Driving in Iceland 3 - Skogafoss falls, Black sand beach and stunning Glacier walk in South Iceland

Skogafoss turned out to be my favourite falls of Iceland. I loved the surrounding areas as well. 

When you get up on a crispy sunny morning and walk out to the hotel garden with a cup of tea in hand, and you see a spectacular waterfall beyond the lush green fields,  you do know that it’s going to be a great day.  Day 3 was perhaps our most busy and exciting day yet.

South Iceland is a travelers paradise. Waterfalls, national parks, Glaciers, Black sand beaches, Volcanoes and lush green farms are found here and so do Lava fields. Starting the journey anti clockwise from Reykjavik makes sense as South Iceland is the most rewarding area for a traveler. Even if you have 4 days in Iceland, you can do Reykjavik (including the Blue Lagoon) , Golden Circle and South Iceland (Upto the Glacier Lagoon). 

Our group enjoying the falls

The Skogafoss waterfall is the best waterfall that we went to during this trip to Iceland. It is fortunate that we spent a night right next to it. The previous evening also we had spent some time here but in the morning after a good night’s rest it seemed divine. I quickly bathed, had breakfast and soon was on my way up from where the fall seemed to descend. Kunaal and Jyoti had beaten me to it and so had my son Kartik, who had gone for a morning run. They were now coming back. Devicka followed me but did not climb up but enjoyed the falls while sipping coffee from the café just near the falls. The atmosphere was festive as there were several campers cooking their breakfast as their tents fluttered in the wind.

I could see hotel Skogar (where we were staying)  as I climbed the mountain leading to the start of the waterfall. It was wonderful living in such surroundings.

As I reached the top I could see miles of greenery and could see the river coming from very far. I started following it and walked for an hour before turning back as it would be soon the check out time from the hotel. There were several mini waterfalls on the way and the river had cut many gorges as it gushed down with great speed.  I am told that if I had continued following the river I would have reached the pass between 2 glaciers. It was an extremely lovely walk and could be possible as we were staying next doors. On the way back I found the children (the teenagers actually) playing at the river. Kartik had been so excited about his morning run here that he had got the 2 girls along. They had come up the way I had come and then gone down to the river ! Ahhhh.... the energy of youth !

Climbing up this mountain was fun. Going beyond it was even more fun.

Walking with the river in such serene atmosphere was even more fun.

The teenagers enjoying the river

The Black Sand Beach 

Don't think these black pebbles leak black color. This is permanent. You can see those cliffs jutting out of sea - the legend is that this happened when the trolls attempted to drag 3 ships ashore but could not. 

We still had time for our glacier walk which was scheduled for 1.30 PM. No one was in a mood to walk one hour to reach the black sand area where the crashed plane was lying and on which ShahRukh had danced but we did have Black sand beach on our agenda. This actually meant going around 40 KM towards Vik and then come back for the Glacier walk. This is exactly what we did as we had time on our hands.

Gerua ( Shahrukh Khan ) moment for cousin Kunaal. Shahrukh Khan is superstar of Bollywood and song Gerua was picturised on him at this very location. 

 The black sand on this beach and in quite a few areas around Vik is due to basalt volcanic ash as there are several active Volcanoes in this area.

Rock formation inside the cave. Nature !

Will all these disappear if and when Katla erupts ?

With the beach facing out to the Atlantic Ocean, the wind was strong and cold. We actually started freezing here but it was very much on our minds that in an hours time we had to climb up a Glacier and wondered how cold it actually would be on glacier.

Talking about Volcanoes in this part of Iceland,  Vik lies directly under the Myrdalsjokull glacier, which itself sits atop the volcano Katla. Katla last erupted in 1918 and speculation is that a big eruption is brewing, which would be way more powerful than the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokull. The eruption could melt enough of the glacier to trigger a flash flood, obliterating the village and surrounding areas. People have been told to evacuate within 15 minutes from the moment they receive a message from the Govt. The plan is in place but I wonder if any of the Sheep or horses will survive once the overdue Katla erupts. 

The Glacier Walk

Undoubtedly this was the highlight of the tour. Touching a glacier would have been great but actually climbing on it and spending an hour or so seemed unreal. We could have walked the glacier at Skftafell and maybe it would have been a better decision as Skaftafell was nearer to our destination for the night, Hofn. But we were climbing the Sólheimajökull glacier which was part of the big Myrdalsjokull glacier . The booking had been done through Arctic adventures and perhaps this decision was a good one as we had a very nice and well trained instructor. She was also a volunteer for national rescue team and totally committed to the cause. Her inputs were invaluable.

All set to go. The crampons are still in our hands which we wore over our shoes just before climbing. 

It looks odd if you get to see black/grey looking glacier. You always associate Ice with freshness. Once again this is Volcano ash which has settled inside the Ice. As we climbed up the glacier the color changed and freshness was evident. But grey or white, the glacier was mighty and was flowing from miles away. It really did overawe us. 

The glacier at the top looks quite formidable. The crevasses open up very fast so one has to be careful follow the rules of climbing.

As you reach up the glacier you can see Ice everywhere. The crevasses can be very dangerous so the instructor would ask us to follow her. She imparted knowledge about glaciers and particularly about this area. The overdue Katla story had also come from her. 

Be careful of these crevasses. They can be hundreds of feet deep. 

We all felt tired but exhilarated. We felt very close to nature. It was an overwhelming experience being atop a glacier and walking around it while inspecting the crevasses and drinking fresh water. The crampons had made walking on ice easier and all of us did well not to fall down. Each one from our group was reluctant to go for this walk when I had mooted the proposal around 6 months back. It had taken time to bring them around. Today they all feel that this was the best thing they did on the trip. 

Day 3 comes to an end but not without further excitement. 

At 5.30 PM we were still having our delayed lunch at Vik and we had to go all the way to Hofn. Though the map said it would take around 3 hours, we took more than 4 hours as one had to stop a few times to admire the beauty of several unexpected sights which kept interrupting our smooth drive. We did not even enter the Skatafell national park which happens to be a major tourist attraction. Skatafell is great for hiking and for Glacier walks and for those planning a trip, it would't be a bad idea to stay somewhere near Skatafell. In that case they need not do the glacier walk where we did it but do it here. Located at the foot of Vatnajökull glacier, the biggest glacier outside of the polar regions, Skaftafell is the gateway to the largest national park in Europe, Vatnajökull National Park. Vatnajokull itself has several smaller glaciers coming out of it so walk is organised on one of them. 

So, we reached our apartment near Hofn at around 9.45 and were told that dinner would be impossible to get at this time as even the petrol pump stores shut before 10 PM. The apartment owner 'Harpa' was a lovely lady who gave us eggs, milk, salmon and bread and we did have some cheese and Maggi instant Noodles in our luggage to have a cracking dinner. The apartments were called Hraunholl 4 Apartment and were owned by a couple who stayed in the complex itself. The apartments were comfortable and had a lovely view of the mountains and the fields. The neighbours had some horses and the children enjoyed petting them and feeding them the bread. As it doesn't get dark in Iceland during this time , I went for a midnight walk as everything looked so fresh and nice. The temperature had dropped drastically by now so I did not last long outdoors. It was time to get comfortable in the quilt.

Day 4 onwards promised to be a bit lighter and more relaxing. But no one was complaining as day 3 had been just too wonderful. 

Day 3- Traveled from Skogar just before 2 above to Hofn midway between 3 & 4 above. There are hardly and petrol pumps or eateries in most part of this route. As the saying goes, there are more active Volcanoes found here than places to eat.