Day 3 in the Westfjords started slightly better. It was still foggy when I woke up and looked out of the window, but the forecast was for it to clear a little later on. After breakfast I headed out, north again, trying for the Munaðarnes hike once again. I stopped after the first major bend when I saw a seal reclining on a seaweed mound, similar to the one I'd seen the previous day. It looked very chilled. The backdrop was wonderful, with a band of fog hanging over the autumnal hillsides. Occasionally the sun would come out and the landscape would look as if it was covered in gold leaf for a brief moment.
I walked down on to the beach and watched it for a while - it was watching me too, looking a little sad. From time to time it had a little scratch.
I drove on, enjoying the beautiful serenity.
There were a couple of other seals a bit further out along the fjordside. I parked again and wandered down towards one, another darting under the water when it saw me. I watched this one for a while; it look so worried - I suppose because of my presence. I took a few shots before heading further around the fjord.
The road winds up and down, around the edge of the Reykjarfjörður fjord - and really is one of my favourite ever roads.
As I got to the top of the fjord, before turning left at Gjögur, I noticed a lovely warm glow on the horizon - the first decent bit of light for a while!
Next stop was at a small lake, Mýrarhnúksvatn, on the next fjord, which reflected the foggy hillsides beautifully.
Along the coast there are some nice little stacks, but the conditions were just a bit miserable again on this side, with flat light. I was keen to get hiking, so didn't stop for long anywhere along the way.
In spite of the thickening fog, I continued on towards Munaðarnes, really keen to get a proper hike. I drove up the little track and was relieved (and very pleased!) to see the spiky peaks of Drangaskörð just visible beneath a layer of low cloud in the distance. I set off past the deserted buildings towards the beach and stacks. I set the tripod pretty soon, keen to avoid the mistake I'd made on my previous visit - waiting to take photos of the stacks until the way back, at which point it was pissing with rain! It's a weird area, with many strange stacks sticking out of the sea, as well as lower piles of rocks. There was again no-one about - I wonder how many people have ever actually visited this place? The beach is called Skálanesvík, but I cannot find the names of the stacks. I got the filters out and took a few long exposures. The stacks there are so strange, with layered horizontal rocks.
For a moment the sun came out and shone on the black rocks, making them look golden, and lighting up a lighthouse just visible on the horizon (which I believe is called Selskersviti)
My plan was to go as far as I could along the beach to where another large stack marks the end of the hike before turning back. As I continued on my way I was startled to see a lone sheep near the beach. It was all alone; it must have missed being rounded up a week or two earlier. I wondered if someone would come to look for it, or whether it would ride out the winter alone... There was plenty for it to eat, at least. I was also startled by a couple of snipe suddenly flying out from the grass just in front of me, just like my previous visit. I took a few shots of the weird seaweed on the beach. Some of it looks like tiny, pained, screaming faces to me.
There are some areas where the weird pink seaweed is in piles, squelchy to walk through, flies disturbed, putrid and slimy. Not nice to walk in! Next stop was a short walk uphill to the pretty waterfall, and time for some silly self-portraits wearing my lovely lopapeysa (completely forgot to mention that in my first blog - on my arrival my hand-made lopapeysa was waiting for me on my bed; I was absolutely thrilled!!).
I carried on along the beach, passing a massive chunky stack, continuing on to the last one, where I did some more long exposures.
I turned around at that point and headed back, stopping again to photograph some more seaweed on the beach and the huge stack just off the beach.
I got back to the settlement at around 4pm, having walked about 4 miles. The place felt a bit eerie, and like the last visit, I felt as if I was trespassing.
I headed back down the track and stopped to capture the view - considerably more to see than the previous day!
I stopped a couple of times, but the clouds were strong and light flat. It wasn't until I reached the pass near Gjögur that I found something lovely to photograph: a swan family.
The clouds at the entrance to the Reykjarfjörður fjord were looking pretty moody, so I stopped to do some more long exposure shots - the tripod and filters were getting a good work-out today!
The fog cleared from the mountains opposite, but as I drove back towards the hotel I was greeted by patchy fog again - the place looked beautiful. As I neared Djúpavík I was surprised to see that there's a wonderfully pointy mountain behind it - something unseen until now!
I got back to the hotel at around 6.30pm, so it had been quite a long day. I didn't stay long, though, as the light began to change to a sumptuous dusky blue, so I got back in the car and headed around the fjord again to a nice little spot I'd noticed on the drive back.
It was my last night there, so I decided that I had to order the delicious lamb again - well worth the money, truly divine! I was the only person staying at the hotel that night; all of the other guests had departed in the morning. It felt a little odd, but it's not the first time I've been the only guest in remote places. I had a reasonably early night, setting the alarm for sunrise - my last chance of some decent morning light. It had been a lovely day, with the rain holding off and the fog providing some lovely atmospheric conditions. The hike was superb, seeing all those bizarre stacked stacks! I will be back some time soon...
Click here to see my
blog from Day 2: Exploring around Djúpavík in the Fog
Click here to see my
blog from Day 4: Driving to Heydalur
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