Húsavík at 66 Degrees North

Húsavik is a small town with 2500 inhabitants located in the north of Iceland. According to the “Book of Settlements”(Landnámabók), Húsavík was the first settlement in Iceland colonised by Scandinavia. This small town today lives mainly from tourism and fishing.

The wooden church of Húsavík is a little architectural gem from 1907. In winter, you can go skiing in Húsavík and also experience the Northern Lights. In any season, you can visit the museums in town, the most popular being the Whale Museum. There’s also the Museum of Exploration.

The famous Icelandic Phallological Museum (a collection of more than two hundred penises from varies mammals) was born in Húsavík, then in the height of its popularity was transferred to Reykjavík in 2013. The Fjúk Art Centre offers exhibitions and artist residencies. Hotels, guesthouses, shops, cafes and restaurants scatter around the small town. Húsavík is neither large nor the most entertaining town in Iceland, but it is a rather charming little place and deserves to be known.

Húsivík town holds an annual festival called Mærudagar, on the last weekend of July; the city divides into three areas and each area with a different colour. The people take great pleasure in decorating their neighbourhood with flags, banners and balloons pink, green and orange. 

It is a festival that brings together the people of Húsavík and  those who have connections there. One can enjoy a varied musical program, and other attractions take place near the port. In 2016, the festival will have its 22nd anniversary leaving the little town buzzing for days, like in the years before.

In Húsavík, best known as the European capital of whale watching,  you can whale watch from May to October, and take a boat starting from Húsavík where you can delightfully sail around the beautiful bay of Skjálfandi. There is so much to see! In particular,  you can observe Lundey Island (Puffin Island) where thousands of birds find refuge every summer.

If you come from the east and Myvatn, Husavik can be reached on the road number 85, much of which is missing asphalt. If you arrive from the west and Akureyri, you will cross the valley to join Kaldakinn on road number 85. Just before reaching Húsavík town,  you will find a hot water bath installed by residents( initially built to relieve a skin infection).  Around Husavik, there are many fantastic places to visit: Myvatn, Asbyrgi, Dettifossto name a few.

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Krafla Caldera - Planning a Trip in Myvatn and Krafla

Krafla is a volcanic area in the northeast of Iceland, and one of Iceland’s largest lava lover lures. Craters, cones, pools and geothermal heat – Krafla has it all.

Krafla is basically a 10 kilometre wide caldera which contains volcanoes – the latter containing a small azure-coloured geothermal pool and the former containing Iceland’s deepest lake. Both are inland in the Highlands and only accessible in the height of summer.

But the Krafla area starts close to Lake Mývatn and only a few minutes’ drive from Reykjahlíð village. At this convenient nearest point, accessible in any car, you will find the remains of the lengthy mid-80s eruption. This means a large, relatively flat area to explore and the opportunity to get up close and personal to spiky lava, hot pools, bubbling mud, ‘eggy’ sulphur smells and the expansive power station in the area.

The large Krafla geothermal power station takes full advantage of the volcanism in the area and its run-off is used in the lovely Mývatn Nature Baths. The site is also home to the first drill hole of the fascinatingly exciting Iceland Deep Drilling Project.

The project looks to harness the power of “super critical” water in energy generation and this involves drilling down to the lava where large quantities of water can quickly be heated to over 400°C. The project aims to drill around 4 km below the surface – but at Krafla the scientists and engineers hit lava at just 2,500 metres. That’s shallow!

Krafla is a sensitive site and is easily damaged by people walking around and exploring. That is the reason the site is so well marked with footpaths and trails. These, combined with the good car park and bathroom facilities make Krafla a good place to go hiking with children and people with somewhat reduced mobility. The paths may be suitable for wheelchairs in good weather, although they can get soft and muddy in wet conditions.

Krafla is the best place to see first-hand where Iceland comes from. The whole country used to look like this at one point – as in fact did almost every country if you look far enough back into prehistory. It makes a good contrast with places like the Reykjanes peninsula down south, which features the same sort of landscape, except a few thousand years older. The difference is at once both stark and surprisingly little.

One thing is for sure: we all owe our lives to volcanoes and given long enough, Krafla will develop into remarkably fertile soil. But none of us will be alive to see that…

Krafla Geothermal Power Station

Development for harnessing of geothermal steam at Krafla, near Lake Mývatn in north Iceland, began with trial boreholes in 1974. Construction work commenced in the summer of 1975. The powerhouse and other structures were designed for two 30 MW turbines.

