I do not usually spend my Tuesday evenings hiking around an active volcano, or hiking anywhere for that matter. This week, however, I shook up my normal routine and went to check out the newest tourist attraction in Iceland. The volcano is called Geldingadalsgos ("gos" = eruption) since it is mainly located in Geldingadalur, which means "Castration Valley" in English. Cute name, huh?
It took a little over an hour to hike from the car to the best viewing areas around the eruption site. My three hiking companions and I were not the only ones visiting the volcano that evening. Hundreds, and maybe even thousands of other residents and tourists paraded along the rough paths set up by the rescue team volunteers in the last few weeks since the eruptions began on March 19th. People have been calling this a "tourist volcano" since it is in a pretty accessible area near the capitol, and has so far been small enough and free enough of poisonous gasses for people to come and check it out. Iceland offers volcanic fun for the whole family.
There is one area of the hiking route in particular that is pretty dang steep, and I was quickly reminded how much time I spend sitting down not doing aerobic activity. There was admittedly some huffing and puffing. Put me on flat ground and I can keep marching on and on like the Energizer Bunny. But inclines? Come on. I was born and raised in the flatlands, and my body is more comfortable at low elevations. I was motivated to keep climbing not only so I could see the volcano, but because there was a wide variety of ages and athletic abilities also making the climb, and I wasn't about to be shown up by a 70 year old man with a beer belly and a pack-a-day wheeze. The rescue group has been busy every day helping the unprepared, the unlucky, and the under exercised, and I didn't want to be counted among their numbers.
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| The hike into the valley. This is looking back the way we had come, after having made it up the steepest part.
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Though I was excited at the prospect of seeing a volcano, I underestimated how incredibly amazing it actually would be to witness such an extraordinary natural phenomenon. I was absolutely blown away (figuratively) when I first laid eyes on it from afar, and my awe only grew as we made our way closer. When watching tv footage of the volcano and its human visitors over the past month, I was shocked to see how close people got to the lava flows. Like, stupidly close. People have set frying pans on semi-cooled chunks of lava rock to cook bacon and eggs, or set up a kettle to boil water for tea. I've seen people tossing rocks or a handful of moss into the lava to see what happens. Since I have no desire to watch people be burned alive by a surprise bubble of lava, or be swallowed by the earth as a new fissure opens up, it is highly uncomfortable to watch such seemingly foolish behavior. I saw some of these wild and carefree actions live last night, and had to just shake my head. I guess I can see the temptation of it. It's the absolute coolest thing I've ever seen, and for most people is a once in a lifetime experience. I got closer to the lava than I thought I would have, but my self preservation instincts are strong and kept me at a relatively safe distance. Happily, it seemed like everyone there last night kept all of their limbs, despite the fact that some of them were playing it pretty fast and loose with common sense.
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| See mom, I'm not as close as some of those fools. |
We stayed long enough to see the eruption site in full darkness. It looked even more magnificent at night, though it made for a trickier hike back to the car. I was glad I had borrowed Erin's headlamp and hiking poles. It was due to those tools that I only tripped and fell once. Depending on how long this eruption lasts (it could end any minute or it could continue for a hundred years) I may be lucky enough to go and see it again. If so, I'd happily spend another Tuesday evening huffing and puffing up the side of a mountain to see this tourist attraction.
If you'd like to see what is happening at the eruptions site right now, check out this live web cam of the volcano.
