Five Days Through Fire and Ice

Blog: IMG
Status: Published
Author: Mike McLaren
Original Link: Five Days Through Fire and Ice

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Five Days Through Fire and Ice

One of the most memorable ways to experience Iceland is to walk it, and we mapped our five-day Kingdom of Glaciers and Northern Lights tour to ensure you see everything that makes Iceland unique.

On the first day, we’ll pick you up in Reykjavik to begin the journey, heading east to the Golden Circle to vist Geysir hot spring and the Gullfoss waterfall. Geysir itself is not all that active, but nearby is Stokkur, which spouts a column of water and spray 100m (328ft) up about every six minutes. All around, steam vents from the belly of the Earth, and mud pools bubble across the land. The surreal area is a natural wonder of geothermal power, and illustrates why most of Iceland’s energy is harnessed from geothermal sources.

Headed just a stone’s-throw north, we’ll reach the River Hvítá, and Gullfoss, Iceland’s most spectacular waterfall. The water at Gullfoss plunges in two tiers, 11m at the first section and 22m at the second, for a total 33m (105ft) drop into a ravine which dives nearly 70m (230ft), and stretches for 2.5km (1.5 miles). The water flows through a fissure created by Iceland’s volatile volcanic activity. Since there are no fences or guardrails, you can stand just a breath away from the thundering falls. If you want to get soaking wet, don’t wear waterproof clothing, but if you wear glasses be sure to have handy a kerchief for constant lens wiping. Wear boots that can take you through mud and over slippery rocks, and over snow and ice in the winter.

Our next adventure winds along the black sand beaches of the south coast to the Þorvaldseyri visitor center, where you’ll stand at the foot of Eyjafjallajökull volcano and learn about the eruption which grounded air traffic for several weeks in 2010 all across Europe. Then, less than a ten-minute jaunt, we’ll arrive at the Skógar Folk Museum to discover Iceland history, traditions, and culture. The museum holds over 6000 artifacts, with multiple displays of Icelandic housing through the ages.

Having seen water spout and fall, and after standing beneath a volcano — the fire aspects of Iceland — we’ll spend our remaining days experiencing the spectacular ice aspect of Iceland upon the glaciers of Vatnajökull National Park, the largest national park in Europe.

Vatnajökull is the largest icecap outside the polar regions, and covers roughly thirteen percent of Iceland’s entire landmass. The ice is 1,006m (3,300ft) thick in some places. The park is a canvas of brawny mountains, table ridges, outwash plains, and sandy deserts. In places, Vatnajökull reaches 2,100m (6890ft) toward the sky, and in other places sinks nearly 300m (984ft) below sea level. The oldest ice taken from Vatnajökull was formed just before a volcanic eruption in 1150. Seven volcanoes rest below the Vatnajökull ice cap; Bárðarbunga, Hamarinn, Grímsvötn, Þórðarhyrna, Kverkfjöll, Esjufjöll and Öræfajökull—though at the moment, Bárðarbunga is not asleep..

Leaving the icecap, we’ll visit Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, with its icebergs sailing toward the North Atlantic, and which is increasing in size from the melting of Vatnajökull.

Somewhere along this five-day journey, we’ll spend an entire evening hunting the Northern Lights.

This winter trip takes in everything that is Iceland — fire, ice, and Northern Lights. On any of the five days along our journey, we’ll walk anywhere from two to six hours, often divided into smaller walks. All accommodations are in cozy country hotels.

Book yourself for our Kingdom of Glaciers and Northern Lights tour, and discover the meaning, myth, and magic of Iceland.

Our Kingdom of Glaciers and Northern Lights page

Official Gullfoss Web Site