Iceland #14 - Day 7 - From Wonderful Stafafell to Incredible Jökulsárlón

I really do hate to leave the yellow cottage, but all good things must come to an end. Three nights is the longest I've stayed there (and I planned my revised dates for the trip around doing so), but still only gives me two whole days, which just isn't enough! They had been fantastic days, though, with a great variety of weather conditions (although bitterly cold throughout) and the usual stupendous views. On my 7th day I was driving back to Jökulsárlón, where I'd spend another two nights before returning to the west. Before I left the cottage I made one last trip to the east, to explore a new beach that I'd driven past on the scary raised road along towards Djúpivogur a couple of times, Fauskasandur.

I set off at 8.15am, as it was just beginning to get light. The sky was pretty clear again, with the usual annoying cloud on the horizon to mess around with the sunrise. It was ridiculously cold - possibly below -10 deg C - and there was definitely no chance of the windscreen wiper working any time soon. I was a bit nervous driving out down the track, but Sigurdur had cleared it a little the previous night with his snow-plough, so it wasn't too bad. There wasn't a soul on the road as the roads from Jökulsárlón all the way to the airport (and up to the Golden Circle) were closed, and had been for a day. No traffic was coming my way, and no-one was bothering heading west either, since they wouldn't be able to get very far. I drove along the usual wonderful road towards Hvalnes, and Fauskasandur is just a little way further, past the nerve-racking area prone to avalanches from rocks and snow above. I didn't stop until I got to a parking area just above the beach. There is a track down to a larger parking area below the road, but it was completely snowy and there was just enough room for me to safely pull the car off the road without getting bogged in snow. I walked down the snowy path and could see a large stack on the beach below and black sand beaches on either side of a small headland.

I climbed down to the beach, passing a rather sad sign, eventually finding a path that wasn't too treacherous.

The area was very beautiful, but I found it extremely challenging to find a composition that I was happy with. The main stack on the beach was massive (and a little troll-like), leaning towards the sea a little, with sand piled up against its base, so very little wave action even reached it.

I decided to see what it looked like from the rocky outcrop, from above, so headed back the way I'd come, trying not to make new footprints until I ventured towards the edge of the headland. Unfortunately the stack was pretty much hidden against the sand from above. It was a lovely spot, all the same, and eventually the sun broke through the low clouds and lit up the snowy mountain on the far side of the road and the surf. When the sun did appear it was wonderfully warming but blinding!

Unfortunately I was also short on time, as I had to drive back to the cottage, pack up, and check out. I would loved to have spent far longer there, exploring the beaches, but it'll still be there next time...

The clouds became quite interesting as I drove back - again I wished I could have stopped every minute or so - it was quite stunning. I found a spot to pull over, just before the Hvalnes corner, and was graced with the presence of some reindeer, as well as some great light ahead.

My last stop before I reached home was a quick one at the parking area where I'd seen the truck driver the previous day (I usually stop there to see what the view is like). The light was beautiful again, as the sun came out of clouds. If only I'd had more time...

I got back to the cottage and showered and packed up. I was sad to leave my lovely little remote home, but at least (as per usual) I had somewhere equally wonderful to visit at the end of the day ahead. I went up to the house and chatted for a while about the road closures with Sigurdur and his wife (the lovely sheepdog was in the car, unfortunately). After settling up I stopped for one last photo of that unforgettable view and headed on my way - beginning the long journey westwards.

I stopped briefly at the side of the road to photograph the road up to the tunnel, the snowy peaks, and the little huts on the far side of the lagoon. The air temperature was considerably warmer and the snow was melting, so stopping at the side of the road was far easier now the pull-outs were revealed again.

I headed down into Höfn to pick up some food for the next couple of nights (more tuna pasta!), and passed some horses along the way which were standing on ice, reflected in it. Unfortunately on my return they'd moved away. 

The next stretch of road was just glorious - blue skies above and a bit of stormy loveliness to the west. The road past Jökulsárlón had re-opened so a few cars trickled east past me; it was lovely and peaceful though. I stopped at a couple of the usual spots - the graffiti house, the favourite tree, the treeline, plus I captured some cows that had been allowed a breath of fresh winter air.

Next stop was Jökulsárlón - hurray!! What would the wonderful beach bring me? I stopped in at Gerði, hoping to get the keys to my room at Reynivellir early so I didn't have to drive back there later - fortunately they had them for me. I said hello to the silly dog, who was still trying to run after cars in spite of the treacherous glassy road. He cocked his leg against my car but wouldn't stand still for a face-on photo, so then I headed on my way back to the beach.