The station was initially designed and built for the Icelandic State and was run by the Krafla executive committee and later taken over by the State Electric Power Works. In 1985 Landsvirkjun purchased the Krafla station from the State.

Various initial difficulties were encountered in exploration and drilling for steam, largely due to seismic and volcanic activity which caused corrosive magma vapours to enter the geothermal system, destroying the borehole linings. A series of nine volcanic eruptions began in the vicinity of the station in December, 1975 and lasted intermittently until September 1984. Seismic and volcanic impact on operations at Krafla has been gradually diminished since then.

In 1996, Landsvirkjun decided to complete the install action of the second unit. Drilling for steam began immediately using improved drilling technology which has proved highly successful. Electricity production from the second unit began in November 1997, and since late 1998, the Krafla station has been operated with full capacity of 60 MW, as originally planned.

Get there by bus from Mývatn

.

18/6-10/9 Daily	18/6-10/9 Daily	From To	SBA-NordurleidTimetable Tel: 553-5999 sba@sba.is
08:00 08:15 x	11:30 11:45x		ReynihlidKrafla

Berglind Rós
Iceland24h.blogspot.com

Bjúgnakrækir - Icelandic Yule Lads (December 20th)

In contrast with Skyrgámur‘s habit of eating tons of healthy skyr, Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage Swiper), the Yule Lad arriving on the 20th night of December, prefers his snacks high in cholesterol. Nobody knows exactly what his preference is: rumors say he will ravenously eat all kinds of sausages, without any exception. His appetite can make him reckless sometimes.

Smoked sausages are a brilliant way to preserve meat in a place like Berk (or most of the North Atlantic Islands) where it may snow and hail and rain locusts (or whatever Hiccup dreams up in his snarkfest), but it rarely gets cold enough to freeze food. So smoking, pickling, drying, curing are all ways to keep food stashed through the winter.

The rafters are an ideal place to store the lamb meat and fish meat sausages once they are prepared. Then the cook just snags down dinner from the ceiling and dumps it in a pot to boil. Sometimes you have to climb a bit to get dinner. At the Haddock household it´s a good thing there is a tall chieftain and a willing Night Fury to help with this. And a few cleverly designed long hooks for those days when the chief dragon tamer/chef does not want dragon drool on the sausages.

Until December 20, of course. Then Bjúgnakrækir makes his way into the farms and the village, ready to snatch some sausages. It's a good thing he's an acrobat so he can climb WAAAY up into those rafters and reach for the prize. He just, unfortunately, is a leeetle bit afraid of heights. But singing usually helps him deal with the situation, and also keeps the watch dragon fast asleep.

So, if you are planning to make sausage stuffing or simply hot dogs between Dec 20 and Jan 2, keep 'em hidden. This guy's on the prowl!

Luckily for this chap, there’s not much need for recklessness in recent times: in Reykjavík you can find near the harbor the famous Bæjarins beztu pylsur (Best hot dog in town in English) stand, described by many satisfied customers as one of the best in the world. I’m pretty sure Bjúgnakrækir knows very well and he visits the stand regularly during his annual excursions.

Icelandic

Níundi var Bjúgnakrækir,
brögðóttur og snar.
Hann hentist upp í rjáfrin
og hnuplaði þar.

Á eldhúsbita sat hann
í sóti og reyk
og át þar hangið bjúga,
sem engan sveik.

English

Ninth was Sausage Snatcher
Artful and quick.
He hied up to the rafters
And snatched a little there.

On a kitchen beam he sat
In smoke and soot
And ate a smoked sausage,
That was very good.

Berglind, Iceland24h.blogspot.com
December 2015

Top 20 Things to Do in Lake Mývatn - Trip to Mývatn

Mývatn offers a unique natural environment. With large contrasts and small distances you can experience the most and the best that Iceland has to offer. Large open spaces with roads and walkways lead travellers to interesting locations, were volcanic eruptions have played a crucial role in the formation of the landscape.

Whether the plan is to enjoy the landscape, examine unique natural phenomena or take a closer look at the plant and bird life, Mývatn has it all. Furthermore the area offers a variety of services in accommodation, food and entertainment, based on years of experience and knowledge. A large number of travellers visit Mývatn in the summer, but many believe the lake and its surroundings to be no less impressive in the wintertime.

The lake was created by a large basaltic lava eruption 2300 years ago, and the surrounding landscape is dominated by volcanic landforms, including lava pillars and rootless vents (pseudocraters). The effluent river Laxá is known for its rich fishing for Brown Trout and Atlantic Salmon. The name of the lake (Icelandic mý ("midge") and vatn ("lake"); the lake of midges) comes from the huge numbers of flies (midges) to be found there in the summer.

