Ali's Incredible World of travel in Iceland 2006: Day 11

Start location: Skaftafell ( Southeast Iceland)
End location: Hveragergi (Southwest Iceland)

Route travelled:
Drove west along the south coast on Road 1 towards Vik. Passing through the Skeidararsandur plains & over Iceland’s longest bridge towards Vik. Continued on Road 1 through Hella & Selfoss before arriving in Hveragergi.

Distance travelled: 356.6km

Accommodation: Hotel Ork

Sites visited:
Skeidararsandur plains - (remainder of bridge) The biggest of the southern sandurs, a great wasteland of black sand & glacial debris carried out by volcanic eruptions from underneath Vatnajokull. Long bridges & flood barriers have been built ready for the next time Grimsvotn erupts. Grimsvotn located under the icecap, this is Iceland’s most active & potentially most lethal volcanic crater. The last eruption began on 30th September 1996 with the glacial burst arriving at the coast, wiping out everything on November 5th.
Eldhraun lava field - from Laki eruptions & 560 sq km. believed to be the largest flow from a single eruption in the world & in historical times. Covered in the moss, Racomitrium Lanuginosum. Up to 1ft thick & bright green in the rain, it made the sides of the road look like it was carpeted.
Vik - Town of 400 people & where the North Atlantic hits long stretches on black volcanic beaches really violently. At the end of the beach you will finds Reynisdrangur, towering fingers of black rock standing in the sea. This beach is the only non tropical beach to be rated in ‘Islands’, a US magazine as on of the worlds top 10 beaches.
Skogarfoss Waterfall - The best known waterfall in the area. 200ft viewed from below & also can climb up a very steep, scary Cliffside path to view from the top.
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall - not quite as spectacular but you can walk behind this one.
Hekla - translates to ‘hooded’, normally cloud capped, Iceland’s most famous volcano dominates the skyline at 4,890ft & is a cone shaped ridge formed over 6,600 years in successive eruptions. In the last big eruption in 1947, 46ft were added to its summit. Remaining active, the most recent eruption in 2000 & a total of 20 eruptions in the 20th century. Iceland’s most feared volcano, medieval maps show the volcano as the entrance to hell.

Trip notes: The most people I have seen in ages since Akureyri when I arrived in Selfoss. Reynisdrangur & Skogarfoss Waterfall are back drops to the current Scottish Widows commercial on tv.

Photo notes: 317 - 351

317. Clouds over Skajdararjokull