Less than 5 km – that’s how much mileage we put on the ol’ Ford Explorer today. We are staying at the same hotel for a second night tonight so today was hiking day in Skaftafell National Park. Weather was good again, up around 15 C and mostly overcast with occasional patches of sun. We got off to a great start with the discovery that this hotel has a full breakfast buffet – even eggs and bacon, what more could hiking guys ask for. A quick stop at the gas station across the road for lunch and liquids, and the boys were ready to go.
What sort of a hike you ask?..... 7 hours and 15 km; up and down mountains, through streams and waterfalls, and across vast glaciated floodplains. We started from the park visitors’ centre and followed the gentle climb to the famous Svartifoss waterfall. Along the way we passed several other jaw-dropping waterfalls, and at each one Wes and Alan had to drag Blair back from the edge of the fall’s precipice to keep him safe. We did have one of those ‘hikers’ moments’ where, half an hour into the hike at our second beautiful waterfall, there came that discordant sight – a tour bus driving up the mountain to the next to the falls – ugh. Still we hardly saw a soul for most of the day, often feeling we had the mountain to ourselves, and at times a kind of quietness that is rare indeed. At Svartifoss itself we were not disappointed – it is known as the ‘Black Waterfall” as the surrounding rock face is a wall of black basalt hexagonal columns, very striking. From there we headed west across several ridges to descend into the valley of the Morsarjokull glacier. Along the way, the terrain is blanketed in an assortment of astonishingly hardy mosses, plants and bushes with a broad palette of colours from limitless greens to burgundy and red.
Once in the valley we headed north towards the glacier, through wetlands and new forest to a vantage point with a great view of the glacier headwall. It was now 4 pm, time to start heading back. We went south out of the valley, crossing a bridge from the rocky wash into the vast black sand wasteland which is the legacy of the last major volcanic eruption – ‘the big one’ that killed 20% of Iceland’s livestock; imagine an eruption under ice, that took 4 days to explode from under the glacier hurling lava, water and icebergs up to 50,000 cubic feet per second. So, we walked quickly. It was still a long walk out, back at the car at 7pm, maybe a LITTLE tired. But a few beers, a fine dinner at the hotel and a little blogging and we are ready for a new day.
What sort of a hike you ask?..... 7 hours and 15 km; up and down mountains, through streams and waterfalls, and across vast glaciated floodplains. We started from the park visitors’ centre and followed the gentle climb to the famous Svartifoss waterfall. Along the way we passed several other jaw-dropping waterfalls, and at each one Wes and Alan had to drag Blair back from the edge of the fall’s precipice to keep him safe. We did have one of those ‘hikers’ moments’ where, half an hour into the hike at our second beautiful waterfall, there came that discordant sight – a tour bus driving up the mountain to the next to the falls – ugh. Still we hardly saw a soul for most of the day, often feeling we had the mountain to ourselves, and at times a kind of quietness that is rare indeed. At Svartifoss itself we were not disappointed – it is known as the ‘Black Waterfall” as the surrounding rock face is a wall of black basalt hexagonal columns, very striking. From there we headed west across several ridges to descend into the valley of the Morsarjokull glacier. Along the way, the terrain is blanketed in an assortment of astonishingly hardy mosses, plants and bushes with a broad palette of colours from limitless greens to burgundy and red.
Once in the valley we headed north towards the glacier, through wetlands and new forest to a vantage point with a great view of the glacier headwall. It was now 4 pm, time to start heading back. We went south out of the valley, crossing a bridge from the rocky wash into the vast black sand wasteland which is the legacy of the last major volcanic eruption – ‘the big one’ that killed 20% of Iceland’s livestock; imagine an eruption under ice, that took 4 days to explode from under the glacier hurling lava, water and icebergs up to 50,000 cubic feet per second. So, we walked quickly. It was still a long walk out, back at the car at 7pm, maybe a LITTLE tired. But a few beers, a fine dinner at the hotel and a little blogging and we are ready for a new day.
Awesome pic...wow. I'm impressed by the hike hourage (is that word?). keep up the treking..and the blogging.
ReplyDeletecheers, love, robin