Eruption of Geldingardalur

When I told Brian I was thinking of changing our vacation destination from the Island of Hawaiʻi to Iceland, he told me I would miss out on visiting the Big Island’s star attraction, Kīlauea. Fortunately, I could counter that a new volcano had just emerged in Iceland! And unlike those in Hawaii, this new volcano is accessible from a major city. From central Reykjavík, it was a 45-minute drive to the trailhead and another 45-minute hike to the volcano. Indeed, there have been many incredible photos of how the volcano's glow and flame were visible from downtown Reykjavík.

The eruption of Fagradalsfjall & Geldingadalur began in mid-March earlier this year. While much of the world is under pandemic regulations in one form or another, watching the birth and growth of this volcano was like a good way to pass our time and satisfy a little bit of our wanderlust. So when Iceland announced its opening for tourism in May, the active volcano became the country’s best marketing tool. The homepage of Iceland Air prominently featured a tour package of Blue Lagoon and visiting the active eruption. Despite the plethora of “technically active” volcanoes Iceland has, witnessing an active eruption is relatively rare.

Frankly, many images of the eruption circulating around were just incredible. Few, even Icelanders themselves, could even imagine a better volcano that was this photogenic yet accessible. Our neighbor Cameron visited Iceland with his brother just a month before our trip, and he also had nothing but great things to say about the visit to the volcano. When we asked him for recommendations about Iceland, he had only one message: “Go see the volcano! It was amazing!”

Day 1 - We Did Our Best

When we arrived at Reykjavík, the weather was terrible. We decided to defer our volcano visit after completing our road trip around the Ring Road. We had exactly 36 hours back in Reykjavík at the end of our trip, and I figured we could make an effort to see the eruption then. Of course, we were thoroughly exhausted by the end of our road trip a week later. After getting off the ferry from Westman Island, we looked forward to chilling in a fancy hotel in cosmopolitan Reykjavík and enjoying a nice meal. However, something has been weighing on our minds… we have yet to see the volcano.

This view was not exactly what we wished to see.

After wrapping up our lunch at the seaside town of Stokkseyri at around 2 pm, we decided to rip the bandage off. Let’s finally see the eruption that we came to Iceland for. After all, we needed to see a little bit of a fire in the “Land of Fire and Ice.” From Stokkseyri, it was a fifty-minute drive to the parking lot for Geldingardalur Volcano on Google Maps. As we approached our destination, the weather turned from bad to worse. Worst of all, there was no restroom or portable potty available. Because of the barren landscape, it was not like we could release ourselves in the middle of a field. But at this point, we decided just to forge ahead and hope for the best.

Once we parked and paid the 1,000 ISK fee, it was an easy trek ahead of us. One thing that jumped out to us was just how busy the trail was. At least a couple of hikers seemed to be coming in the opposite direction every minute or two. Funny enough, we got a bad feeling when we sensed the disappointment on the faces of those who obviously just left the eruption site. No one had a smile on them, and some seemed to be outright frustrated. After about twenty-five minutes, we saw a little berm ahead of us, and we immediately felt that whatever lay beyond it would probably be incredible. Would it be red hot flowing lava? Or is it the actual volcano crater?

Getting a closer look at the lava field.

But unfortunately for us, what greeted us beyond the berm was a field of black hardened lava…. no active flow or crater. At the far distance of the valley were faint plumes of smoke and a rather steep flow of black lava, showing us how far up the crater must be from this particular spot. On the right side of the valley was a steep trail that continued into the dense fog in the distance. At this point, we were at a bit of a loss. Shall we continue on and hope that we might see the crater? At this point, we overhead somebody close by that volcano had gone silent; all the lava flow was now going through the underground tunnels. In other words, we had missed our chance to see an active volcano. What a bummer!

Putting on a smile despite our disappointment.

It was then and there that I thought of the best way to check the status of the eruption: one of many live volcano cams on YouTube. Sure enough, the close-up live cam showed the volcano appeared dormant with a hint of red. Instead of marching onward like many others, we spent ten minutes or so walking around the edge of the lava field to make the best out of the situation. A few minutes later, it started to rain. Sigh… could this day be any more disappointing?

Despite our profound disappointment, we did feel a sense of relief. Nobody could tell us that we came to Iceland in the summer of 2021 without trying to see the eruption. Sometimes, it was just not meant to be, we suppose. But since we were there, we are determined to get the best out of the place. Since the lava field in front of us had already hardened, many assumed that it was safe to be adventurous in this environment, including many unwise behaviors. Storied emerged in the media that some American tourists risked serious injury when trying to cook hotdogs on molten lava. Okay, we did not see that while we were there, but we sure saw many people who thought walking on the lava was a good idea.

One of the most common activities is to throw a piece of rock on top of the lava to see whether it would break. The hardened lava is surprisingly brittle, and its texture resembles a freshly baked pavlova. Just the night before, we had a lovely dinner at Slippurinn, the best restaurant on Westman Island. The meal ended with a special dessert designed for the Goslok Festival (Goslokahátíð). The volcano dessert is composed of black licorice pavlova with chervil, seabuckthorn, white chocolate, and rhubarb granita, and it is appropriately named “End of Eruption Dessert”! So when I saw the lava up close in person, I gained a deep appreciation for that wonderful dessert.

People just can’t help themselves by touching the hardened lava.

