Special Feature - Volcanic Eruption Iceland
As many people know a small volcanic eruption started between two glaciers on the south coast of Iceland a couple of weeks ago. This is of course is an event that no landscape photographer worth their salt can ignore. And as I consider myself primarily a landscape photographer I could in no way ignore it. In these last weeks I have been trying to get close to the eruption and as of yet still am on that track. I caught a glimpse of it on a trip to Selfoss a while ago and made some nightshots from far away. I was delighted to see the glow from the eruption, pretty pronounced even from a distance of 70 km.
The other day a friend called and invited me along for a ride in a helicopter to witness the commotion. A splendid trip and a grand thing, what interested me the most though was the impact of man on the event. In a few short days the eruption had gone from high alert to tourist attraction and the number one distraction from the depression that roars in Icelandic society today. I was amazed at the crowds and the roads that had formed such a distance from any towns or cities. People were gathering at the site, some by the way of super trucks or snow mobiles others walking 30km round trip in very hostile terrain to catch a glimpse of a very modest volcanic eruption.
The area that the eruption takes place is not your typical tourist site. It´s in the middle of nowhere, 15km from the nearest paved road, at an altitude of 1000 meters in place that is infamous for it´s inclement weather. On top of that the only road leading to it is closed for vehicles. But Icelanders do not let that stop them and neither do tourists. So now there are trips via super trucks, on foot and by helicopter and people are erupting up to the highlands to see the spectacle for themselves.
There are two ways to hike to the eruption site, one way is from Skógar, a difficult 15km hike that makes for a very long day, the other one is from Þórsmörk, much shorter but the destination is further away from the crater.
I decided, along with half the population of Iceland it seemed, to hike from Þórsmörk and try my luck.
The hike is very pretty, the landscape beautiful in a tolkienesque way, even the last hill is called Morinsheidi, a name that you would not be surprised to come across in the Lord of the Rings. Some parts of the hike are pretty thrilling, a short part called Kattahryggir or Catsspines are very narrow with gullies on both sides. In daylight they were fun, in the dark on the way home kind of scary!
On the way we were warned by everyone we talked to that there was nothing happening up there, only cold, solidified lava and very little activity in the craters. We marched on as we were all ready 1/3 of the way up and that first part was the hardest part anyway. The hike it self is very beautiful and as the twilight hit it became even prettier. When we reached the end of Morinsheidi we saw the eruption site and the solidified lava fall going into Hrunagil (Fall gully) nothing special was going on and the twilight was quickly turning to darkness. As we were cursing our luck we started hearing sounds from the eruption site and more activity from the crater. Before we knew it the lava fall started again, with much rumbling and clouds of steam, in minutes the lava fall was in full action flowing like a red river down into the gully. It was a magnificent sight, something I will never forget as long as I live.
The hike down was unbelievable, the eruption and the lava fall behind us, aurora borealis dancing and the stars very prominent. Hiking down in the dark was surprisingly easy although the many stops to admire our surroundings helped a lot. As luck would have it the aurora borealis never went over the eruption site, which would have made a hell of a photo. We arrived at the car around 1:15am tired but very satisfied after an awesome hike.
Story and photos by Snorri Gunnarsson
Awesome photos and article Snorri - thanks for sharing that experience with us. Best Wishes from England!
I lived in Iceland for two years and loved the incredible beauty of the land and people. We drove around the island one summer on the coastal road, which then was not much more than a gravel track. The dark clouds, the constant wind, and the vast panoramic vistas of the twisted volcanic rock are not a visual experience as much as a profoundly emotional one. I compare the feelings I had then to ones I had later being as sea on a dark night in a small boat.
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It truly is a terrible period for the air line sector, nonetheless our hopes - even though the photos of the eruption are really impressive - have to be with the persons trapped far from home.Thanks for your current post.