It had got a lot cloudier once I'd past the mountain of Steinafjall, with some potential for good snowstorm clouds (and, er, snowstorms!). It was still freezing, although better than the previous day; the piece of ice was still locking the windscreen wiper against the window. I parked at the east beach and headed to the shore, wrapped up in my superb 66 North coat!

The beach looked stunning - sun was coming in and out of snow clouds and the sand was littered with small bergs. I was in heaven, again.

The sun stayed out for a while, giving intense light on the surf.

After a while the sun disappeared and the light was, in contrast to earlier, absolutely dreadful! The sea looked grey, and despite the wonderful water trails over a few little icebergs in the surf, most of the photos were very disappointing. I converted a few to black and white, to try and at least highlight the shapes and patterns of the ice and waves interacting.

By 5pm, the light was fading and I was cold and hungry. I headed back to Reynivellir, back to my little single room. I parked up and walked slowly across the icy driveway towards the front door with my backpack over my shoulder, holding a couple of plastic bags of food. I said to myself "it's bloody treacherous!" just as I slipped. I fell forward and whacked my right knee onto the ice. Thank god I wasn't carrying my camera gear, which I sometimes do - loose around my neck - otherwise that would have smashed to the ground too. As it was the only damage really was to my knee (wow, how it hurt!) - the beer bottles in the plastic bag somehow managed to land softly, as did the rucksack. I limped slowly for the last few steps and emptied the first batch, then returned to the car to pick up the rest of the gear, putting my camera safely in its padded bag, and got safely inside.

A little later on I went downstairs to cook (and to have a well-earned beer) and met a nice German couple, telling them about my injury after I limped downstairs. The woman was a photographer and her husband basically ferried her around and then stood around while she took photos - a more patient man than mine! Later on I reviewed the photos and spoke to my hubby (freaking the dog out as he just can't understand the fact that he can hear me but can't see me in the phone). Another wonderful day, and in spite of the drab skies at sunset it was still fantastic to be back there. I only had one more full day there, but the weather forecast was promising, so I set my alarm early for the next morning so I could be down on the beach for dawn.

Click here for the Day 6 Blog - Grey Day at Stafafell
Click here for the Day 8 Blog - Jöksulárlón Yet Again!

East, North & North-East Iceland - Day 7: A Rainy Drive and Missed Mountain Pass

Some days on my trips to Iceland are disappointing. This is usually weather-related, and usually involve low cloud and lots of rain. Day 7 of my trip was one such day. I didn't have particularly far to go, from Hvammsgerði, just outside Vopnafjörður, to Borgarförður-Eystri, some 145km away. My plan was to drive to Bustarfell to see the turf-roofed houses, then head out towards the beach at Skjólfjörur, spend some time there (having looked up the route down to the beach again), before driving over the wonderful-looking Hellisheiði mountain pass on the route 917, before crossing the wide river plain across towards Borgarfjörður-Eystri. Sadly this was not to be. The cloud was very low and from small breaks in it I could make out snow on the higher ground. I set off, looking ahead of me to the pass shrouded in cloud, thinking that I might still give it a go (I can drive in low visibility), but as I approached the turn-off to Bustarfell I passed an orange sign with the road number and name of the pass and assumed that this meant that the road was closed. I didn't want to risk it, and realised that it might be covered in snow. I turned off towards Bustarfell and decided that I wouldn't bother trying the pass. I also then decided not to bother going back on myself to see Skjólfjörur - plenty more stacks in the sea elsewhere, after all. My change in route meant quite a long detour back to the main ring-road, which was annoying, but it just seemed the sensible option.

So, first stop was Bustarfell, in the rain. There was at least some cool moody clouds in the sky, so the drive was still enjoyable, despite my scuppered plans and invisible hilltops.

Bustarfell is a cute little old farm with a collection of small houses, the tops covered in turf. When I arrived I noticed a load of bits and pieces at the front, and a man soon appeared telling me I was an hour too early, as he was clearing all the stuff away. I didn't want to hang around an hour to get a better shot, so just took a few photos before heading on. One of the houses was open as a museum during the peak season, but obviously it was closed now it was "winter" here. Another had no turf, which rather spoiled the effect!

I drove on, stopping at the side of the road as I noticed a gyrfalcon with a small rodent near the roadside. It flew away from me as soon as I stopped, but it was still thrilling to see it.

I was able to take the route 920 back down to the 85, so as not to have to backtrack to Vopnafjörður. I rejoined the main road and headed back towards the ring-road for my rather annoying diversion. Before I reached the ring-road I saw my first (and only) reindeers - a herd grazing down in a river valley. I guess they hang out in the hills during the summer and autumn and only head down in winter. I've seen plenty in the south-east on my winter journeys.


