While planning this trip I ran across a very cool website for this tour, “Inside the Volcano”. I was initially hesitant as it was pretty expensive, but our friend Tony said “I’m a sucker for a good web presentation”, so we booked it. We were picked up in Reykjavik and taken a half hour away…in the middle of nowhere….where they actually have a ski resort. Ok, “resort” is a strong word, this place is basically a bunny hill for beginners.
The sign in their office indicates what lays ahead. It’s not scary, but the fricking name of the place certainly is! What’s with the lower case “p” at the front of the word…and the little accent dashes seemingly everywhere! Is this the land of the Lilliputians? Apparently pronouncing this word is Iceland’s drunk test! The Statue of Liberty and the ugly hotel from North Korea will both fit inside the volcano. If you are confused by the North Korean comment, then you didn’t read the last post, so why are you jumping ahead!
After getting over the name of the volcano, we connected with our guide and began the 2 mile hike. There is evidence of lava tubes along the way. Maybe I’m just drunk, but if you squint your eyes it looks like a deranged Cookie Monster. Ok, yeah, I’m tipsy…sue me.
The hike crosses the rift between the North American and European tectonic plates. Not quite as evident as it is on the Golden Circle tour, but cool nevertheless.
You can even see snow down in the tectonic rift. Don’t tell Hunter!
This is the volcano we are heading towards. Doesn’t look all that big, right? Wait until you see the inside!
Tony making his way to the lift. He was a champ…he had hurt himself riding a horse a few days prior, and was having a hard time walking….but he made it the two miles out! Nobody dared tell him he had to hike two miles back.
Julie is happy Tony made it. Hell, Julie is always happy! What is your secret Julie?
We are now heading down into the volcano. This lift bangs into the side of the opening at one point…they did this by design, right? Right? The guy on the right driving the lift doesn’t seem to be alarmed…maybe bored, but not alarmed…so we’re good.
The view down into the blackness.
Here is a short video of us as we descend. It takes 6 minutes to get to the bottom.
Looking back up after landing on the bottom. That exterior shot doesn’t do the volcano justice…we are 700 feet down from the top!
The colors in the interior of this 4,000 year old “dormant” volcano are just amazing! You can see the lift on the way back up. Kinda puts things in perspective!
There is a rather dangerous walkway on the bottom that would NOT pass muster with OSHA, but we did it anyway. Again, the colors of all the different elements are unreal! The platform in the below photo is where the lift lands.
You want to make sure you bring your warm jacket. Despite this being a volcano, the temperature inside is a constant 37 degrees Fahrenheit!
Kim is checking the colors out! We got to spend about 40 minutes inside, and despite the cold, we were mesmerized.
I think I took about 60 photos. Even though some of these show the same things, they looked so different from differing angles and perspectives.
Tony, Julie and Kim all checking out the perspectives. I told them to all look up in awe. These people can act!! I think Julie just saw God!
We had our guide get a shot of all of us. Don’t I look good in a helmet!
After finishing the tour the base camp area provides you with really good bowl of soup, and you have the opportunity to take a photo on the special bench before you walk back. These guys even spent the extra cash to put the accents in their metal sign…that’s some serious shit!
The group walking back towards our ride home. Such a beautiful desert wasteland. This has become a common scene in Iceland.
With the exception of some really beautiful flowers here and there.
We had another dinner for 10 of us that night, this time at Reykjavik Kitchen. I didn’t take a picture of the table or the food, but I did like the artwork they had on the wall. The food was pretty good, but nothing will beat the food we had at Kopar!
Up next, we visit the Harpa Conference Center, and take a helicopter ride to see a live volcano!
Great memory Chris!