* At the time of writing, the Fagradalisfjall eruption has gone quiet, with no new lava flow since September, 2021. It is still possible that the volcano will become more active in the future, but be sure to check current conditions to avoid disappointment.
In March, 2021, something amazing happened. Fagradalisfjall Volcano, in the far southwest of Iceland, erupted. Early footage of the volcano was both awe-inspiring and mesmerizing. Best of all, it was easy to access via a short hike. The duration of the eruption was anybody’s guess, and as Ben and I counted down the days to our summer trip to Iceland, it became relatively certain that the volcano would, indeed be active at the time of our trip. We were going to see an active volcano.
Ben, in particular, was very excited at this prospect. In fact, despite breathtaking waterfalls and stunning glaciers, the volcano was the thing he was most excited to see. Because the eruption site was located near the international airport, we decided to visit it on day one of our trip. We had flown directly to Iceland from Denver, and arrived very early in the morning. So after a rejuvenating dip in the Blue Lagoon (and in spite of the fact that I hadn’t slept at all since we left home, and Ben barely more so), we headed on our way to Fagradalisfjall.
At the time, there were a few different hiking routes to get to the volcano, but only route C was open because recent lava flow had covered the other two trails. The first stretch of our hike was along a dirt path through the mountains, where we reached a newly formed lava field, stretching out as far as we could see. This was all cooled lava, black and hard enough to stand on (though we did so very very cautiously since we could still see smoke rising off the surface in the distance.) Already, we were thrilled by what we’d seen, but you don’t really visit a volcano to see cooled lava. We wanted to see the red stuff.
We were almost disappointed. As we walked closer and closer to the crater itself, the weather steadily got worse. Before long, it was so foggy and cloudy, we could barely see our own feet! We knew there was a volcano actively erupting somewhere in front of us, but we could see nothing.
The trail was very steep and very treacherous, having been hurriedly marked to provide tourists and hikers like myself with a clear route. I tend not to do so well on steep inclines, so with the difficulty of the hike in addition to the poor weather, we very nearly turned around. But I overheard another hiker say to keep going, that it was worth it. So we ventured on.
He was right. It was worth it.
After walking blindly in the fog for who knows how long, I could suddenly hear something rumbling. I looked up, and there it was! The crater spewing lava in violent outbursts. Without even realizing it, we had gotten as close to the crater as we safely could! We watched nature put on her spectacular show for quite a while, then journeyed a little farther, past the crater to the opposite side of the volcano, in which direction the lava was flowing.
Much to my surprise, there was no barrier keeping you a certain distance from the lava. Apparently, Iceland is more trusting than the United States when it comes to people looking out for themselves. We were able to walk right up to the red-hot lava as it spilled onto the ground in front of us. I say “walk right up,” but really, we had to keep a few feet of distance, 1. because safety first and 2. because it was crazy hot! Standing five feet from the lava felt like standing right in front of a huge bonfire. Even from twenty feet away, I could still feel the heat enough that I took off my jacket. We found a nice observation spot, where we would watch the lava for a bit, then dart forward to take a picture before retreating away from the blazing molten rock.
It may have had something to do with the fact that I hadn’t slept in about 36 hours, but being in front of the volcano truly felt like an otherworldly experience. Ben was positively giddy! Seeing something as powerful and majestic as this volcano gave me a new appreciation for the magnificence and beauty of this world God has made for us. I feel so lucky to have seen it!
We stayed at the volcano close to four hours before finally turning around to hike back. Going downhill is much easier than going uphill, so the hike wasn’t bad at all except that we were really tired. We realized on the walk back that if it hadn’t been for all the fog, we could have been looking at the crater for at least a mile of our walk! By the time we reached our car, we were both having trouble keeping our eyes open. Ben told me later that he almost fell asleep at the wheel! I’m not sure if I’m grateful or not that he chose to keep that information to himself… We made it safely to Reykjavik and checked into our hotel, where I went straight to sleep even though it was only about 6:00 in the evening. It had been the best possible first day in Iceland, but we still had lots of exciting adventures to come.
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