After experiencing the worlds biggest heavy metal festival in Wacken, Germany, I was on my way to EUGEN in Austria. this was going to be a personal return to EUGEN after years away. However, getting from a small obscure place in northwestern Germany to a small obscure place in south Austria proved to be challenging.
EUGEN Austria
Just to briefly recap, EUGEN is an annual European geoscience event held in different European countries each year. For the most part it’s a one week camping party with various activities and events attended by a bunch of geology students and enthusiasts from across the continent. You can read more about it on my previous post on EUGEN.
Somewhere in Carinthia on a 2018’s hot summer day
The last EUGEN I went to was back in 2009 in the Netherlands. A whole 9 years later, I was once more getting ready for the big geo-party of the summer; but this time, in Austria. The camp location was near Sittersdorf in Carinthia, not far from the Slovenian border.
Travel logistics
When I was planning my Wacken-EUGEN summer holiday, I quickly realized the logistic nightmare of getting from one place to another. The solution I found unfortunately involved cutting my last day at Wacken short. A low blow, considering that one of my all time favorite bands was playing that night. However, I had no choice if I wanted to make it to EUGEN in time.
Somewhere on my way to EUGEN Austria
With a sad sigh, I left Wacken on the last night of the festival, en route to Hamburg. From Hamburg I had a late night flight to Geneva, where I would have to spend the night. As a good frugal traveler, I chose to sleep in the airport.
From someone that has slept in various airports, I can tell you that Geneva airport is the worst one I had to spend a night in. Small, limited and very uncomfortable. I recall having to sleep on the hard floor because their benches were not at all suited for lying down.
Waiting in Sittersdorf train station
After a tortured night with limited poor quality sleep, I took my next flight to Austria. My memory’s pretty hazy about this part, probably due to sleep depravation at the time, but I think I had a direct flight from Geneva to Klagenfurt. There’s a slim chance I may have had to stop in Vienna too, but I’m not sure. Probably not, though. I do remember a train ride following my flight. Likely from Klagenfurt to Sittersdorf, where I got picked up from by the organizers.
Campsite
The campsite was a beautiful green field near Sonegger lake, surrounded by forests. There were only a handful of tents up by the time I arrived. I was there pretty early in the morning. I immediately set up my tent and crashed.
The green pastures around our campsite
Several hours of much needed sleep later, it was time to mingle. I joined the group of German-speakers by the main tent. They were all shocked when I told them I had been to EUGEN a decade ago. It was great to see a couple of familiar faces from Switzerland 2018. I recognized Jumbo, one of the original founders of EUGEN, and Gaudenz, one of the organizers of EUGEN Switzerland.
The annual pro Kubb-league with master thrower Gaudenz
Soon enough the drinks were flowing and I was making new friends. This is where I met Moritz. Well, one of the Moritzs. The crazy fun German one. An avid traveler and explore, like yours truly; and a good friend to date.
I also met fellow metalhead David from Spain, Sophie from Austria, Jolanta and Julius from Lithuania, Valentina, Jernej and Teja from Slovenia, and many others. As the day passed on, more people arrived. By nightfall the party was raging!
The tranquil Sonegger lake next to out campsite
The next morning I woke up surrounded by tents. I had been annexed by the Slovenians.
Limestone quarry
♫ On the first day of EUGEN my true love gave to me—a field trip to a limestone qua-rry! ♫
Sorry, I just had to get that out of my head. Indeed, a limestone quarry. I don’t remember where, or what, and I couldn’t find any archived information on it. But I have the photos to prove it! Maybe one of my EUGEN readers can point out the name and location in the comments.
Limestone with the remains of ancient little sea-critters
I recall attending a presentation in the morning where most of us were struggling to stay awake due to the long night of dancin’ and drinkin’. I also remember asking one of the gentleman there if they were hiring any geos. Me and my constant desperate search for work…
First time I saw one of these big monsters
Actually, now that I mention that, I do believe one of my main motives for attending EUGEN in 2018 was to expand my professional network in hopes that it would lead me to a job opportunity in the future. Absolutely fascinating to think back to this considering the way thing’s turned out. Keep this in mind for future reference!
The unknown quarry we visited on my first day
After some schmoozing and snacks, we got a tour of the quarry. From the heights of the “lookout tower” to the depths of the pit. Ok, we didn’t actually go deep into the pit, but we did go up the tower.
Lindwurmbrunnen in Neuer Platz, Klagenfurt
Later that day we stopped by Klagenfurt for some urban sightseeing.