Along the edge, numerous small vent holes still had smoke coming out of them. At a couple of locations, we could still see amber-color lava deep within. It was great to sense this place being “alive finally.” Even if we couldn't say that we saw an active eruption, at least we “technically” saw active lava flow. Secretly, I hoped there would be a dramatic eruption any minute now so we could see a giant river of lava coming down the hill. Needless to say, that did not happen, and we returned to the parking lot in no time. Goodbye, volcano… it was just not meant to be, and we finally found a restroom!

Day 2 - Second Try A Charm

The following day was our last full day in Iceland. We went to have our COVID test and did some last-minute souvenir shopping around downtown Reykjavík. After our misadventure yesterday, we gave up on seeing the eruption. As we enjoyed a fancy lunch at Fiskmarkaðurinn, I checked the volcano live feed. To my great surprise, the eruption had resumed, and the lava flow appeared decent. Best of all, the weather was decent compared to the day prior. I immediately texted our friend Ivy since she was returning to this part of Iceland. Over lunch, we decided to go back and try our luck the second time.

We decided to utilize a different parking lot and trailhead for this day. Provided that we did not even see the crater yesterday, I thought trying another route and getting a different perspective might be worthwhile. The parking lot we used this time was five minutes down a dirt track from where we parked before. This lot only had a fraction of traffic, and it was a little uneasy to think this was the better way to go. Of course, this entails another 1,000 ISK parking fee. It was funny that we ran into an American yesterday about whether they were enforcing the parking. It saddened me that people were thinking about cheating the system…, especially in a country that prides itself on honesty and transparency.

I could not see a more beautiful day for a hike.

The hike itself was very pleasant. With perfect weather, everything looked lovely. Best of all, the trail was very quiet. Unlike the other trailhead, there was no park ranger to answer people’s questions, nor a food truck catering to a constant stream of visitors. This hike was peaceful, and we probably passed a hiker every ten minutes. With the help of the AllTrials app on my phone, I noticed this particular trail tracked along the valley next to the one we were previously on. Based on the noted location of the craters, this seemed to be a much better trail for getting us as close to the eruption as possible.

Half an hour in, we saw the first major climb up the hill. It was steeper than it looked from afar. We were thankful that the weather was beautiful, and it was a beautiful hike with or without the volcano. Halfway up the hill, we saw the lava field we visited the previous day. A small, little-traveled path connects to where we stood yesterday. We were happy that what we had seen so far was superior. From that point, it was a series of switchbacks that were probably on a 25-degree incline.

Speaking of trails, we must complement Iceland for all the infrastructure around the eruption site. Iceland knows how to adapt to its changing natural environment. From the well-organized parking lot to the impeccable hiking trails, they have done a magnificent job on such short notice. Icelanders are entrepreneurial and never let a good opportunity go to waste. While there, we saw many bulldozers and graders working hard to maintain the trails. Even though they didn’t have admission fees, the government treated the whole project carefully.

From that spot, it was only a short 10-minute climb to reach the plateau. Finally, we got our first glimpse of the crater. As you can imagine, we could not be more excited. Even though it was still a distance away, it was still a magnificent sight. As is often the case in Iceland, half of the sky was overcast, which provides a dramatic backdrop for the volcano. Even from this distance, we could still hear the deep rumbling of the eruption. It was a sound that was distinctive. Lucky for us, the toxic fume from the eruption was at a safe level. Toxicity pollution from the eruption was a big environmental concern, given the proximity to the capital city.

As we stood at the first viewpoint of the eruption, we were mesmerized by the sight. All in all, there were only about a dozen fellow visitors in the vicinities, which seemed to be significantly less than the ridge across from the lava field. By chance, that was where Ivy and Vince were at that very moment. Since I could track each other’s movement via the iPhone’s locator, I could spy on their position to see how our views of the volcano differed. After seeing their picture, I believe we had a better view from our spot.

At a place like this, we sure have a lot of professional photographers and drone enthusiasts. Based on conversations among them, many of them have been coming here quite a few times. Quite frankly, I felt like we would have done the same thing if I lived in Reykjavík. At four months old, the volcano has transformed from a small lava vent to a gigantic monster of a crater.

Approximately ten minutes further was another prime viewing spot. I was determined to get as close to the crater as we possibly could. For those who ponied up for an expensive helicopter tour, they did get to land on one of the ridges in the middle of the lava field. The west of us could only watch them jealously and wonder how awesome their view must be. The sound of the helicopter was unrelenting; it seemed like at least six helicopters were swirling around us simultaneously.

One of the coolest things during that last stretch of the trek was geothermal radiation from the surrounding ground. The ground was warm to the touch, and we saw steam coming out of a couple of small in-ground holes we walked past. It was both thrilling and a little concerning, to be honest. If it were not for our dinner reservation at 8:30 pm, I would have stayed there for an hour or two more. There was something magnetic about this place. Intrepid Icelanders came prepared with a tiny cooler of beers. Even without active lava flow, the steamy lava field was still incredible. There was still a little part of me thinking the crater would collapse any moment now. Perhaps if we just stayed a little longer, we could have witnessed the greatest show on earth.

Brian and I felt incredibly privileged and moved that we witnessed one of nature’s most splendid phenomena. So few of us get to witness an active volcano, and this experience fundamentally altered our perspective on our beautiful planet. Perhaps one day, I might be able to return to this same spot and see how the landscape has been transformed a few years from now.

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Day 1 - We Did Our Best

Day 2 - Second Try A Charm

Ice In The Land of Fire and Ice

About Iceland’s High Cost of Travel