Iceland Day 5: Glacier Hike

After Foss á Síðu, it was onwards to the glacier wonderland of Skaftafell for some glacier hiking. Skaftafell is part of  Vatnajökull National Park, named after the massive Vatnajökull ice cap, the largest icecap in Iceland as well as in Europe. Skaftafell is located at the southern portion of the ice cap. Other than glaciers, it is also known for the iconic Svartifoss waterfall.



As we approach the Skaftafell area, the huge glaciers flowing out from the Vatnajökull ice cap started to come into view. Along the way, we passed by several single lane bridges that cut across the many streams of the Vatnajökull ice cap floodplain. This glacial flood plain is named Skeiðarársandur (Sandur meaning outwash plain). We had to keep a look out for oncoming traffic that was already on the bridge, so that we know when to pull over and wait.

Driving across one of the many single lane bridges in the area. Some of the bridges are quite long, so it gets a bit unnerving as there is this fear that you might come face to face with oncoming traffic.

We stopped by a scenic point to soak in the view of the 2 glaciers that flow into the Skaftafell area: Skaftafellsjökull and Svínafellsjökull. Low hanging clouds hover over the southern end of the Vatnajökull ice cap, the source of the glaciers.

An information board about the great flood/Jökulhlaup of 1996 that washed away part of the Ring Road.

The information board about Skeiðarársandur reminded us just how fragile the area is due to volcanic activity. In 1996, the Grímsvötn volcano located in the Vatnajökull ice cap erupted, triggering a huge glacial flood, called a Jökulhlaup. The flood washed away part of the Icelandic Ring Road around Skeiðarársandur. I cannot imagine how bummed out tourists to the east of Skeiðarársandur must have felt, since the Ring Road is the only road that connects the major tourist spots in Iceland.

Getting closer to Skafafell. The glaciers begin to loom large.

To the right is Svínafellsjökull. You can see a small mini bus driving past it at the bottom.

To the left is the larger Skaftafellsjökull. It's as though the Ring Road just disappears into the glacier.

Our main purpose at Skaftafell that day was to embark on our glacier hiking adventure! We booked the  2pm guided hike "Blue Ice Experience" from Icelandic Mountain Guides. It cost 8,900 ISK per person.

Blue Ice Experience: http://www.mountainguides.is/day-tours/glacier-tours/from-skaftafell/blue-ice-experience/ 

We met at the sales lodge at Skaftafell National Park visitor center. There, the guides helped us with picking out on our crampons that we will be wearing under our shoes. Crampons provide the necessary grip to walk safely on glaciers. We were also each provided with an axe that helps with balance and going up steep slopes. After that, we boarded their mini bus for a bumpy ride to the Svínafellsjökull glacier trail head.

Picking out crampons at the sales lodge.

At the glacier trail head, we first had a short briefing before heading out to the ice. Turns out, our guide was originally from Scotland. After learning how to put on crampons, we followed our guide to this training ground area. There, we practiced going up and down slopes. It was a bright sunny day, and I was very glad I brought along my sunglasses. (I tried skiing without sunglasses once, and it was very unpleasant). Even though we were walking on a huge body of ice, I started sweating after a short hike. Most likely a combination of sunlight and physical activity.

Briefing before walking on the glacier.

There were 2 other groups on the glacier too.

First, we learned how to hike up a slope. We had to hold the axe in a certain way for safety reasons.

Learning how to hike down. Body upright, weight on the ball of the feet.

Our guide then brought us around the glacier, showing us cool glacier formations as well as explaining some glacier geology. Obviously from the picture, the glacier that we hiked on wasn't exactly the picturesque, pristine blue ice glaciers are known for. But that's normal for hikes during summer and fall, when there isn't much fresh snowfall. Our guide showed us some deep crevices and a small moulin, a glacial hole. To show us how deep the moulin was, he used his axe to carve up a pile of ice, and then kicked it into the hole. We could all hear the ice tumble down and wasn't until a good 4-5 seconds later that we heard a loud splash. That is not a hole you want to drop into.

We took turns taking pictures next to the moulin.

Our guide checking out some crevices. The terrain reminded me of the icy planet scene in Interstellar. (But that's because the scene was indeed shot near here, probably higher up at the Vatnajökull ice cap).

He sprinted up the steep slope in mere seconds.

Before hiking back to the trail head, we were brought to a scenic spot on the glacier for our photo op with the peaks around the glacier. Overall, a glacier hike is a definite must do if you are around the Skaftafell area. I definitely felt safe being part of a group lead by an experienced and knowledgeable guide.

One last group photo op on the glacier before hiking back to the trail head.

Waterfall taking on the colors of the rainbow.

After the hike, we drove further east to Höfn where we stayed for the next two nights.


