Two Weeks In Iceland (April 2017)

As I left the rugged raw beauty of Iceland I wished I could have spent more time exploring. Two weeks working and exploring was not enough. Iceland was always on the list of countries to visit. I had wanted to see the northern lights and who would not be interested in a place where the mid Atlantic Ridge is exposed out of the vast ocean. A cheap ticket on a budget airline was just the impetus to get me to visit. Securing a nice little flat from where I could work for the two week stay and a rental car to get to around, I was set.

Reykjavik felt like a small town because it is. About 200,000 call the area home, leaving the rest of the 330,000 residents of Iceland scattered around the gorgeous countryside. My daily routine quickly fell into place with an early start to work and exploring Reykjavik in the evening. Jet lag played its part for the first few days. The 7 hour time difference from California kicked my ass for a bit.

From where I was staying it was a short walk to downtown. Staying on the outskirts of the central area made exploring a treat. Those first few days were spent getting a feel for the city, visiting museums and tasting the amazing Icelandic beer.

With a bit more time over the weekend I decided to pack in a long drive down the southern coast. Leaving at 6:30 am and returning at 11 pm and 500 miles of driving made for a long but amazing day.

Roadside observer on the sourthern coastal drive

The drive around the southern coast transitioned between snow covered passes to lava fields covered in moss. Around each corner was an new and varied terrain. I could not get over how rugged Iceland was. This Island in the middle of the atlantic was a gem. Each vista as I crested the next mountain pass or rounded the next jutting cliff opened to something new and breathtaking. The grin that frequented my face matched the warm sensation I always get when exploring a new place.

It's easy to see why Iceland has been used for many scenes of Game of Thrones. With the air temperature just below freezing this waterfall was amazing to walk around if a little treacherous underfoot.

Around the waterfall, blades of grass formed icicles in a fashion I had never seen before.

On the southern coast there are vast black sand beaches. Stopping here I was greeted by the calm sound of a flat ocean hitting the breach with small waves. I have heard of a number of people being swept out to sea in this location. Iceland has a beauty that draws you close but can be dangerous if not respected.

Black sand and stone pillars formed during lava flows

My goal this day was to get to Skaftafell Glacier where I would finally realize a dream of Ice climbing. The glaciers in this area are being formed by the snowfall in the caldera of an adjacent volcano. The snow compacts over many years, pushing down against the bottom of the caldera. The ice as now where to go so spills over the edge making its way down the side of the mountain. Moving at only 2 cm a day. The ice we climbed was a 150 years old and was 100 meters thick. The warming of the planet has meant the glacier is smaller now but is still accessible from the pile of sedimentary rock that has been pushed to the end of the valley.

About 45 minutes drive past Skaftafell is the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon. Simply spectacular. Walking around the edge of the lagoon the brilliant icelandic sun dances on the water and illuminates the icebergs turning them into floating light shows. After the icebergs have floated across the huge lake they eventually make their way out the river to the ocean. The relentless waves push them onto the beach and slowly melt them down to mix with the cold ocean.

After an epic day on the southern coast on Saturday I had an equally epic Sunday planned. Snorkelling between the Atlantic and Eurasian tectonic plates. Silfra, the fissure between the continents shows the slow enormous pressure of the earth changing. Snorkeling here in the water flowing from glacier melt is simply stunning. The clarity of the water is measured at 140 ft. Dawning a fluffy thermal layer, dry suit, hood and thick gloves, a group of us waddled over to the the entrance of the fisser. The only exposed skin left for the cold to penetrate our skin was around our mouths. The instructors said the feeling and normal use would come back about half an hour after we got out of the water. The water clarity was unbelievable.

The rift between the tectonic plates is visible from above ground also. Silfra was the location of the first parliament in the world. An epic place to be the first seat of government for Iceland.

My afternoon was spent exploring a lava cave that runs 1km underground.

A half hour drive outside the city of Reykjavik was the site of a little midweek adventure and pampering at the iconic Blue Lagoon. The output of the adjacent geothermal power station the Blue Lagoon is a luxurious hot bath surrounded by the ubiquitous Icelandic lava rocks. April in Iceland is a weather reporters dream or maybe nightmare. A morning of sunny crisp clear conditions turns to snow and hail in the afternoon. On this particular afternoon hail was on order. with a healthy wind to match. Sitting in the warm waters of the Blue Lagoon with a light stinging pelting of hail just made for a more interesting time. Adding a floating massage by a rather large bearded Icelandic massage therapist was relaxing. Time goes by quickly when soaking in the blissful water, and interesting weather patterns. 5 hours later with the sun down and the long dusk illuminating the sky, it was time to get out. Puned fingers like never before, I braved the short walk in the windy weather to get back inside. An invigorating and exceptional experience.

One of the iconic buildings in Reykjavik is the Harpa music hall. The green tinged geometric building is hard to miss when wandering about in Reykjavik. On a whim I looked up to see if there was an interesting concert playing. Turned out Rickie Gervas would be performing a gig. Unfortunately sold out. I decided to make a sign and stand outside in hope of a spare ticket to buy. Lady luck smiled on me and I was able to sit in row 5 to listen to this awesome funny man for an hour and half of hilarity.

The second weekend of my stay I had decided to head to the north side of Iceland to a place called Akureyri. Said to be the capital of the north this small town of 17,000 was quiet and charming. I got a bed at a local backpackers.

The drive to Akureyri through the mountain passes had Iceland showing off her wonder again. The grandeur of the landscape made concentration on driving difficult.

One of my goals while staying in Iceland was to go snowboarding. There a fields outside Reykjavik but I decided to try my luck in the North. I was not disappointed. Snowboarding down a mountain with the fjord in the distance is a memory I will never forget. There had been a small storm the night before which provided for a really fun day. That coupled with most of the people on the mountain wrapped up with with some ski races happening, left me with a lot of untracked snow. What a blast. So much fun I made a video.

To the east of Akureyri through the snow covered roads was another of Icelands great waterfalls. making my way around the waterfall through the snow required slow sure footed steps. With light snow falling I stood in awe of the power of the waterfall cutting its way through the valley as it has been doing for thousands of years.

On the drive home I took the coastal route. The mountains were large the fjords are massive the the tunnels through the mountains long. The longest tunnel was 7 km / 4 miles long.

In my final days in Iceland I took the time to drive the famous Golden Circle. An amazing collection of sites that are a relitively short drive outside Reykjavik.

With the sun setting I started my last experience in Iceland. A 45 minute hike into hills east of Reykjavik to a soak in a river feed by hot springs. Total bliss.