going back, looking out over Sudursveit and the sea |
 |
 |
| The end of Skálafjellsjökull | Pyramidal saxifrage, rare on
certain places in the south-east parts of Iceland |
 |
 |
| Jökulsarlón, below Breidamerkarjökull, with its nice icebergs | Amphibie boat |
 |
 |
| The oldest icebergs being 7 years old | Meeting between the glacier water and the sea, lots of fish |
 |
 |
| Passing flooded land to Ingolshöfdi | Tractor with haywagon |
 |
 |
| Puffins at Ingholfhöfdi | Puffins at Ingolshöfdi |
 |
 |
| View from Ingolshöfdi | Svartifoss, at Skaftafellsheidi |
 |
 |
| Coffe break with view of Kjós | Morsardálur and Morsarjökull in dull weather |
 |
 |
| The old houses at Núpsstadur | The church at Núpsstadur, still used |
 |
 |
| Crater cones at Laki | The road to Landmannalaugar |
|
 |
| The road to Landmannalaugar | Lunch below Hekla |
 |
 |
| Gullfoss impressing waterfall | Geysir (or its smaller fellow Strokkur) |
 |
 |
| Going on the Kjölur route | The pool at Hveravellir, fed by waterfall on silica ground |
 |
 |
| Whistle at Hveravellir | Volcanic area at Hveravellir |
 |
 |
| Anna with one of her horses | Kerflingarfjöll volcanic area, colours, hot water and steam |
 |
 |
| Walking in the steep hills in Kerlingarfjöll area | |
 |
 |
| Hraunfossar, water from the lava fields well up into Hvitá river | Kaldidalur route to Reykjavík, Thórisjökull behind |
 |
 |
| Blue Lagoon silica mud water | A drink in the sun and heat (17 degrees) |
 |
 |
| Blue Lagoon | Blue Lagoon pool and buildings |
