Return to Iceland, Pt. 10

The Iceland we expected to be dealing with all along finally showed up – with rain, and lots of it. Looking to the south, we could see the low, dense clouds we were about to drive into. We weren’t about to let it stop us.

First up, the trail to Leirhnjúkur, a volcano that last erupted between 1975 – 1984. The road took us past the Krafla Power Plant with its massive steam transmission pipes. At the parking lot, we pulled on our rainproof trousers, then set out into the mist. The trail wended its way through moss-covered lava fields dating to the 18th century Mývatn Fires and a steaming geothermal area with milky, mineral-rich streams and pools.

The Apollo 11 crew trained in the Leirhnjúkur area to prepare for their voyage to the moon.

After about 1 ¼ miles, we paused to take in our otherworldly surroundings. Black volcanic rock, still smoking from the Krafla Fires, stretched out in front of us. There was more to see, but rain and wind was making things a little miserable for a hike, so we decided to turn back. I was pleased with the performance of our waterproof gear, though.

We warmed up with a delicious meal Vogafjós Cowshed Cafe. Katelyn had the vegetarian special and I had the beef goulash soup. Both dishes came with fresh bread and butter. We took our time; much of the landscape was shrouded in low clouds or fog, so we weren’t really missing anything.

Dettifoss is Europe’s most powerful waterfall with a flow rate of 193 m³/s.

Feeling ready to brave the conditions again, we struck out for Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall. The 30 or 40 minute drive out there was strikingly desolate, especially so with the mist.

The rain worsened as we reached the parking area at Dettifoss. We suited up again and marched ourselves out to the viewpoints. Dettifoss made for an impressive sight (and sound) as the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum thundered over the precipice. The spray coming off the falls added another level to the wetness. We explored the paths for a short time before heading back. I decided to skip the path to nearby Selfoss. Another ½ mile round trip in these conditions just did not sound appealing.

On the way back to the guesthouse, we swung by Grjótagjá one more time. I hoped to get some clearer shots of the geothermal cave. It didn’t really work out, and it was less dramatic without light beams breaking through the fissure above, but it was cool to see it one more time. Dalakofinn provided us with consolation burgers.

After nine days of beautiful weather, we couldn’t be too grumpy, and we coped well with the sudden change. My only regret was that the heavy rain consigned my DSLR and tripod to my backpack for the whole day. No puny rain cover would have withstood the onslaught!