Iceland #15 - Day 2: Hraunfossar to Hrífunes

The forecast for sunrise on day 2 was for greyness, so I decided to catch up on a bit of sleep and visit Hraunfossar after the sun had come up. I headed back to the waterfalls after a tasty breakfast and checking out (I highly recommend the Guesthouse Steindorsstaðir if you're staying in that area), not actually getting there until just before 10. The light was flat and white, which was annoying but not unexpected. I'd discovered a path on the previous afternoon that led down to the beach opposite the falls, but hadn't ventured down there, so this seemed a good time to explore a little, away from everyone else. It was nice to be at the river level, rather than looking down on the falls, but didn't make a great deal of difference. I only stayed forty minutes, concentrating mainly on the west side of the falls where most people didn't bother to go.

Hraunfossar on a dull morning

I see the number 13 in this - anyone else?!

I had quite a busy day planned, and quite far to drive, heading across past Lake Þingvallavatn, along the south coast past Vík, before heading up to Hrífunes, where I was staying in the lovely Glacier View guesthouse again. Each stop, therefore, had to be relatively short, especially as I didn't leave Hraunfossar until 10.30am.

I drove back to Hvalfjörður the same way I'd driven the previous day; the weather was far better and improved as I drove south (I had hoped to go inland and drive down the F550, which is no longer technically an F road as it doesn't require fording any rivers, but that would've required a 4WD and cost a couple of hundred pounds extra, and might already have been closed for the winter anyway). I stopped at Kerlingafoss again, this time armed with a wide angle lens and the tripod, to capture the waterfall and canyon again. It was a bit hairy trying to get a shot with the full length of the waterfall in (I hate cutting waterfalls off, just like icebergs - they have to be whole, generally). The slope at the top of the waterfall was pretty steep and a bit crumbly, and I felt a little nervous, but just took it very slowly. The sun came out but this only exacerbated the darkness of the rocks that surrounded the falls. It was a far nicer day, but with a bitter wind to remind me I was in Iceland.

Next stop was the Hvalur hf whaling plant (not quite sure what else to call it). I could see as I approached that a boat was moored at the end of the pier and there was a hive of activity - people milling about and cars driving around the site. I parked just past the entrance and wandered to the perimeter fence. James had warned me how horrible it was, both on the eyes, the mind and the nose. It was as he described, although fortunately the wind was blowing in the opposite direction, so I didn't get the stench at least. 

My first sight through the high perimeter fence was of a whale carcass, almost stripped completely down to the skeleton, with the ground covered in blood (just learnt a new word - flensed, which is the removal of bits from a carcass, particularly a whale). I walked a bit further and took a few more photos with my telephoto lens, which didn't go unnoticed by some of the workers below. It was quite ghastly, watching the men going about their business, scurrying around, cutting bits here and there. There were different bits of two carcasses dotted around the site. I took lots of photos, and was going to share them on here, but decided that they were too ghastly. Here is one, which gives you an idea of what it's like (otherwise google it and you get plenty of gory images of this vile place).

I sent James a message to say I was there - he'd mentioned that he might come by. He was on his way, so about twenty minutes later I got to meet my new Twitter friend in the flesh, in rather surreal circumstances overlooking the flensing of fin whale carcasses. We chatted about the whales, Iceland and photography for a while, a biting wind ever-present. After a while an old SUV drove up to check us out - inside was the owner of the whole operation, Kristján Loftsson, one of the richest men in Iceland and apparently a man with a lot of sway over fishing operations in the country (hence whaling actually happening in spite of being banned internationally). He checked us out before driving off, back to the plant. We chatted a little longer but eventually I said goodbye as I had to get going on my long drive. It was nice to meet a fellow photographer and Icelandophile - my second Twitter friend I've met in real life now :)

I drove around the fjord and felt quite strange. It was a moving and depressing experience and although I was fascinated to see it, I think I would rather not have done in retrospect. The fjord was so peaceful, serene and beautiful; the whaling plant was just so incongruous. And how can this country I love so much let something like this happen still?

