Hengill is a beautiful area east of Reykjavik, popular as a hiking destination. It´s famous for it´s vivid colours and geothermal activity. There are two power plants that harvest the energy from the Hengill area, one at Nesjavellir by Þingvallavatn National Park and one on Hellisheiði. Even though the area is very active, there has been no volcanic eruptions here in the last 2000 years.
The highest point is Vörðuskeggi aprx 800 meters high. The hike from the Hellisheiði power plant to Vörðuskeggi is relatively easy, around 12-14km long. From Vörðuskeggi there are great views in every direction, Þingvallavatn, Reykjavik, and Hveragerði can be seen and on a good day the south coast and the Atlantic ocean are visible.

Getting closer to Vörðuskeggi

Geothermal areas in Innstidalur

Snorri Gunnarsson is an Icelandic photographer – currently residing in Reykjavik

Since coming home in the beginning of the year I have been a frequent visitor at my sister´s farm, Sturluhóll in north Iceland. She and her husband are farmers, with sheep and horses- so usually there are many subjects for photography.
Below is a gallery with images taken at Sturluhóll. I did a couple of posts on Sturluhóll when I visited Iceland in 2008 you can view those ones here and here – for more images press the more link below….

The volcanic eruption is still going strong and last week another fissure developed adding to the show. As a result some restrictions have been made at the eruption site, people are no longer allowed to go right up to the crater. There are two ways to hike to the eruption site, one way is from Skógar, a difficult 15km hike that makes for a very long day, the other one is from Þórsmörk, much shorter but the destination is further away from the crater.

I decided, along with half the population of Iceland it seemed, to hike from Þórsmörk and try my luck.The hike is very pretty, the landscape beautiful in a tolkienesque way, even the last hill is called Morinsheidi, a name that you would not be surprised to come across in the Lord of the Rings. Some parts of the hike are pretty thrilling, a short part called Kattahryggir or Catsspine are very narrow with gullies on both sides. In daylight they were fun, in the dark on the way home kind of scary! Hit the more button for the rest of the story, a gallery and a map

I went with my friend Huldar, who is also a photographer, on the way we were warned by everyone we talked to that there was nothing happening up there, only cold, solidified lava and very little activity in the craters. We marched on as we were all ready 1/3 of the way up and that first part was the hardest part anyway. The hike it self is very beautiful and as the twilight hit it became even prettier. When we reached the end of Morinsheidi we saw the eruption site and the solidified lava fall going into Hvannárgil nothing special was going on and the twilight was quickly turning to darkness. As we were cursing our luck we started hearing sounds from the eruption site and more activity from the crater. Before we knew it the lava fall started again, with much rumbling and clouds of steam, in minutes the lava fall was in full action flowing like a red river down into the gully. It was a magnificent sight, something I will never forget as long as I live.

The hike down was unbelievable, the eruption and the lava fall behind us, aurora borealis dancing and the stars very prominent. Hiking down in the dark was surprisingly easy although the many stops to admire our surroundings helped a lot. As luck would have it the aurora borealis never went over the eruption site, which would have made a hell of a photo. We arrived at the car around 1:15am tired but very satisfied after an awesome hike.

As many people know a small volcanic eruption started between two glaciers on the south coast of Iceland a couple of weeks ago. This of course is an event that no landscape photographer worth their salt can ignore. And as I consider myself primarily a landscape photographer I could in no way ignore it. In these last weeks I have been trying to get close to the eruption and as of yet still am on that track, hence the “part one” in the title. I caught a glimpse of it on a trip to Selfoss a while ago and made some nightshots from far away. I was delighted to see the glow from the eruption, pretty pronounced even from a distance of 70 km.

The view from Selfoss, 70km away. The glow is pretty pronounced even at this distance

The other day a friend called and invited me along for a ride in a helicopter to witness the commotion. A splendid trip and a grand thing, what interested me the most though was the impact of man on the event. In a few short days the eruption had gone from high alert to tourist attraction and the number one distraction from the depression that roars in Icelandic society today. I was amazed at the crowds and the roads that had formed, such a distance from any towns or cities. People were gathering at the site, some by the way of super trucks or snow mobiles others walking 30km round trip in very hostile terrain to catch a glimpse of a very modest volcanic eruption.

Crowds watching the eruption

The area that the eruption takes place is not your typical tourist site. It´s in the middle of nowhere, 15km from the nearest paved road, at an altitude of over 1000 meters, in place that is infamous for it´s inclement weather. On top of that the only road leading to it is closed for vehicles. But Icelanders do not let that stop them and neither do tourists. So now there are trips via super trucks, on foot and by helicopter and people are erupting up to the highlands to see the spectacle for themselves.

Beautiful but not the place to be ill prepared

I just love Iceland, this is exactly what Iceland and Icelanders are all about. Doing it, weathering it, taking the challenge and for a short time enjoying a welcomed pause from the storm of reality, facing a different kind of a storm that they´re more used to.

Check out the full post with a gallery of images (click on the “more”)

I recently went over my archives and did some Black and White conversions of Icelandic Landscapes.
Here is a gallery with 11 B/W images – Iceland in B/W

Me and Greg Miller went to Whistler to cover Chill on the Hill, for BCoutside.com – Had a fun time and some good shots. Look for a story on it on BCoutside.com tomorrow.
On the way back we got some crazy BC weather, went from 38 degrees in Whistler to a mixture of Sun, rain and strong winds when arriving on Vancouver Island. Made for a pretty sunset.

One of the most beautiful places I have visited on Vancouver Island is Nootka Island. Now Vancouver Island has no shortage of beautiful places and I have been to many of them, still Nootka casts a special spell on any traveler worth their salt. Rugged west coast feeling and rich history resonate with the explorers’ soul, plus there is some really good fishing!

Moonlight seascape, Nootka Island

I always get a giddy feeling when I see this photo, remembering the trip and the fact I got to eat the Salmon this guy caught. Grilled over an open fire in the wilderness, at the heart of Vancouver Island.

A couple of friends and I, just launched BCoutside.com it is an Online Magazine on Active Lifestyle and Travel. Medium to long articles on all kinds of subjects that have a common denominator, being outside. Check it out and visit often, as it will be updated on a very regular basis.
The idea is to share the vast library of prose and photography that we collect through our travels in this beautiful province. We are always open to stories with photos from other outdoor enthusiasts, so if you want to contribute send me an email with your ideas.