We stayed at the Hof 1 Hotel: http://hof1.is/hof1hote/. Once again, the scenery around the hotel was ridiculously amazing. The setting was similar to the Lambafell Hotel we stayed at near Skogafoss. Hof 1 hotel is perched on a slope, with green hills behind it, and the vast expanse of the flood plains and the southern coast in front of it. The day continued to be blessed with clear skies and brilliant sunshine. We made the most of it by taking pictures around the hotel and just soaking in the sunshine.

Middle of nowhere hotels in Iceland done it again! The scenery around the Hof 1 hotel is just absolutely breathtaking.

Checking out sheep on the farm land right next to the hotel.

Two thumbs up for Icelandic sheep! And the surrounding scenery.

Soaking in the amazing scenery and the clear blue sky. Felt itchy after that unfortunately.

More of the amazing scenery near Hof 1 Hotel.

We had a quick rest before continuing our amazing day into a magical night. The best was yet to come!

Day 5 brought us further east along the Iceland Ring Road. Our destination was the glacier laden Skaftafell National Park, where we did some glacier hiking, and in the evening, another drive out to Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. The day was packed with sights, so I will split it into 3 separate posts. This post will just cover the sights between Skógar and Skaftafell.

We kicked off the morning with free breakfast at Welcome Hotel Lambafell. Oh man oh man, it was AMAZING. We had fee flow of: sliced bread, Icelandic yogurt, jam, cucumber, tomatoes, sliced ham. It looked simple, but everything tasted so fresh and good! Especially the ham, mama mia. Maybe it was a sign that we haven't had good food for a while now. There are not many restaurants around the Skogar area. Most of the dining places are inside hotels.

Awesome free hotel breakfast

One last look at Welcome Hotel Lambafell

One last look at the Lambafell area. The scenery was just as breathtaking as the first time I saw it.

After checking out from the hotel, it was onwards towards Skaftafell, a roughly 2 hour journey (without stops). Of course this being Iceland, there were bound to be stops to stand in awe of the scenery.

Laufskálavarða

The first scenic stop was Laufskálavarða (Laufskalavarda). It is known for the many many stone cairns, piled rocks, found around the area. From this spot, we soaked in the beauty and sheer massiveness of the Mýrdalsjökull glacier and the other surrounding glaciers. It's hard to appreciate the scale from the pictures. You just have to be there in person to feel humbled and dwarfed by it.

Laufskálavarða information board. It provides historical context of the area as well as the tradition of piling up rocks here.

Lots and lots of stone cairns in the area. Based on the information board, the government provides stones so that travelers can continue this tradition.

Just amazing beauty in every direction. The weather cooperated very well too.

Zooming in to the massive Mýrdalsjökull glacier.

Waterfalls can also been seen streaming out from the glacier.

Onwards to other scenic spots!

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Next on our list was the small town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The plan was to stop by to get a coffee break at a cafe here. But unfortunately, we couldn't find the cafe, so we settled for hot dog at the N1 gas station there. As usual, the gas station was surrounded by yet more amazing scenery. They even have outdoor tables for folks to soak in the scenery. The weather at that time was perfect: Sunny, with some fluffy clouds. Other than the scenery, some hotels and gas service here, there isn't really much else to do here. There is one attraction here called Kirkjugólf, but unfortunately, we couldn't locate that either. Based on pictures, it's basically just a floor of columnar basalt. So I guess we didn't really miss much. 

The awesome Icelandic hotdog. Enjoying it along with the view.

Enjoying ice cream in Iceland. Hey, someone had to do it. This was right outside the gas station.

Soaking in the scenery at the gas station. How often can you say that? The perfect weather definitely helped out too.

The last stop before Skaftafell was the amazing area around Foss á Síðu (Foss a Sidu) waterfall. The journey continued to be filled with lush greenery and tall cliffs.

Driving towards Foss a Sidu.

Tiny waterfall disappearing into thin air as it plunges down the cliff.

Foss á Síðu

Foss a Sidu was our first waterfall stop since Skógafoss. Once again, it is located conveniently off the Ring Road. Traffic usually (or should) slows down here due to lots of tourists crossing the road. Foss a Sidu gave an entirely different feel compared to Skogafoss. While Skogafoss felt raw and powerful, Foss a Sidu felt more gentle, pleasing and inviting, probably because the waterfall is located just next to a farm house and is much smaller in size. The waterfall plunges down from a very interesting bowl shaped cliff top. Just a very short drive further east is the scenic stop of Dverghamrar. (Less than a minute away). It has some interesting columnar basalt formations there as well as some folklore tied to it (Dverghamrar means Dwarf Cliffs). It is a short walk down to the rock formation from the parking lot. You get amazing views of the farm land and the surrounding expanse from there.

First sight of Foss a Sidu. It flows out from some very interesting bowl shaped like topography. Right under it is some farm house.

We parked our car at the side of the Ring Road. The weather was just perfect then.

Looking west from Foss a Sidu. I was blown away by the amazing lighting.

Looking east from Foss a Sidu. The Ring Road leads to the Dverghamrar scenic point.

More of Foss a Sidu before leaving.