Must do

-Drive or cycle around Lake Mývatn, one of the largest lakes in Iceland, 37km2. Varied bird life, unique nature with landscape being formed by intense volcanic activity. Possible to rent a bike.

-Climb up to the crater Hverfjall. Walk the whole circle around the rim of this beautiful tephra ring which is one of the largest in the world.

-Taste the traditional “Hverabrauð” with smoked trout. This is dark bread that the locals bake underground in the geothermal heat. Available at most cafe’s and restaurants.

-Take a relaxing bath in the Mývatn Naturebaths and don ́t forget to try out the natural steam bath as well, but steam bathing is an old tradition in the area. The spa is open all year round. Spoil yourself!

Summertime (1. June - 31. August): 09:00 – 24:00
Entry no later than 23:30.
Wintertime (1. September - 31. May):  12:00 – 22:00
Entry no later than 21:30.

More information: http://www.jardbodin.is/en/

-Go birdwatching around the lake and visit Sigurgeir ́s Bird Museum for an interesting showcase and great information on icelandic birds and their habits.

-Take a sightseeing flight from the local airport in Reykjahlíð village. It sure looks different from above, great views over the region.

-Rent a bike and cycle to the Höfði Peninsula. Great view to the lake, rich birdlife, trees and vegetation.There is a hiking path around the peninsula and great view from the top of the hill.

-Get lost in Dimmuborgir lava formations. Great place for hiking, with marked trails that take you around these beautiful natural formations. Beware of the trolls and elves around.

The Dimmuborgir area consist of a massive, collapsed lava tube formed by a lava lake flowing in from a large eruption in the Þrengslaborgir and Lúdentsborgir crater row to the East, about 2300 years ago.

At Dimmuborgir, the lava pooled over a small lake. As the lava flowed across the wet sod, the water of the marsh started to boil, the vapour rising through the lava forming lava pillars from drainpipe size up to several meters in diameter. As the lava continued flowing towards lower ground in the Mývatn area, the top crust collapsed, but the hollow pillars of solidified lava remained. The lava lake must have been at least 10 meters deep, as estimated by the tallest structures still standing.

The lava flow surface remains partly intact around the Dimmuborgir area, so that the Dimmuborgir itself sits below the surrounding surface area. The area is characterised by large hollow cell- or chamber-like structures formed around bubbles of vapour, and some dramatically standing lava pillars. Several of the chambers and pillar bases are large enough to house humans, giving rise to the term "castles" (borgir).

-Explore the pseudocraters at Skútustaðir, interesting crater formations formed in steam explosions when molten lava flowed over wetland.

-Visit the geothermal area Hverir by Námaskarð. High temperature area where you find steaming fumaroles and bubbling mudpools. Watch out it ́s boiling hot!

-Get to know the icelandic horse and it ́s good temper by taking a riding tour through the beautiful district of Lake Myvatn. No riding experience needed.

-Visit the Krafla area, one of Iceland ́s most active volcanic area. Marked hiking trail to Leirhnjúkur, where the lava is still steaming hot since last eruption in 1984.

-Hike the marked trail to the top of Mt. Vindbelgur. Amazing view over the lake, pseudocraters and the Mývatn region from the top.

-Take a day tour to the Askja Caldera and the nature reserve Herðubreiðarlindir. Scenes of unforgettable Icelandic nature and geology. Only accessible by 4x4.

-Experience the Aurora Borealis - Northern lights, during winter time. You can also go on a snowmobile tour or nordic skiing tour on the frozen Lake Mývatn.

-Meet the Icelandic Yule Lads in Dimmuborgir during the month of December. These are the 13 “santa clauses” of Iceland, funny and interesting fellows.

-Dettifoss is a waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park in Northeast Iceland, and is reputed to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe. It is situated on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, which flows from the Vatnajökull glacier and collects water from a large area in Northeast Iceland. The falls are 100 metres (330 ft) wide and have a drop of 45 metres (150 ft) down to the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. It is the largest waterfall in Europe in terms of volume discharge, having an average water flow of 193 m3/s.

-Buy a traditional Icelandic woolen sweater, as a souvenir to take home. Knitted by the local ladies.

-Participate in the Myvatn Marathon held in May every year. One of the best views one can get while running a marathon. The track goes around the lake.

-Explore the beautiful cave Lofthellir, a weird world of ice and darkness. Amazing ice sculptures inside the lava cave. Only accessible on a guided tour and 4x4.