Karavanke Geopark and The Dobratsch
On another day, we had a multi-stop field trip in the Karavanke UNESCO Global Geopark. From our first stop in Bad Eisenkappel, we headed to the Trögerner gorge and the forest reserve Potok. Following a shallow river up the gorge, inching closer to Slovenia, we reached a fault zone with red colored Slovenian rocks migrating down the river into Austria.
Hiking up the Trögerner gorge
The next stop was the 54 m high Wildenstein waterfall, one of the highest in Europe. Considering the heatwave we were experiencing some of our EUGENeers decided to take a cold shower under the waterfall.
Wildenstein waterfall in the Karavanke Geopark
Seems like the hot weather had followed me from Wacken and was there to stay. Even if I didn’t partake in the thermic shock of a waterfall shower, I looked forward to a nice plunge in the lake when back at camp.
Touring Jakomini Quarry
On the final fieldtrip day, we toured around the Dobratsch Nature Park, visiting the site of a large, historic rockslide. After another stop at Rosstratte Viewpoint to admire the scenery, we visited the active Jakomini Quarry, where we got a guided tour.
The Geolympics and nightly parties
As always, one of the days was dedicated to the Geolympics. A series of competitive, crazy, outdoor group activities. From drinking and athletic competitions, to finding cones in a lake, we spent the entire day sweating and laughing in the summer heat.
Uh-oh! Looks like I lost a competition. Perhaps it was a game of Kubb
After, and in between events, we would relax with a glass of beer or spritz, and play a game or ten of Kubb. Occasionally we would hitch a ride with the orga-team into town to grab a few supplies and snacks.
Everyone’s just chilling in camp
The evenings would always consist of raging parties late into the night. Considering that before EUGEN I had already spent a few days and nights at a huge festival, by my second day in camp, I was already exhausted. Perhaps combining two wild events with long nights of drinking and screaming wasn’t the smartest idea… It was great fun though! Well, at least until I got a sore throat that stuck with me until the end.
Just a normal night at EUGEN with Moritz
As was tradition, on the night of the group presentations, we got to vote for our favorites and find out who would organize next year’s EUGEN. With applause and cheers the Lithuanian group took up the responsibility.
Long nights of endless glasses of beer and spritz while blasting a loud obnoxious Lithuanian song on repeat
With a promise to see each other again in Lithuania the following year, my big summer 2018 adventure had come to a close. It was an amazing experience where I got to meet and befriend a tone of new people from across the continent. With a wicked smirk and a bag full of great memories, I flew back home to Denmark and some much needed rest.
Having now journeyed across most of the country for the last 10 days, our adventure in Iceland was soon coming to an end. With but a few days left to travel across the south of the country, I thought that I had seen everything this volcanic island’s landscape had to offer. However, to my surprise, the south would provide a radically different environment then what I’d seen thus far. There, the unrelenting waves of the Atlantic constantly battered the shore, while moody, dark clouds kept the tall looming cliffs in a constant shade. In contrast to the desolate volcanic wastes of central Iceland, the south was a mystical place where valleys whisper and icebergs are born.
The gloomy, shadowy southern coast of Iceland
Southern Iceland
We drove from Laugarfell south to get back on the ring road. It was an overcast day. Quite typical of southern Iceland since the weather there is heavily influenced by the North Atlantic Ocean. The combination of the oceanic climate and proximity to the Arctic Circle means that weather can be highly unpredictable, with constant cloud cover, rain, and wind. Furthermore, the mountainous terrain exacerbates this, creating microclimates. It’s not a stretch to say it’s an entirely different land than the arid center, or the calmer north.
The clouds were there for good
After driving across green mountainous lands, in and out of tunnels, we arrived at the coast. The road followed the coastline and the visual was quite impressive. On the one side there was the vast North Atlantic Ocean, relentlessly battering the coastline. On the other side, towering cliffs loomed above us with their tops hidden by thick, low-hanging dark grey clouds.
A place I would have loved to explore more
As the road swerved around the base of the cliffs, I’d occasionally get a glimpse of thin waterfall, or a narrow valley hidden in the constant mist. On one occasion the fog lifted just enough to reveal an icy “limb” of the Vatnajökull glacier creeping down from one of those narrow valleys. The eerie sight reminded me of the “Paths of the Dead” valley from the Lord of the Rings.
Jökulsárlón
Every now and again there would be a small wooden house nestled in under the cliffs. I could just imagine the kind of tales and sagas one would be able to write while living in a fantastical environment such as this. It was around that time that I began considering potentially moving to Iceland for a time. perhaps as part of a PhD? I probably wouldn’t have wanted to live out my whole life there, but a solid few years could have been incredible.
