Exposing The World

Iceland: The Skaftafell Region

We explore the traces of an eighteenth-century eruption, a noted climbing rock, an early source of sustainable power, and a major national park.

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FjaĂ°rĂĄrgljĂșfur Canyon

We explore a deep canon cut through volcanic tuff by lahar outflows from volcanoes under the ice. The great Kala eruption of 1755 contributed most of the tuff.

Above the canyon, peaceful fields and grazing horses
First we hike to Systrastapi, location of an old nunnery (the ‘….klaustur’ of the village name)

Systrastrapi

This was the location of an old nunnery, and is noted for its climbing rock.

We pass Systrafoss
This is an ideal climbing rock, if you have gloves that can grip the thin fixed chain
Moss campion
The more adventurous, and well-gloved, of us venture up
A rare Icelandic stile
The Church Floor is an area of columnar basalt that has been naturally planed flat across the tops of the columns by erosion

KirkjubĂŠjarklaustur

A farming area in the southernmost part of the country.

A disused local power station that preceded the grid. It was built by five farming families. This generator turbine was fed through a wooden pipe from a small dam in this valley.
Wood was the only available material in those days
Remains of the farmers’ dam
Horses at play

Skaftafell National Park

At the edge of the huge Vatnajökull icecap, huge glaciers flow toward the sea. All but. one of them terminates in a large, fast-flowing river draining the area.

Checking in for our hike at the Park visitor center, we start toward the Skaftafell glacier
Wild geranium
The glacier comes into view. It has retreated several kilometers in recent times.
Layer on layer of lava flow, cut into by this glacier before it retreated
The snout of the great glacier
Glacial ice gets its dirty appearance from ground-up rock it scoops up as it flows
Nootka lupine, a species introduced from Alaska to hold down lava cinder slopes. Unlike so many other exotic species, it has proven popular.
A hike across Skaftafellsheidi
Climbing the plateau
The outwash plain of the glacier
A ptarmigan, meaty game bird of the Arctic and a relative of the grouse
Svartifoss (“Black Falls”) is cut through columnar basal
Because there is another trail running directly from Svartifoss to the visitor center, the trail we take farther west is a lot less crowded
We are now headed into a valley whose glacier starts much farther back
This is its outwash plain
Now we descend to the outwash plain
We cross the MorsĂĄ river here

Recounting a big day

It’s time to tell our tales and enjoy more of that great Icelandic cuisine.

Berries and granola dessert with skyr (Icelandic yogurt)
Leek and potato soup
Salmon with beetroot and mashed potato
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