From north to central Iceland
The second day in Iceland was spent mostly on the road, driving from Reykjavik to Akureyri in the north. The landscape thus far consisted of large grass-covered flat-topped mountain plateaus. These were in fact the remnants of past lava flows stacked on top of each other. Small patches of snow still persisted atop the higher plateaus. Sharp, jagged crests would occasionally emerge from among the generally gently curving mounts and hill mounds.
It was a wild and rugged looking scenery, but with farmlands and pastures dotting the grasslands and foothills, it still looked quite habitable. This would soon change once we’d head towards central Iceland.
After the circa 5-hour drive we arrived in Akureyri and spent the rest of the day shopping for supplies and maps for the days to come. Sadly our time was short and there wasn’t much time for sightseeing this time around. With the car packed and ready to go, we began our drive towards central Iceland the next day.
Iceland’s roads
For those who’ve never been to Iceland, the countries paved roads outside major cities basically consist of a large ring-road going around the island. In order to access the central part of the island (the Icelandic highlands) you need to use a series of F-roads (Fjallvegur), which are only accessible during the summer.
The F-roads, or mountain roads are rough, unpaved gravel roads that require 4×4 vehicles. The F, which stands for “fjall” (mountain), might as well stand for “fuck”, because if you don’t have a good vehicle you’re fucked on these roads. Like seriously, some of the F-roads literally cross basalt outcrops that will destroy any low-riding car. Certain F-roads cross sandy glacier flood plains that can get you stuck in an instant. Plus there are numerous river crossings, which can easily drown a car engine.
Most of the vehicles we saw on these roads were modified trucks and SUV’s with raised chassis, large tires and elevated exhaust systems. At a minimum you need a good SUV and even then you may have problems as we would soon find out.
The northern Icelandic Rift Valley
From Akureyri we drove further east for about an hour before turning south into the northern Icelandic Rift Valley on one of the F-roads. I was eagerly anticipating seeing one of the main active rift valleys. I expected we would drive through a narrow rocky canyon. Instead, we simply turned into a wide open grassy field with an anemic river flowing parallel to the road. All of which was flanked by the typical flat-top hills in the distance. The hills were so far apart on both sides that it took me a while to realize we were in fact in a valley.
The landscape was similar for a while more before shifting radically to a completely barren wasteland. Gone were the grasslands and any semblance of vegetation for the most part. The greenery was now replaced by harsh rocky terrains covered in centuries old pumice and ashfall. The vast majority of the land was nothing but a brown-grey wasteland with snow-capped peaks in the distance. However, the occasional rivers and creeks would still allow for seldom patches of vegetation to fight for survival.
I had never seen such a desolate landscape before, or since. It was incredibly eerie and fascinating at the same time.
Huts and highlands
The plan for the day was to drive to Nyidalur, a remote hut and camping site deep in the Icelandic highlands. Nyidalur was also home to a couple of Park Wardens from the Icelandic Northern National Park, with whom we had to confirm our arrival.
The drive there was fairly uneventful with the exception of a couple of dubious river crossings. One of these gave us pause when we felt the backend of the car gently sliding down-river. No wonder these roads are closed for most of the year. We were getting nervous crossing these rivers during late-summer in a fairly large SUV. Imagine trying to cross them in late-spring when they’re bloated from all the melting snow.
After arriving at our destination we drove to the dam at Þjórsarlón to scout our first possible area of interest. However, we didn’t find much there and it seemed like our real field work would only begin the following day.
Towards the late afternoon we were back at Nyidalur. Our SUV dwarfed by the large modified trucks in the parking lot. The hut consisted of an amalgamation of cabins and tents. Some of them offices and storage spaces, while most others were rent-outs for visitors. A large and proud Icelandic flag rising above all blew in the harsh, cold wind. We were on an alien planet and this was our base.
We had a nice dinner and then settled in to our shared cabin. Before sunset, I went out to briefly explore the surroundings by foot. It was fascinating to see vegetation surviving in this harsh, desolate land. Among the timid grasslands there were even patches of blooming pink wildflowers. This was truly a remarkable land.
