End location: Skaftafell ( Southeast Iceland)
Route travelled:
West back over the mountains (that I didn’t dare drive across yesterday) on Road 93 & the South East on Road 92 towards the coast. Continued on Road 96 hugging the coastal road/dirt tracks between fjords, the Atlantic ocean & amazing mountainous areas - passed over Iceland’s highest mountain pass at 2,312ft. Rejoined Road 1 passing through many small villages that are named after the fjords on which they sit. Continued spectacular scenery with more & more snow appearing. Driving through a second tunnel (Almannaskard pass) gave me my first glimpse of a glacial snout on the edge of the Vatnajokull ice cap. At this point, I got rally excited! Road 1 now continued west & glacial snout after glacial snout coming into view before arriving at Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon. 3 hours here & then continued west onto Skaftafell.
Distance travelled: 453.1km
Accommodation: Hotel Skaftafell
Sites visited:
Tunnel - after Reydarfjordur, the mouth of the tunnel suddenly appeared as I rounded the corner. The view is a sheer mountain that I assumed I’d drive around. The tunnel is 6km & climbs 5,900m through the mountain. When I got to the other
side, I thought I was on top of the world. The top of the mountains seemed to be right there waiting to be touched but the were more & even higher mountains to follow.
Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon - The ice that creates the icebergs in this lake comes from the Breidamerkurjokull glacier, which runs into the lake, burying its snout underwater. The lake was only formed by land movements in the 20th century & geologists suggest that it could become unblocked in the future, draining the lake & making the ring road impassable. The icebergs last from 5 to 20 years in the lagoon based on the tide, weather, number of new icebergs coming from the glacier. This is a particulary short life span due to the lagoon meeting the Atlantic ocean which means that salt water gets in. There are seals that make the lagoon home & I spotted one on the day I was there (he was a shy little fella). Spectacular formations, colours & textures.
Skaftafellsjokull glacier - the easiest glacial snout to reach (30-40 minute walk from my hotel). In 1953, tw0 students from Nottingham university went onto the glacier but never came back. In 2006, climbing gear, clothing & camping equipment was located on the glacier confirming that the climbers didn’t make it off the glacier as suspected.
Skaftafell National Park - Established in 1967 & expanded in 1984 to cover some 1,600 square km & includes the 6 large glaciers - Morsarjokull, Skaftafellsjokull, Svinafellsjokull, twin glaciers Kviarjokull & Fjallsjokull but dwarfed by Oraefajokull, who peak Hvannadalshnukur is 6,700ft. All are fingers of the icecap Vatnajokull.
Vatnajokull - The greatest icecap in the world outside of countries designated as polar regions. Created in a cold period 2,500 years ago, 8,500 square km (1/12 of the whole country), 3,300ft thick in parts. A temperate glacier (meaning its temperature is always close to melting point). Varying changes in climate have made the glacier expand & thicken, at times thinning & withdrawing. Since 1960, the icecap has thickened & the speed at which the glaciers have withdrawn, has slowed down.
Trip notes: Got up at 6.00am & left at 6.45am in order to get in the full days driving. Really I set off so early so I didn’t meet any traffic on the way down into Egilsstadir. Had to use sports gears on the car to slow the engine/maintain 25 kph speed so didn’t wear brakes out or kill myself by falling off the road. Pulled over for 10 minutes before decent & then had to take 30 minute break at the bottom.
The most scared I have been on the holiday so far!
Photo notes: 212 - 309
212. Road 92 towards Reydarfjordur
213. Road 92 view
214. Road 92 view
215. Road 92 view
216. Road 96 Boat on Reydarfjordur
217. View across fjord to Reydarfjordur
218. View across fjord
219. 6km tunnel, 5900m incline through mountain
220. In the tunnel
221. Other side of the tunnel
222. View around Faskrudsfjordur
223. Around Faskrudsfjordur
224. Across fjord to Breiddalsvik
225. Road 1 Atlantic Ocean
226. Back towards Faskrudsfjordur
227. Road 1 coastal views
228. Road 1 coastal views
229. Road 1 coastal views
230. Road 1 coastal views
231. Breidalsvik
232. View from Breidalsvik
233. Breidalsvik
234. Road 1 going towards Djupivogur
235. Road 1 view
236. Road 1 view
237. Road 1 view
238. Road 1 view
239. Road 1 view
240. Road 1 view
241. Road 1 view
242. Road 1 view
243. Road 1 outside Djupivogur
244. Road 1 around Lon lagoon before Almannaskard pass
245. Around Lon lagoon
246. Around Lon lagoon
247. Around Lon lagoon
248. Around Lon lagoon
249. Around Lon lagoon
250. Around Lon lagoon
251. Around Lon lagoon
252. Around Lon lagoon
253. Around Lon lagoon
254. Around Lon lagoon
255. Around Lon lagoon
256. Around Lon lagoon
257. First shot of Vatnajokull after Almannaskard pass tunnel
258. Snout of glacier Flaajokull
259. Snout of glacier Flaajokull
260. Snout of glacier Flaajokull
261. Snout of glacier Skalafellsjokull
262. Snout of glacier Skalafellsjokull
263. Snout of glacier Skalafellsjokull
264. Snout of glacier Skalafellsjokull
265. Snout of glacier Skalafellsjokull
266. Jokulsarlon Lagoon & Breidamerkurjokull glacier
267. Jokulsarlon
268. Jokulsarlon
269. Jokulsarlon
270. Jokulsarlon
271. Jokulsarlon
272. Jokulsarlon
273. Jokulsarlon
274. Jokulsarlon
275. Jokulsarlon
276. Jokulsarlon
277. Jokulsarlon
278. Jokulsarlon
279. Jokulsarlon
280. Jokulsarlon
281. Jokulsarlon
282. Jokulsarlon
283. Jokulsarlon
284. Jokulsarlon
285. Jokulsarlon
286. Jokulsarlon
287. Jokulsarlon
288. Jokulsarlon
289. Jokulsarlon
290. Jokulsarlon
291. Jokulsarlon
292. Jokulsarlon
293. Jokulsarlon
294. Jokulsarlon
295. Jokulsarlon
296. Jokulsarlon
297. Jokulsarlon
298. Jokulsarlon
299. Jokulsarlon
300. Oraefajokull glacier
301. Oraefajokull glacier
302. Skaftafell glacier from hotel room
303. Hotel Skaftafell
304. Skaftafell glacier
305. Walk in Skaftafell National Park
306. Skaftafell National Park
307. Skaftafell National Park
308. Skaftafell National Park
309. Skaftafell National Park sign
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