- IMG 1628
Saxhóll is a volcanic crater which is easily accessible from the road. Its last eruption was 3-4000 yars ago, and there is evidence of lava tubes beneath the surrounding lava fields. The crater is 100 meters tall, and is easy to climb thanks to a relatively unobtrusive metal staircase. - IMG 1629
Saxhóll is a volcanic crater which is easily accessible from the road. Its last eruption was 3-4000 yars ago, and there is evidence of lava tubes beneath the surrounding lava fields. The crater is 100 meters tall, and is easy to climb thanks to a relatively unobtrusive metal staircase. - IMG 1640
Foundation of an old farm house, being reclaimed by nature - IMG 1648
Londrangar "trolls" Sölvi told us a folk tale in which these formations had once been trolls: a troll king and his lady love. They went down by the shore one night, and sat watching the waves together. They were so enamored with each other that they never noticed the coming of the dawn, and they were turned to stone when the sun rose. - IMG 1655
Malarrifsviti Lighthouse - IMG 1663
Cliffs near Malarrifsviti Lighthouse - IMG 1680
Cliffs near Malarrifsviti Lighthouse - IMG 1682
Snæffelsjökull National Park's Gestastofa Visitor Center - IMG 1685
Snæffelsjökull National Park map - IMG 1688
At 3 p.m., we arrived for our scheduled tour of Vatnshellir (lake cave), an 8000 year old lava tunnel - IMG 1695
Descending into Vatnshellir Lava Tube - IMG 1731
Callback to Journey to the Centre of the Earth - where the characters entered via Snæffelsjökull and exited via Stromboli, Italy - IMG 1737
Sölvi in Vatnshellir Lava Tube - IMG 1782
Vatnshellir lava tunnel. Craig and I are big fans of Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Centre of the Earth concept album, so this was a big selling point of the trip for us. The chance to "Descend into the crater of Snæffelsjökull" was too much for us to resist. We even wore our T-shirts from Wakeman's Return to the Centre of the Earth concert in Quebec in 2001! The cave guides are prog rock fans and got a kick out of it. - IMG 1806
Our cave guide Gunnar in Sölvi lava tube