I took the turn up the route 48 which leads up towards Þingvallavatn and then headed around the west side of the lake on a glorious winding road (route 360) which I hadn't driven before. It was absolutely stunning - the sun had come out and there were beautiful orange leaves on trees filling the surrounding countryside. I couldn't find anywhere to stop, but wish I had. The road from Þingvellir across to Laugarvatn was closed for repair, so this was the only route up to Þingvellir from the south and was a bit busy as a result. I stopped at the southern end of the lake where I've taken a couple of photos before - the road surface was being replaced and was absolutely terrible - and then again at the delightful Úlfljótsvatnkirkja. It was already 2.30pm when I reached that church - the day was flying by!

It wasn't long, however, until I was back on the faster routes 36 and 35, and then on the ringroad, heading through Selfoss towards my destination. I love driving east, with the anticipation of all of the sights to come. The first one is Seljalandsfoss, which you can see from miles away if you know where to look. I pulled into a layby near the turnoff down to the ferry terminal to take a couple of shots of the falls - sorry, I'm not going to be paying ISK700 to park to have a look at it again (unless the conditions are magnificent). Besides, it looks lovely from a distance. There was some visible rain nearby too, which I always love.

Seljalandsfoss blowing in the wind; smaller falls nearby

Not far away I stopped near Steinar to see how my favourite rocks were doing. I couldn't be bothered to walk all the way down to the shoreline as the sky was dull in the distance; they weren't looking their best. I noticed that the collection of bras attached to the fence there had increased massively - I wonder what the story is there... (quick google gave me one answer)

After the quick stop I continued on my journey, still a little way to go, stopping again at some nice rocky hills and opposite Skogafoss (not looking as lovely as it had done on my previous visit, covered in incredible icicles). 

Nicely timed little tractor drive-by!

I wanted to get to Hrífunes early enough for sunset, so drove on, not stopping at any of the sights near Vík (they would have to wait until the way back, if at all). I did pull over briefly at the wonderfully-named Hjörleifshöfði and wandered along the road a little to see some dried plants looking rather pretty in the sun, and more superb visible rain storms in the distance.

I just love seeing rain falling in the distance. And a nice safe distance away it was!

Next stop was my home for the night, the Glacier View Guesthouse, where I received a lovely warm welcome from Elin and Borgar (one of Sigrún's brothers) and their sweet assistant Mikhal. It's always lovely to go back to places where the owners are so passionate about their business and provide such a lovely, welcoming experience. As I'd arrived I'd noticed a pen full of sheep, and also noticed a delicious smell of garlicky lamb as I walked in. This was réttir season (where the farmers get the sheep back from the hills to overwinter in sheds or to send to slaughter), and tonight the local farmers were having a celebratory meal before dividing up the sheep. My dinner would also be lamb, later, after this group had finished, which was perfect as it gave me a chance to take some photos of the sheep and have a quick wander down the hill to see the river braids below.

How beautiful is Icelandic wool (seen here in situ on its producer)?!

I think the brown one had been smoking something...

The sun was setting as I wandered back up the hill to the guesthouse

I lingered outside for a bit, and the farmers emerged and began milling around outside the sheep pen. They were drinking beer and laughing and chatting, and eventually got inside the pen and started to split up the sheep, directing some of them into a chamber on one side of a big barn. 

The light began fading fast, so I went in - lamb and beer beckoning. It still felt a bit weird seeing and hearing the bleating sheep and then eating - presumably - their delicious offspring. I wonder if they could smell the lamb? Hopefully they wouldn't know what the smell was...

Supper was a little odd - not the food (that was delicious) - but the company. There were two large tables - one with an Icelandic group who had come up from Reykjavik for a celebration, and another, where I was sitting, with a German photography tour group. I sat opposite the leader and we chatted a bit, and occasionally the others would talk in English to me, but mostly I sat in silence with them talking and laughing away in German. I had to make an effort to start a conversation as they weren't interested in doing so. It felt a bit rude, given that they all spoke good English, but I guess that's just what some people do. And that's the luck of the draw in situations like this - on my last visit there I'd had an interesting table with a few couples from different parts of the world and it was far more fun and less awkward! After supper the Germans disappeared and I sat in the sitting room and the Icelandic group began to play some music - with one woman on an accordion and all of the others singing in harmony. They were singing old, traditional Icelandic music and it was quite delightful. Borgar and Elin sat nearby drinking a glass of wine - exhausted from the two sittings of dinner. It's certainly not an easy job running a guesthouse like that with room for up to about 25 people - non-stop work to do!