I joined the ring-road, driving a little of it that I'd missed on my way north, as I'd taken the side road to Moðrudalur. One point was a little nerve-racking, with a large drop on the far side of the road over a canyon. It was quite spectacular, in spite of the greyness. I eventually passed the waterfall (Ysti-Rjúkandi) that I'd stopped at on the way - the car-park was packed. My next stop was after the bridge across the river, before I needed to turn east towards the coast again. There was a striking bridge above a beautiful canyon, with strange clouds above to the east (and even a patch of blue sky!).

After the bridge I took a left hand turn onto route 925. I could have carried on back into Egilsstaðir, but decided that I'd try another stretch of road, since I'd need to take that road on my way back from Borgarfjordur-Eystri anyway a couple of days later. This meant that at least I'd take part of the route I'd planned originally. I drove along the river for a while, through farmland. I stopped when I saw a cute pile of brown cows all snuggled up together. Nearby others tucked into a hay bale. A sheep stood blowing in the wind on the opposite side of the road. In the distance I could see the fresh snow on the hilltops that were now visible - I'm sure the 917 would have been too snowy.

I drove a little further and stopped to photograph a few horses, pretty much the first I'd photographed all trip. They are much friendlier in the winter, when they almost always approach for a stroke (probably wanting food). I was rather transfixed by the way two of them lay on the ground, with their legs all tucked in, similar to the way my cocker spaniel often sleeps. Others just stood there, looking as if they were just contemplating the view.

I took a right turn to continue on the 925, which crossed more farmland and a few hamlets.

I turned onto the route 944 and soon came to a weir and stopped to take a photo, the rain and wind unfortunately having made an appearance briefly. There is a large power plant nearby, creating hydro-electric power. A large sign showed me the beautiful view of the mountains in the distance that were hidden by the clouds today.

The road continued on the other side of the river before reaching the route 94 - the main (and mainly paved) road that runs between Egilsstaðir and Borgarförður-Eystri. It soon turned a bend and then continued straight, heading towards the mountains that I couldn't see. It was a fantastic stretch of road, all the same. I do love winding roads, but sometimes there's nothing quite like zooming along a straight stretch. The road started to climb and wind around the hillsides, past some cool cliffs. It was another fantastic stretch of road, climbing steeply on long switchbacks. If only there was a view!! I soon reached the signpost for the trailhead to Stórurð, where I hoped to hike to the following day, weather-permitting. It certainly didn't look very inviting today. The hillsides nearby were red and beautiful, in spite of the greyness and rain. The road continued winding uphill into the fog.

I reached the top of the pass, after passing a small lake, and soon came out from beneath the low cloud to get a view down to the Njarðvík and the fjord below, the road snaking downhill towards it. I kept stopping to take photos as the road was just so cool!

I made it to the bottom of the bends and enjoyed the last little straight bit passing the hamlet of Njarðvík. The next stretch was an interesting one that I'd seen some photos of and was a little apprehensive about. The road winds in a series of endless twists along a scree slope and it looked a bit like the scary road east of Hvalnes. It turned out not to be scary at all, since it wasn't very high above the sea, the road was wide and there hadn't been a recent avalanche to worry me. It was a particularly ugly stretch.

The winding bit soon ended and the road turned towards the town of Borgarförður-Eystri, my destination for the night and the following day. I drove past the guesthouse and continued on around the bay to explore a little before the light disappeared. It was raining hard and was really quite miserable. I drove past a small waterfall that fell on to the beach, just before a little harbour area, which apparently has great birdlife in summer (including puffins, although they were long gone). I parked at the harbour and took a few shots, the rain pelting at me.

The weather was so ghastly that I could only stay out a few minutes. I was desperate for the loo - as usual - so headed home. I stopped very briefly to take a couple of shots of the cute waterfall (I'd be back) and the pretty grey church back in the village.

I checked in to the Blabjörg guesthouse, where I had a lovely room overlooking the shore, with the waves crashing over some rocks. Later on I headed out to eat at the Álfacafé, having a couple of bowls of tasty fish soup. I didn't stay around but went back to my room for the usual beer + Skype + reviewing of photos. The northern lights forecast was still crazy, but there was not a single break in the cloud tonight, so no point worrying myself about it. I had an early night, hoping the cloud might lift in the morning so I'd be able to do the Stórurð hike, listening to the waves outside as I nodded off. The forecast wasn't promising, but you never know with Icelandic weather...

Click here for my Day 6 blog: a fantastic drive around the north-east Iceland coast
Click here for my Day 8 blog: Hengifoss again