In December 2017, I visited Iceland. At that time, I explored the southern Ring Road and hoped to see the Northern Lights. Although I saw no aurora borealis until Alaska in 2023, I enjoyed the winter coastal sights of Iceland.
This time, I decided to do something different and roam the interior highlands of Iceland. Rather than piece together a trek, necessitating packing and logistics, I booked two one-day tours with Arctic Adventures. Even though the days were long (12 hours on Wednesday, August 19 and 14 hours on Thursday, August 20), the vistas and experiences more than made up for the time committed.
My first tour took me to geothermal delight, Kerlingarfjöll. To our dismay, en route there was a “situation” (the word our guide used)! Our super-jeep almost lost a tire! The locks on the rear passenger wheel nearly came off. We stopped on the side of the road. A small bus from another company heading to Kerlingarfjöll picked us up after we waited for about an hour. While we hiked, Arctic Adventures sent a mechanic to our vehicle; he fixed it and drove it to meet us at the end of our hike. Phew!
Arctic Adventures wrote this about Kerlingarfjöll: “Kerlingarfjöll volcanic mountain range in central Iceland is a picturesque paradise filled with steaming geothermal valleys and gushing glacial rivers. Along the way, you’ll be treated to spectacular views of the vast lava fields and glacier-topped mountains.”
The trip didn’t disappoint! I saw gorgeous steaming heat vents, flowing rivers, magnificent glaciers, and vast lava fields.
The geothermal activity of Kerlingarfjöll reminded me of Yellowstone. Not mentioned in Arctic Adventures description, however, was the geothermic “rotten egg” smell. 😊
Kerlingarfjöll
On the way to Kerlingarfjöll and before our jeep broke down, a herd of Icelandic horses ran across the road
Following our hike in Kerlingarfjöll, we stopped by the magnificent Gullfoss
Gullfoss in the summer looks quite different than it did in the winter!