A little later on I decided to head out to see if I could see any northern light action as it was still supposed to be fairly active. It wasn't too cloudy, although the moon was due to rise fairly early, which might ruin any viewing. There were some vaguely visible lights all around me, but the almost-full moon was definitely making it difficult to see them. The camera captured a little more than I could see.

The moon itself looked quite stunning, and for a moment it reflected in a couple of the braids in the river. I think this was my favourite shot from the whole day!

I headed back in just before 1am and set my alarm for a reasonable 8am breakfast - none of this early-up-for-sunrise (again). Another wonderful day in Iceland!

My route on Day 2

Click here for the blog from Day 1 - Driving to Hraunfossar
Click here for the blog from Day 3 - Hrífunes to Jökulsárlón

Iceland #15 - Day 1: Driving to Hraunfossar

Another very late blog, but catching up with some trip reports from last year, so here goes: Iceland #15!

I took my fifteenth trip to Iceland last September, one of my regular twice-yearly trips to the country. As far more is accessible in autumn than in winter, I usually try to explore a little more, and in the past couple of years I've visited the north, east, north-east and north-west. This time, however, I just fancied seeing the bit I know and love so well - the south and south-east - in a different season, so I could delve into the areas a bit more. I added one new place onto my itinerary - Hraunfossar - a place I'd somehow not managed to fit into previous trips.

My journey across to Iceland was the usual one - working from home during the day (which was incredibly stressful as I couldn't find my step-up ring that enables me to put my filters on my telephoto lens (which is uber-important!) (I found it eventually in an outside pocket in my camera bag that I'd forgotten existed), and had a huge amount of work to finish off), enjoying the divine fish and chips at the Heston Blumethal place in Terminal 2 at Heathrow, watching a movie on the flight (Three Billboards... which is awesome!), picking up some Borg beer for the trip, getting the rental car (I'd opted for the cheaper compact model which meant no F roads), driving to Alftanes and tiptoeing in at my friends house so as not to wake them. This time picking up the rental car was quick and efficient (I love Procar!), the weather was decent for the drive, and I wasn't so tired that I was falling asleep at the wheel (like the last time). I was greeted by a curious Jökull, who wanted to join me for the night, but I had to close the door on him, as a cat sleeping on top of you is not ideal (much as I love him).

In the morning I caught up with Sigrún, Johannes and the kids, before heading on my way. First stop was to the supermarket - I was doing a lot of self-catering on this trip - before the obligatory visit to my favourite jeweller, Orr, who had just relocated in the centre of Rekyjavik, just down from Hallgsrimkirkja. It was lovely to catch up and make a couple of new purchases...

Next stop was a little detour through Heiðmork, a little nature reserve just outside Reykjavik, and the wonderful red alien scenery of Rauðhólar. For some reason I'd never heard of either before, and hadn't noticed them as I drove out of the city headed east - presumably because they're usually covered in snow when I drive past in winter. Anyway, it was a lovely drive, with lots of trees and then this weird red landscape. I stopped and did a little hike around the pseudo-craters. The weather was mild and the sun came in and out, and not a soul was around.

The weird red volcanic scenery of the hills at Rauðholár

Autumn is a perfect time to visit here

From there I drove back along the route 1 and through Mosfellsbær, heading up towards Hvalfjörður. I decided to take the scenic route around the fjord and then across the pass on the route 520 (the tunnel is now free, by the way, as of last October). The weather had deteriorated, but it was quite atmospheric and beautiful - it's a stunning drive along the south side of the fjord, which I'd last visited the previous year on my way up to do the Glymur hike.

No hiking up to Glymur today! 