LINKS

Mývatn panoramic virtual tour
http://www.icelandvirtualtour.com/myvatn-skutustadir-pseudocraters.html

HIKING FROM DETTIFOSS TO MÝVATN

Many hikers go from Dettifoss to Mývatn (Krafla). This route is not marked and not within Vatnajökull National Park. However, for the many hikers that go this route, here are some points to consider.

Distances:

Dettifoss – Lake Eilífsvötn (west side) 12-14 km 

Eilífsvötn - Krafla ~12 km 

Krafla - Reykjahlíð ~13 km

Navigation  

The route from Dettifoss to Krafla is not marked and there is no clear path to follow. The hike from Krafla to Reykjahlíð is a marked trail and starts at the car park at Leirhnjúkur. Therefore, during most of the Dettifoss-Mývatn route, hikers need to have good navigation skills. 

Hikers need to know how to use a GPS instrument and/or a compass and have a good understanding of maps. There are hills and mountains in the landscape that are helpful for navigation, eg. the mountain Eilífur, which can be easily seen from nearby Dettifoss on a clear day. However, on a foggy day the forms of the landscape cannot be seen and it is easy to lose direction. Those who do not have good navigational skills are recommended not to go this route. 

Route landscape  

There are no special dangers on the route. The route from Dettifoss to Lake Eilífsvötn goes over a gravel plain, moor and tussocks and is quite easy to pass. From Lake Eilífsvötn, the conditions of the hiking route depends on which direction is chosen. The more west hikers go the more lava and ravines they pass, where special care has to be taken. 

Drinking water  

Hikers need to carry all beverages for each day of the hike, as there are only three places where there is access to drinking water:  

-On the campsite at Dettifoss there is drinking water in containers. Rangers from Vatnajökull National Park fill the containers with fresh water every day. Please use this water as spaerly as possible. 

-At Lake Eilífsvötn, both on the west side and east side, are springs and brooks which are safe to drink from. 

-At the toilet house at Krafla/Leirhnjúku

Berglind Rós, Iceland24h.blogspot.com

© 2014 Iceland24h.blogspot.com, December 2014

Lofthellir in North Iceland: Natural Ice Sculptures in a 3,500 year old lava cave

In the far north of Iceland lies a weird but beautiful world of ice and darkness. Enter Cave Lofthellir. Here, the underground boasts the greatest natural ice sculptures currently known in an Icelandic lava cave.

Lofthellir is a 3,500 year old lava cave that extends around 370 meters long and boasts formations that will leave you in awe. You can choose whether you want to start the tour from Akureyri or the Lake Myvatn area.

To get to the cave, you’ll drive to an area a mere 45 minute drive from Lake Myvatn. You’ll cross the unique volcano Hverfell, through the crater row of Lúdentarborgir to the roots of Mt. Hvannfell. After a 30 minute or so walk across a lava field, filled with unusual rock and landscape formations, you’ll arrive at a ladder made from rope which you’ll descend in order to enter the cave.

You’ll likely be given rubber boots since although it’s likely to be dry on your hike, you’ll need protection for your shoes once you enter the ice cave. Remember, it’ll be very wet inside.

Once you descend the ladder with your weatherproof gear on, you’re greeted with crystal clear ice before you make your way into the core of the cave itself.

After a few shallow chambers, you need to use a rope to get to the larger chambers, pulling yourself up along a slick area of ice. If you’re claustrophobic, then this may not be for you but if not, it’s certainly an adventure. On the way back, I recommend just sliding down the ice holding onto the rope while you do so – it’s one way to feel ten years old again in a split second.

The colors inside the cave are stunning – vibrant and surreal at the same time.

At one point while we were in the main chamber, our guide turned off all the lights and asked us to dim the flashers on our helmuts. Suddenly, we were completely in the dark with the only sound to be heard, a mere drizzle of water from an icicle above.

We sat quiet for many minutes listening to that soft drizzle and not uttering a word – silence meets serenity. It was a magical experience and something I’d recommend doing even if your guide doesn’t call for it.

Note: I did it with Visit Askja (info@visitaskja.com), a personalized adventure tour company that specializes in trips. All opinions expressed here are my own. I’d recommend taking one or more of their tours when you’re in the north of the country.

They have free hotel pick-up and departure time is 09:30am. This tour takes around 4-5 hours and the longest hiking time is 2x25 minutes.

This tour is not recommended or suitable for young children, people with claustrophobia or people that are not in reasonable physical condition. There is ice and water on the floor of the cave and the temperature inside the cave is around 0°C.

Iceland24h.blogspot.com
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