Some of the more visible waterfalls along the way
Some time later, we arrived at Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. A stunning glacial lagoon, Jökulsárlón is where large chunks of ice break off from the Vatnajökull glacier and float in serene waters before drifting out into the Atlantic Ocean. It is basically a place where icebergs are born.
Where icebergs are born and with them the worries of Atlantic seafarers
This tranquil, peaceful area is surrounded by dramatic landscapes like the nearby black sand beaches giving it an otherworldly feel. This unique landscape is of course a highly popular tourist attraction, where masses of people congregate for photos and boat tours offering a closer view of the ice formations.
Natural ice sculpture: The shark and the spear fisherman
Truly it was one the busiest places we’d experience in Iceland. Probably even busier than downtown Reykjavik.
Highway to Hella
After our brief stop at Jökulsárlón, we continued west towards Hella. Our destination for the day was Beindalsholt, a guesthouse located on a farm near the village of Hella. On the way we made another stop south of Öræfajökull to collect some tephra samples for another study Paul was involved with.
On the side of the road, two pieces of mangled steel that used to belong to the Skeiðarárbrú bridge. The bridge was severely damaged by flooding in 1996 after a volcanic eruption in Grímsvötn. The remains now served as a monument to the raw power of Iceland’s volcanic and glacial forces.
Skeiðarárbrú bridge monument
As we drove further away from Vatnajökull, the landscape opened up revealing more waterfalls, hills and distant mountains. On the way Paul pointed out one of Iceland’s largest lava flows as we passed it by, the Laki fissure eruption.
The lush landscape of southern Iceland
The Laki eruption began in 1783 and lasted for eight months. The eruption that created a volcanic fissure system stretching over 27 kilometers released large quantities of lava and toxic gases like sulfur dioxide causing an environmental catastrophe. Evidence suggesting that the quantity of ash and gasses released caused a cooling period in the northern hemisphere that contributed to the “Year Without a Summer” in 1816.
Hekla and the highlands
The next day was to be our last day in the field. We had two final targets to sample. Located further northeast, to reach them we drove back once more toward the all too familiar wastelands of central Iceland. On our way we passed by one of Iceland’s most famous active volcanos, Hekla.
Driving by Hekla on our way north
At 1491 m high, Hekla is part of a 40 km wide volcanic system linked to the underlying rift between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. Notable for its frequent violent eruptions, Hekla is often referred to in Icelandic folklore as the Gateway to Hell.
One last trip into the Icelandic highlands
Contrary to Hekla, our target volcanoes, Saxi and Fontur were a lot less extravagant. In fact, they were relatively small phreatic craters composed of fine-grained unconsolidated crystal fragments. Once we reached Fontur, we realized we didn’t even need our geological hammers as we could simply scoop up a few fistfuls of loose crystals into our bags. Paul remarked that it was the most unorthodox sampling he had done so far.
Fresh olivine and plagioclase crystals, straight from Fontur
As we made our way back to the car, the weather turned bad. We took the opportunity to a have lunch and waited around in the car to see if we could ride out the rain. However it wasn’t going away and in the end we decided to pass on the hike to Saxi. After all, we had such a successful field campaign that we could afford missing out on one single sample.
The end to a great adventure
The day after, we drove back to Reykjavik. The sun came out to shine down on us one last time while on Icelandic soil. A few familiar sights greeted us on our way back. The moss-covered Laki lava fields followed us for the better part of the drive.
The friendly doggo at Beindalsholt greeting us in the morning
Later on, steam vents dotted the lush landscape as a constant reminder of the ongoing geothermal activity underneath. Finally the sights of increasing human activity dotted the rugged terrain as we approached the capital.
Moss covered lava flows from the Laki eruption
Once in Reykjavik the urban landscape took over completely. The rugged terrain replaced by wood, concrete and steel structures. Cars coming and going, and everyday people living their normal lives. A stark contrast to the harsh land they inhabit, as well as a testament to humanities nature to survive and thrive in the some of the most unforgivable places on Earth.
Walking around in Reykjavik
As my time in Iceland had come to a close, I walked the streets of Reykjavik one last time reflecting on the incredible sights I had seen. It had been a truly remarkable journey, filled with laughs, adventures and good times. It had also been an amazing mentor-student bonding experience between Paul and myself.
It’s been quite the ride, both living and retelling the journey
I believe that the details in which I could retell this story today, over 8 years later, are a tribute to the many fond memories gained during my trip there to Iceland. Hence, I will forever be thankful to Paul Martin for the opportunity to go to Iceland as part of my Masters thesis project.
