Day 3.5 (and Day 4.1) – Iceland Trip 2014

Well as promised here is the Day 3.5 update. A bit late, apologies for that - but I'll blame the weekend and the catching up pints with mates down the pub !!

Day 3 continues after the ordeal with our Monster truck (See post 3 for more of that). The crew all emerged unscathed from the ice hole debacle. We proceeded to get our kit out and setup, ready to see just what was causing all that smoke / steam rising across the wintery landscape.

Crew out of their monster trucks

As we looked across the snow and ice, large plumes of steam were being emitted by what looked like a left over piece of the Star Wars set. The geo-thermal plants basically take nature's raw materials, i.e. hot water and allow the Icelandic residents to enjoy free hot water.

Geothermal Plant

We decided we weren't quite close enough, we wanted to experience the sheer force of these plants. Its not until you stand more or less next to them that you realise just how powerful Mother Nature can be. The noise was unbelievable.

Monster trucks next to the plants

Sheer, Nature's force

We decided to give our ears a rest and move a little further down the road to an area where similar vents were located but were currently inactive.

At this point Lee decided she was going to do her best Julie Andrews impression and started to dance in the snow.....

Lee Iggulden, doing a Julie Andrews impression

The area was quite strange. Outbreaks of Lava rock, covered in quite thick green moss. An eerie silence spread across the landscape, apart from the brutal wind.

Moss covered Lava

Inactive steam vents

We left this area and decided to go to the beach, probably a bit daft in the middle of winter but the soft sand was no match for our monster trucks....

Monster beach trucks

Monster Tracks

This is where we decided to stay for sunset. It was wet & windy and I was a bit tired as well so I just had a wander in the dunes. The light faded pretty quickly but here are the final pics of the day......

View from the Dunes to beach and the distant mountains

View from the Dunes to the trucks and beach

Sunset at the beach

Due to the memory card issue, some of the first images from Day 4 have also gone amiss.

Day 4 started off with a early morning (7:45-ish) start and we headed out in search of waterfalls. First stop was Urridafoss. Not many people seem to know about this set of falls. It was a great place to start the day. Even though the wind was being quite kind to us, the spray off this river / falls caused quite a few problems for the filter users.

Daybreak at Urridafoss

Urridafoss

Urridafoss

Urridafoss

Urridafoss

Ice at Urridafoss

Second stop of the day was a location we visited the previous year, Skógafoss.

Last year I quite sensibly stayed on the lower level of the fall near the rivers edge. This year I stupidly climbed the quite steep pathway (and several staircases) to the top. It almost f-ing killed me!! I thought I was relatively fit (yep I know I look a bit like Peter Kay, but I still thought I could manage it - I did but it was close!!)

Here's the view from the top....

At the top of Skógafoss

At the top of Skógafoss

and from down below.......

Skógafoss

The rest of the day continues in the Day 4 post..... http://www.paddyyates.co.uk/blog/?p=555