Lava Pilgrimage

Part of the reason I became so interested in visiting Iceland is watching live streams of their volcanoes erupting and evolving in real time.  I've always loved watching the interplay of the sea and the sand, I think this is similar but on a grander scale.


So today I'd set myself the ordeal of trekking to Iceland's newest volcano at Litli-Hrútur.  This only stopped erupting about a month ago, I had hoped it might still be going when I arrived but it wasn't to be.


The hike trail takes you past the two previous contenders for most recent eruption, spaced out only a few years apart and still smouldering for it.  They're all fissure eruptions on there same fissure so they're roughly in a line.


After a very steep climb with a blasting headwind we cube to Fagradalsfjall volcano, the oldest of the three.



  Next is Geldingadalir volcano, second oldest.



After even more hiking, ending in a climb up a steep hill we reach Litli-Hrútur which I learnt means little wolf!  The wind on top of that hill was something to behold!


In the distance to the left you can see another cone called Keilir.  This is an old subglacial eruption but the fissure is pointing that way.  Likely as not there'll be another eruption in that direction in the next few years.  This might be more disruptive as the lava could flow towards the road linking Reykjavik to the airport!

Anyway I hiked back and eventually got to the car, the sign suggests I covered about 20km.  The rest of the day is a write off!

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