So it begins

Road trip to the Westfjords

Published Date : June 14, 2013

Dynjandi – Westfjords

I woke up early this morning to clear blue skies and the unique smell of sea water and sulphur hanging in the air.  After a quick breakfast of bread, deli meats and cheese in the hostel, it was time for me to hit the road.  Reykjavik doesn’t hold much appeal for me, so it’s straight out into the wilds of Iceland for me.

I pointed myself west on the ring road and found myself immediately driving through rolling green hills.  My first adventure was driving through the 6km tunnel that passes beneath Hvalfjörður.  Opened in 1998, the tunnel shaves 45km and about an hour worth of driving off the trip around the fjord.  The tunnel is also the only toll route in Iceland, costing 1000 ISK (about $8) per vehicle.

My destination for today is Korpudalur in the Westfjords.  The fastest route is to stay on the ring road all the way up to the southern tip of Hrútafjörður, then head west on Road 61.  I had the whole day to make the trip and had no intention of sticking to the main roads.  I followed Road 54 towards the Snæfellesnes peninsula.  The plan was to stop off at Eldborg Crater before swinging north into the Westfjords.

Eldborg was created several thousand years ago in a volcanic eruption.  It’s a perfectly formed crater that rises 50m above the surrounding earth.  It’s normally very visible and is about a 2.5km walk from the nearest village.  Unfortunately, I left the clear blue skies back in Reykjavik.  Eldborg was completely invisible in low clouds and heavy fog.

I decided to press on and found myself driving on an unpaved road through rolling hills of lava covered in pale green lichens and mosses.  With the fog and low clouds, it was a suitable spooky drive with only the occasional farm to break up the landscape.

Most people make the trip from Snæfellesnes to the Westfjords by ferry out of Stykkishólmur.  I saw no reason to pay for the crossing when I could enjoy a scenic drive around – especially now that the sun and clear blue skies had reappeared.  Never mind the fact that I was expressly forbidden by Hertz to drive my rental vehicle on the road I was planning to take ��

Isafjordur – Westfjords

Once on Road 60, I began to see why rental agencies don’t like their customers to drive it.  The road was unpaved, narrow and wound treacherously through the mountains between fjords.  There were steep drop-offs that left no room for error and little space for oncoming traffic to pass.  For a driver unused to mountain roads or gravel it would have been a nightmare to navigate.

Winding my way through the mountains, I left civilization behind.  There were long stretches of absolutely barren wasteland, steep cliffs, and nothing but wilderness.  Aware that gas stations may be few and far between, I started looking for places to top up when I still had a tank that was 2/3 full.  Every time I came across I town, I would look for a gas station.  Most didn’t have one at all and those that did were entirely automated and wouldn’t accept my credit card.  So I continued on through some of the most beautiful and desolate landscapes I had ever seen.

As the needle on the gauge edged below half and then neared a ¼, I began to get decidedly uneasy.  I was crossing through a barren stretch across a plateau that looked like it came straight out of a Mad Max movie.  I knew I didn’t have enough diesel to make it to the next town on this stretch of road.  I had been passing the occasional sign for small villages along the way, but all of them were at least 50km off the main road and there was no guarantee they would have a gas station.  Finally, I decided to gamble on one of the towns and headed for Bíldudalur.  It was so far out in the middle of nowhere that I reasoned it had to have a gas station otherwise the residents would be cut off.

Off the “main” dirt road, I was now on a secondary dirt track that was full of potholes and seemed to go to nowhere.  Second guessing my decision every second of those 40km, I knew that if there was no gas station in this town I was screwed.  I had just enough to get there and nothing to get back.  Weaving in and out of empty fjords, I at last rounded the last bend.   I was greeted with the sight of fishing boats in the harbour and an airport extending out over the water.  Yes!  They definitely had a gas station.  I made my way into town and pulled up to the pump, only to find another automated system that wouldn’t accept my credit card.  Head meet steering wheel in slow collapse of frustration.  Now what?

Westfjords Tunnel

I left my car at the station and popped over to the café next door looking for some help.  The staff there tried to contact the owner of the gas station but couldn’t reach him.  The women at the café were apologetic, but not forthcoming with alternatives for me.  Finally, I convinced one of them to take my cash and use her credit card to activate the pump.  It wasn’t a complete fill up, but it was enough to get me where I was going.  Yes!  Crisis averted!

No longer checking the fuel gauge every 5 minutes, I relaxed and enjoyed the return drive back to the main road. I marvelled at the people who had chosen to live in such a tiny and isolated town.  Life would definitely not be easy in such a place – especially in winter!

Back on my way, I reached my next stopping point in about half an hour.  Dynjandi is a series of waterfalls that drop over 100m.  A protected wilderness area, it was a beautiful place to pause and stretch my legs in the afternoon sunshine.

On the move once more, I drove the rest of the way to Korpudalur without incident.  The road continued to wind in and out of majestic fjords, dropping down to sea level before climbing back up and over the mountains.  I could see banks of fog ebbing and flowing over the water as the sun ducked in and out of the clouds.  The weather changes so rapidly here.  It’s fascinating to witness, but on roads like this it’s easy to see the danger that comes with the rapidly changing conditions.  Luckily, the fog stayed out over the water and I was left with clear skies and sunny roads!

Önundarfjörd, Flateyri – Westfjords

My accommodation for the night is a hostel on a working farm.  I have a dorm room entirely to myself for the next two nights.  Bonus!  After settling in and having a brief chat with my gracious host, Páll, I jumped back in the car and made my way through the mountain to ĺsafjörður to pick up some supplies.

You’ll notice I said “through” the mountain and not “over” it.  Apparently the transportation authority of Iceland takes their inspiration from the dwarves of Middle Earth.  They really seem to love their tunnels!  This one was a 6km single lane marvel with pullouts for oncoming traffic every 200m or so.  Traffic travelling towards ĺsafjörður has the right of way.  Cars coming the other direction have to duck into one of the pullouts and give way.  Essentially, it’s a game of chicken played beneath several hundred thousand tonnes of volcanic rock.  Eek!  Oh, and one more thing.  There’s an INTERSECTION in the middle of the tunnel!!!!!  Wha-???  Like I said.  Dwarves…

I survived the tunnel without incident in both directions.  Food stores replenished, I enjoyed some sushi for dinner.  By this time it was already about 8pm, but in the land of the midnight sun it was still full daylight outside.  Still wide awake, I decided to head out explore.  Wandering around the hills and through the open farmland, it was close to 10pm when I finally returned to the hostel, the sun still high in the sky.  I was still wired, but I forced myself to wind down and relax.  I need my sleep.  Tomorrow I kayak!!