So it begins

Inside the Volcano

Published Date : June 29, 2013

My last day in Iceland was a busy one.  I was up early to meet the Reykjavik Excursions shuttle bus.  It was a short drive from the hostel to the RE depot.  A quick dash into the office to exchange my electronic receipt for my trip voucher, then it was back outside to board another bus.  Today’s destination: Þrihnukagigur.

It was a small group to start with only a middle-aged Icelandic couple and myself on board.  We swung by one of the hotels to pick up another couple, but ended up leaving them behind.  They had been woefully unprepared for this tour, dressed more for a museum than a 6km hike across the lava fields and a descent into a volcano.  When they were told what the trip actually entailed, they elected to stay behind.

Back on the road, we drove for about half an hour out to the Bláfjöll Ski Resort.  There, we found another two people, a couple from Alaska, waiting to join our group.  And then there were 5.

We took a few minutes to gear up and begin our hike.  The day was cool, damp and gloomy with fog.  The trail through the lichen covered lava field was muddy and uneven.  We had a 3km hike from the resort out to Þrihnukagigur.  Along the way our guide pointed out gaping holes where lava tubes had collapsed beneath the rocky surface.

Þrihnukagigur translates to Three Peaks One Crater in English.  Not very imaginative, but accurate nonetheless.  This particular volcano has been dormant for about 4000 years.  Typically, volcanoes are self-sealing, with the magma hardening into solid rock as it starts to cool.    Þrihnukagigur is unique because at some point the plug of hardened magma that had sealed the opening collapsed on itself.  The collapse left behind a massive chamber 120m deep – you could fit the Statue of Liberty inside.

It took us about 45-minutes to reach base camp.  There, we met the guides who would be taking us into the volcano.  We were outfitted with safety harnesses, helmets and headlamps before making the short climb up to the peak.  The chamber opening was surprisingly small with a window-washing crane suspended across the opening.   One at a time, we were clipped onto the safety line and made our way across a narrow walkway before climbing into the basket.

The descent took us about 5 minutes, with the cart scraping along the sides of the narrow opening before the chamber opened up beneath us.  Lit from below with industrial lights, the first thing I noticed was the kaleidoscope of colours.  The rock ranged from bright yellow hues to deep purples and every colour in between.  The fissure where the magma had seeped into the chamber during the last eruption was dark black, neatly dividing the cave.  Looking back up towards the tiny opening, we could see the groundwater seeping through the rock and dripping into the chamber below.

Setting down on the loose rubble, we quickly exited the basket.  When the magma plug collapsed, it created a massive pile of loose rubble inside the chamber.  We were perched at the top of this rubble pile, with boulders and loose scree disappearing down into the shadows all around us.  After a quick review of the safety rules, we had an hour to explore the chamber.  The footing was unstable as I scrambled up and down the steep slopes exploring and snapping photos.  It was such an incredible feeling to know that I was experiencing this volcano in a way that few would ever have the chance to.

Only opened to the public last year, there are plans to drill a tunnel into the mountain.  Once that happens, visitors will enter the chamber from below instead of being lowered in from above.  They will also be restricted to a viewing platform once inside.   This will help to preserve this amazing natural attraction.  It also means that those of us who have already been there will be among the lucky few to have had full access to walk around and explore inside.  Very cool.

All too soon our time was up and we were climbing back into the basket for our ascent.  Above ground once more, we returned to base camp for some delicious Icelandic soup and hot drinks.  While we ate, we visited once more with Funi (Flame in English), an orphaned Arctic Fox pup that the staff were caring for.

We retraced our path back across the lava field.  With extra time before our bus pick-up we took the opportunity to explore some of the lava tubes beneath us.  The longest tube in the area is about 5km long and is easily accessible where parts have collapsed.   I would have loved to hike the entire length, but alas, it will have to wait for another time.

Back on the bus, I arrive back at the hostel with half an hour before my bus to the airport.  I decided to make the most of it with a hot shower.  As fun as the day had been, the dampness had left me chilled to the bone.  It was worth it though.  After all, what better way to end my time in Iceland than inside a volcano?

At the airport, I was surprised to find no queue at the check-in desk.  I had been cutting the timing extremely close by doing the volcano tour this morning.  With less than an hour until departure I had expected more of a line.  I dropped off my luggage and checked the departure screens to find my gate and couldn’t help but laugh.  Another delay.  Here I had been stressing out about missing my flight and I now had 5 hours to kill.  Such are the joys of flying in the North Atlantic.

The flight home was uneventful, bringing another successful trip to an end.  I couldn’t have picked a better destination for my return to backpacking.  Now to start planning the next one…

Always with the decisions

Published Date : September 11, 2013

I’ve started planning my travels for 2014, and I am once again stuck with too many choices!  I had been thinking about staying closer to home (in particular the Canadian north), but now I’m not so sure.  I have three options percolating in my brain right now.

I’ve wanted to trek in the Himalayas for as along as I can remember.  8 years ago I saw Mt Everest from the plane as I flew from Delhi to Bangkok.  Visiting Nepal and making the trek to Mt Everest Base Camp would be so much more rewarding!  Added bonus is that it’s not overly expensive either.

Another option that is stuck in my head is North Korea.  Surprisingly, it is actually possible to visit this country.  The catch is that you must have an official guide and driver with you.  I’ve discovered a company that actually runs organized tours to North Korea out of Beijing.   The Great Wall, Pyongyang, Mass Games, the DMZ plus a couple of days in Vancouver along the way to visit friends/family is sounding like a fairly awesome trip.

The killer on both trips is flights.  They are long and they are expensive!

Kathmandu is basically on the opposite side of the planet from me, so I’m looking at 24-36 hours of travel time.  Unless I want to make multiple stops, the best options are to travel east through Istanbul or west through Hong Kong.  A one-day layover in Hong Kong would be pretty nice, but it’s faster with shorter flights to go through Istanbul.

Bejing, on the other hand is a direct flight from Toronto (13 hours – GAK!), or I can hopscotch my way over with a layover in Vancouver on my way.

Then there is option #3…the wildcard.  Being a solo traveller has always made this trip prohibitively expensive.  However, I have found a couple of companies that allow lone travellers to bunk together without paying an outrageous single supplement.  It’s still expensive, but it’s affordable.  I could forgo all travels next year and save up for one massive trip in 2015 instead:  Antarctica.

Whatever is a gal to do?