For the first time ever on any of my Icelandic photographic trips, I didn't go anywhere in the car for the whole day. I awoke to snow and decided to just enjoy the warm cottage, review and process some photos I'd taken earlier in the week, and perhaps go out for a walk locally later, if the snow stopped. I got up at 9.30am (I would get up at that time naturally every day if I didn't have a day job, I think) and had tea and breakfast. I took a couple of shots out of the front door of the cabin of a passing snow storm. At one point the snow outside was very heavy and I regret not forcing myself to go out in it. Instead I was lazy and just watched it from the comfort of the cottage, through the window.
The mountains to the east weren't visible for most of the morning, but finally just before midday the cloud began to clear and I got a glimpse of the peaks (more shots out of the front door!). Thick fog sat at the foot of the mountains and some sun somehow managed to shine on the snowy slopes. Snow showers continued to pass by over the sea in the distance. The light changed every few minutes.
I finally dragged myself out of the warmth and into the freezing Icelandic air. It was nice to leave the car where it was and head out on foot; there was enough fresh snow on the ground that I wasn't likely to slip over. The area of Stafafell is just lovely - farm buildings and horses with the stunning mountains behind. I haven't even been in summer, when you can hike up into the local valley which is full of rhyolitic multi-coloured hills (one day...).
I crossed over the road at the entrance to the farm and headed towards the horses which were congregating on the other side of the cattle grid. I'd driven down this track the previous year and had loved seeing the winding river braids in the distance.
As I approached the horses a 4WD arrived and four Chinese people got out. They walked up to the horses and the girls giggled a lot while sticking cameras in their faces. I wanted to go past the horses and down the track, but waited a while as I thought they might follow me. The horses were wet; I wished I'd gone out there in the morning to capture them in the snow. Too late :( The guys went back to the car and I thought they were about to leave but instead they returned with a drone. They put the little whirring noisy red thing in the sky and the horses were visibly freaked out.
Eventually I walked through the horses and headed down the track, making footprints in the deep snow.
I reached a point where the road turned to the left and off to my right was a beautiful view of a grey river bend, with little grey pools in the snow, creating some amazing patterns; many layers of grey.
As I wandered around the clouds began to part a little and the peaks of Brunnhorn and Vestrahorn were revealed once again. From time to time it would start to snow, so the camera was covered with the plastic rain cover and the camera bag was protected with its protective cover (it worked perfectly!)
I turned around and started to walk back up the road, as the light coming from behind the peaks grew more and more intense.
As I headed up the hill back towards the farm the clouds began to clear over the nearest hills. The light was wonderful, with some nacreous clouds around the sun and wispy clouds moving around in the valleys.
By the time I reached the horses again they were lit up in the afternoon sun and looked stunning; they had dried off a fair bit in the last hour.
As I got home the light became really intense again, and I wished I'd been further down the road again. I could've got in the car and driven back there, but I was desperate for the loo, needed more tea and some late lunch, so I went back to the cabin, leaving the glorious golden hour behind.
A little later on I headed out onto the balcony outside the front door and took a few more shots of the view eastwards to the pointy peaks that I so love. The sky was now filled with clouds again, but there was some pinkish light for a short while.
The pinkness disappeared and I was left the with mystical blueness of dusk.
I stood out for a while until the light faded, eventually calling it a night. It had been a wonderfully peaceful day (apart from the drone!) and it made me realise how nice it is to be based somewhere so lovely and just stay there and explore (on foot). So many visitors to Iceland rush around and try to cram in as many of the well-known views and sights as possible, but perhaps it's only when you stop and get to know it a bit better that you can really appreciate its wondrous beauty and discover your own special places. This is certainly one of mine.
Click here for the blog from
Day 5 - Hvalnes & Stokksnes
Click here for the blog from
Day 7 - Stafafell to Jökulsárlón
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