EU Part 11 Iceland The Remote North
Sunday, 12 May 2019 6:20 pm
The Asbyri Canyon is a 3.5km canyon carved through the lava by a catastrophic glacial flooding around 8,000 years ago.
A volcano erupted below the ice sheet melting trillions of litres of ice creating a gigantic flood.
A similar event caused the Grand Canyon in Colorado.
Then south to the Dettifoss waterfall.
Strictly 4x4 but where is the road ?
Really a great 23km drive through thick snow - thank goodness for sunglasses.
Dettifoss waterfall, the falls are 45m high and is the largest waterfall in Europe in terms of volume.
If we look COLD - We are !
Negative 3*C and a strong wing
crazy !
We returned north on the same snow covered road and when back on the black top knocked off a significant amount of ice and snow from around the vehicle.
Below had to stay as is !
Camp E107 : Snow Camp on Arctic Fox Plain
Our most northern camp in Iceland
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 28 metres
Temp negative 0.7*C
Today 170 Kms
EU Total : 11,245 Km
Sunday 12th May 2018:
Mothers day and what a great place to visit on such an occasion...
OK, we had better do this Mothers Day thing correctly, so coffee and cake in Iceland’s most northern town, actually just a small village called Raufarhöfn.
Now there is a track that heads out to the the very remote Langanes Peninsula.
It follows the rocky shore line then above the vertical basalt column cliffs.
This area is the Skoruvik migratory bird nesting area.
This single rock called ‘Big Man’ is the sole Icelandic nesting grounds for the Sea Gannet
But no Puffins !
We drive further and see these guys.
They are collecting Gullimot
eggs. It is a member of the Auk
family.
They gave us 4 to try.
Boil water for 1 minute.
Add the eggs and cook for
7 minutes.
Break open when done..
If there is a chick inside. !!
“We have harvested to late .... “
We will try tomorrow for breakfast
These are legally collected
and I note the guys were
keeping a spread sheet.
All along these northern beaches piles of drift wood.
We ask the locals..
“ It comes from Siberia as they cut the timber and float it down the rivers - some escape to the ocean.
It takes 7 years to travel in the currents to Iceland ”
The old deserted fishing town of Skálar on the east coast of the Langanes Peninsula .
In 1895 it was a trading and fishing port and prospered until 1945. The fishing declined and to top it off two mines floated in after the war and exploded, destroying the wharf facilities.
By 1946 all 117 inhabitants had moved away.
Camp E108 : Old Skálar fishing port
Our most remote camp in Iceland
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 14 metres
Temp 5*C
Today 172 Kms
EU Total : 11,417 Km
Monday 13th May 2019:
Who is for boiled Auk Eggs ?
...nobody is rushing to grab one.
The white is sort of clear and not at all appetising.
I for one, am never a white of egg lover at the best of times so this is just a bit too much.
The yellow I tasted, and give it a 2/10 a strong flavour.
It’s just the strong smell that Lyn says “No Way”
The Vikings have been collecting these from settlement in 870AD, and the tradition continues.
They love them..
I put that down to generational food acclimatisation, just like our Aussie Vegemite.
“An acquired taste”
Now for more geological things.
I have seen plenty of Basalt columns standing vertically along cliff faces, but this is the best example of the top view I have seen
Just a bit of a challenge.
Over a mountain pass at 4-500 metres
Visibility was down to 50m.
One follows one set of yellow guide posts to the next.
Camp E109 : Snowy Mountain View
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 12 metres
Temp 11*C
Today 282 Kms
EU Total : 11,700 Km
And our water pump does not work.
Pulled it apart on the kitchen table and managed a temporary fix.
Tuesday 14th May 2019:
On our way to see Puffins.
We leave Iceland tomorrow so this is an absolute wish of Lyn’s to see more than the one pair.
Lyn’s wish is granted !
Landing gear down !
Neighbourhood argument.
“ It was so a good landing”
“No, it wasn’t, you you crashed into the grass - You Muffin !”
“It’s Puffin not Muffin anyway”
Anybody home ?
Camp E110 : Same camp as last night
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 12 metres
Temp 10*C
Today 126 Kms
EU Total : 11,826 Km.
Wednesday 15th May 2019:
Today we rejoin Stena line for our return trip to Denmark
It’s a 3-4 day trip so no internet during that time.
Cheers from Iceland...