Snowstorms on the north side of Hvalfjörður

I'd recently become friends on Twitter with a half Icelandic/half English photographer called James who'd recently moved back to Iceland and was helping to draw attention to the horrors of the whaling that was going on on the northern side of the fjord. I drove past the site, but it was completely deserted - the boats must have been out at sea, catching whales :( Soon after I took the turn off onto the route 520 which went uphill across a pass - where I was greeted by snow! I'd seen it in the distance, but was still surprised to actually be snowed on. The weather at the end of September is far more wintry than that at the beginning of the month! Once I'd passed through the storm I stopped a couple of times - it was quite lovely up there.

Autumn leaves and a light dusting of snow - winter is coming!

Route 520

Awesome gravel road - route 520

Nice spot for a (massive) summer house

As I came down the hill I noticed a striking river gorge on the left hand side of the road, so pulled over and did a little hike up the hill.

Nice zigzags of this canyon

A bit of rhyolitic hillsides

As I walked uphill a little I discovered a very nice waterfall, that's almost completely hidden from the road (I discovered later on a very detailed map of Iceland that it's called Kerlingafoss). I'd be driving back past it the following morning, so would return with wide angle lens and tripod (often my little stops from the car I just take the camera with whichever lens is on it (usually the 24-70mm or 70-200mm). I tried a handheld panorama - again, something I'd try to replicate the next day.

What a find! A waterfall hidden from the road, Kerlingafoss

I didn't stop again, driving along the route 50 and 517 to get to my guesthouse for the night, Steindorsstaðir. I checked in, unpacked the car, and headed off to Hraunfossar, keen to get as much time there as possible before sunset. It wasn't far, and is very easy to get to - being right off a main road, and a very short walk from the car park. It is a wonderful set of waterfalls, which seep out of the lava rock hillsides, surrounded by colourful autumnal shrubs. It was quite lovely. I wandered up and down the paths, fixating on a couple of spots, heading up to nearby Barnafoss and back to Hraunfossar. It was quite busy and began to rain - stupidly I'd left my waterproofs in the guesthouse in my big backpack, and was worried about getting my down jacket wet, but the rain was very light and didn't seem to do any harm. Here is a selection of shots from that trip, including once the sun began to peak through as it set, illuminating the falls briefly.

First view when you reach Hraunfossar - how come I've never been here before?!

The canyon below Barnafossar - the falls themselves are not that impressive but the setting is amazing

Colourful rocks at Barnafossar

The canyon heading from Barnafossar down to Hraunfoss (not far!)

Hraunfossar detail

My favourite part of Hraunfossar - got a little fixated on this bit! 

Looking downstream - more waterfalls pouring out of the rock!

A touch of sunset light on the rocks

The light disappeared, so I drove the short distance back to the guesthouse, planning on returning the following morning for sunrise. What a magical place! Back home I made myself some pasta, and then headed outside and popped into the hot tub and opened one of my special Garun beers - it was bliss. A lovely way to end a great first day back in my favourite country.

But wait, there's more! Back inside I got a DM on Twitter from James who said I should check the northern lights out. I explained that it was cloudy where I was, but I did have a peak outside and could just make out some greenness. I looked at all the websites, downloaded a new app, and checked all of the weather forecasts I could find. Sadly I'd have to drive about 100km to get to clear skies (back to Reykjavik, pretty much) and I just didn't have the energy (plus definitely no driving after a Garun - they're strong!). It was strange, only one website seemed to know that there was a sudden aurora storm - most of them had it still as low activity. It was handy to have someone in the know put that right! I did manage to get a few shots, and enjoy a bit of a display through the clouds a few steps away from the house, but nothing as spectacular as James had seen from his balcony down in Hafnafjörður. Ho hum, that's the luck of the draw!

Cloudy corona - would've been amazing otherwise!

Shoulda been in Reykjavik where there was not a cloud in the sky :(

Damned cloud!

I love watching coronas, but just not the same when you can barely see it!

Hopefully this wouldn't be my only opportunity to see the lights. There was a also a full moon a couple of nights later, which was far from helpful, but I still had my fingers crossed for more. Not a bad first day at all.

My route from Day 1

Click here for my blog from Day 2 - Hraunfossar to Hrífunes