Next up was Dverghamrar.

Amazing view looking west from Dverghamrar. It was a rare sight indeed to see such fine weather.

Took a quick money shot of the area before leaving. That's pretty much it. Unless you're really into columnar basalt rock formations, you won't be spending that much time here. And that's Foss a Sidu in the background.

Next up: Glacier hike!

Iceland Day 4: In and around Skogafoss

After returning to the trailhead from the Fimmvörðuháls hike, we were feeling wet, cold and very hungry. We proceeded to Skógasafn, the Skogar Folk Museum, where they serve lunch.

Skogar Folk Museum: http://www.skogasafn.is/

Skogar Folk Museum 

The Skogar Folk Museum is conveniently located in the same vicinity/turnout area as Skogafoss. Our first order of business was to fill our stomachs. We went to the cafe in the museum, and ordered their soup. I also had their cheesecake just to top it off.

Nothing like having mushroom soup and hot chocolate when you're feeling cold, wet and hungry.

After that, we checked out the museum attractions. There is an admission fee of 2000ISK to enter. To me, the main attraction of the museum were their iconic turf roof houses. I have never seen one before, and it was on my to see list. The area is like a mini community/town. There are old traditional houses, a church and a school. It's really interesting to see how the Icelandic community used to live. Indoors, they have a huge collection of traditional Iceland household items. They have some really old books, including a bible from the late 16th century. They also have sections dedicated to fisheries and agriculture. If you are into history and Icelandic culture, the museum is definitely worth checking out.

The iconic turf roof houses of Iceland. The turf provides great insulation. A good example of making use of the surrounding resources. In the background is the church.

More of the turf roof houses.

Information about the turf farm. All of the buildings were used up to end of the 19th century.

Inside the house. It felt claustrophobic at times.

Elf houses are pretty common in Iceland. These are tiny houses built for elves (Huldufólk).

While I was there at the Skogar Folk Museum, I had a fun chat with one of the museum staffs. He turns out to be an indie musician who has done tours in the US before. I asked him what his favorite US city was, and after some thinking, he said Portland. He found Portland to be unique in its culture (hipster central?). Switching topic, I asked him about the volcanoes in the area, considering the ongoing  eruption of Bárðarbunga at that time, and since Skogar is under the shadow of Eyjafjallajökull that erupted in 2010. He mentioned that his greatest fear is actually that of the overdue eruption of the much more powerful Katla, that is located not that far away from Eyjafjallajökull. Katla usually has a major eruption every 50-100 years. Katla has not had a major eruption in almost 100 years. Living in a seismically active region definitely has its risks and rewards. Even as a tourist, one has to be aware of the volcanic activity in Iceland. I will write a post about it in the future.

Skogafoss

We headed back to Skogafoss (Skógafoss) after touring the museum. Skogafoss is one of the top attractions along the Iceland Ring Road. It is definitely a must do if you are touring along the Ring Road. It is huge, powerful and like other attractions along the Ring Road, very easily accessible.

Skogafoss Information

Stick around long enough in the evening and you will see a rainbow formed by the mist.

We decided to take take shots of us venturing near the base of the falls. One thing is for sure, it is powerful, and you WILL get drenched. But it sure makes for a cool photo-op.

Since we had time to spare, I decided to climb back up to the viewing deck to take more photos. There were some love locks at the viewing deck. I sure hope it doesn't become a trend.

I started to take pictures of the sheep. Sheep in Iceland are just absolutely majestic.

Sheep grazing at the side of Skogafoss

Did I mention there were lots of sheep in Iceland? I guess it's something like New Zealand.

Even the sheep knows that it's freaking fabulous

Before leaving, I decided to take a long exposure shot of the falls.

Around Lambafell Hotel

After Skogafoss, we headed back the same hotel that we stayed at the night before, the Welcome Hotel Lambafell. It is located just under 10 minutes from Skogafoss.


When we reached the entrance of the area, the sun decided to come out to make a grand exit for the day. Warm sunlight burst through spotty clouds to illuminate the face of the cliffs behind the hotel. I immediately stopped and parked the car by the entrance to enjoy this scenery.

The setting sun started to illuminate the area. The building there is the hotel. Ridiculous isn't it? A random hotel located in the most stunning of landscapes.

There were some farm houses there too.

The scenery was just absolutely breathtaking.

The low clouds started to retreat a bit, revealing a glacier tongue form the Eyjafjallajökull ice cap.

Facing the other side towards the southern coast, we saw a flock of birds dancing in the golden hue of the evening.

Facing the same direction, I spotted a very interesting cliff. That is one hell of a drop.

After a magical evening of stunning scenery, we relaxed at the common area of the hotel. I love the wooden, rustic feel of the living area.

Like other affordable Iceland hotels (as we will soon find out), the rooms and bed were small, but manageable. I was thankful that we got a room with our own private bathroom. No guilt hogging the hot shower for a long time. It has been one tiring but amazing day.