Fascinating landscapes full of steaming fields, surreal rugged mountains, countless waterfalls and glaciers with volcanoes underneath. And sometimes even an erupting volcano!
Iceland is the love child of powerful geological forces. When the Mid-Atlantic Ridge mantle plume and tectonic plates collided 25 million years ago, they created an insane landscape. It’s the geological laboratory of the Earth itself.
The overwhelming beauty of Iceland.
The spectacular island of Vestmannaeyjar and its festival.
The Fimmvörðuháls hiking route across Eyjafjallajökull – the easy way, the hard way and a grand encore!
Helfgafell offers sweeping surround views of brooding volcanoes and a heart-shaped crater. For a long time, Helgafell was the ruling volcano on Heimaey. The one that merged the chain of rocks to the north and Stórhöfði to the south into the present island, its classic volcano-shaped silhouette dominating the interior. Hike to the top and you may have Helgafell with its beautiful views virtually for yourself.
Heimaklettur is the iconic Home Rock of Vestmannaeyjar. It may look a bit inaccessible at first sight, but there are ladders and chains to help you up the path to the top. I made a detailed description of the Heimaklettur hike, including lots of pictures of what the track is like. In the darker days of the year, people like to light candles on Heimaklettur. And around Christmas and New Year they get totally out of control, with a multitude of candles all over the upper slopes. It’s an incredibly beautiful sight.
Stórhöfði peninsula is the southernmost point of Heimaey, and home to the biggest puffin colony in Iceland. Beneath Stórhöfði there’s also the surreal geological beach of Klauf, formed by volcanic eruptions from several directions. On the coastal track to Stórhöfði you can see incredible views, wild cliff formations and lots of puffins along the way.
What is it with this spell that Iceland does to you? My first visit was a sponttaneous short trip to see a concert of Sigur Rós in Reykjavík. Little did I expect to be blown away in more ways than one… I got lost in some of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen. It was full of steaming fields and craggy mountains with countless waterfalls tumbling from their hallucinating green edges. The overwhelming beauty of Iceland just keeps you coming back for more.
Eldfell volcano suddenly arrived in a spectacular way on the island of Heimaey on 23 January 1973, and caused quite some upheaval. After it finished its business on July 3 of that same year, it now lies dormant and watches over the island peacefully. But occasionally it still erupts a rainbow.
GeekPic at the intimidating steaming heaps of the Fimmvörðuháls fissure lava flow in Iceland. I had to brave howling winds in order to even stay upright, while holding a relic lava rock that was coughed up by the mighty Eyjafjallajökull himself. The nearby Magni and Móði craters were still steaming at their edges.
When I thought of a name for my blog, I came up with two distinctive expressions. I already used these phrases for a long time, but this is the first time a Wilderness Coffee and a Natural High are actually simultaneously featured in one picture. Having a Wilderness Coffee on this beautiful beach was pure bliss!