Iceland -- A First Trip Report

[dr_wu002]

Maybe some of you had noticed that I have not posted in a few weeks. Fortunately, I wasn't dead or even in prison -- just out of the country, in Iceland for 13 days in fact! Here is a first little trip report... over the next week or few weeks I'm going to post a few specific trip reports of various hikes here and a more general overview of the trip in my new live journal account, Doctor Vu, get it: Doctor "View"?. To whet your appetite, here are 10 pictures and some text to explain:

We rented a car and traveled around the island in a counterclockwise direction, covering about 2000 miles (on lots of dirt roads) in 9 days.

Here are some nice roadside things we saw -- Falls:

Black Sanded Beaches:

Here's some stuff we saw hiking -- Deep cut canyon with lots of waterfalls along this trail:

Glacier:

Beautiful Cliff Edge looking out to Knife Edged Peaks & More Glacier:

Volcanic Landscape:

Huge, 1200' cliffs:

Puffins!!!!

A mountain for Dr. Wu to fracture his leg on (but still hike the next day):

and other things -- sick, frightening dirt roads and mountain crossings:

I took about 1400 photos on the trip so it'll take me a few days to sort through everything (many of them came out great) and write some trip reports. I'm probably not going to post a comprehensive trip report but instead, individual reports from day hikes and also (in my LJ account) a series of observations including those of, puffins, mountain passes, fjörds, glaciers and so on. Hope you enjoy!

-Dr. Wu

 

[sapblatt]

Wow!

I noticed you were away...glad to see you are not in prison or dead! Is the live journal supposed to bring me somewhere? It did not, except to your "user page."
Iceland looks other worldly. Incredible pics...I love puffins, seen them in Maine (Acadia). Did you really fracture your leg? Hope you are OK.
Keep the pics coming!

 

[SAR-EMT40]

Great photos. Thanks for them and the post.

Keith

 

[Gris]

Damn!

 

[dr_wu002]

I noticed you were away...glad to see you are not in prison or dead! Is the live journal supposed to bring me somewhere? It did not, except to your "user page."
Iceland looks other worldly. Incredible pics...I love puffins, seen them in Maine (Acadia). Did you really fracture your leg? Hope you are OK.
Keep the pics coming!

The link brings you to my new LJ page but it's not really done yet. It'll be up in a week or so, fully -- maybe I shouldn't have posted the link yet? Like the "Doctor Vu" thing?

I am going to the doctor today -- I fell climbing up a steep scree slope and hit my leg. It may be a minor fracture on my tibia or perhaps a contusion but it hurts a little like hell and I don't like to touch it and get nervous when anyone gets near it. It could be nothing... I did go hiking on it the very next day and I'm certainly not going to stop, but I think I should have a doctor look at it (girlfriend requests!?)

-Dr. Vu

 

[alpinista]

Dr. Wu -- did you hike either Mt. Esja or Snaefellsjokull? Esja is tiny, but has a beautiful view of Reykjavik. Snaefellsjokull was the inspiration for "Journey to the Center of the Earth," and I wanted desperately to get there but wasn't able to the last time I was in Iceland.

Did you spend any time in Reykjavik? Favorite spot is the Dubliner.

I'm so jealous! I need to get back there!

 

[Double Bow]

I'd been wondering where you had disappeared to. I thought maybe you had slipped and fallen into a wormhole. Sounds like you had yourself an amazing adventure! Did you go with a guide/tour or did you read up about the places to visit in advance?

 

[sapblatt]

The link brings you to my new LJ page but it's not really done yet. It'll be up in a week or so, fully -- maybe I shouldn't have posted the link yet? Like the "Doctor Vu" thing?

I am going to the doctor today -- I fell climbing up a steep scree slope and hit my leg. It may be a minor fracture on my tibia or perhaps a contusion but it hurts a little like hell and I don't like to touch it and get nervous when anyone gets near it. It could be nothing... I did go hiking on it the very next day and I'm certainly not going to stop, but I think I should have a doctor look at it (girlfriend requests!?)

-Dr. Vu

"Dr. Vu" sounds cool.
Wives and girldfriends are very big on the "go get it looked at" thing...we must appease. Of course, when the doctor tells you it is OK it gives you permission to go out and do crazy death marches!

 

[MEB]

Wow!

Welcome Back Dr Wu!

These pictures are amazing! I'm looking forward to seeing more and hearing more about your trip.

By the way, will any of these moutains make it on the Wu-List??

-MEB

 

[dr_wu002]

Dr. Wu -- did you hike either Mt. Esja or Snaefelljokull? Esja is tiny, but has a beautiful view of Reykjavike. Snaefellsjokull was the inspiration for "Journey to the Center of the Earth," and I wanted desperately to get there but wasn't able to the last time I was in Iceland.

Did you spend any time in Reykjavik? Favorite spot is the Dubliner.

I'm so jealous! I need to get back there!

If you click on my signature up top, you'll see a picture of me on the summit of Esjá! It was a great hike. Did you sign the canister!?

Didn't get a chance to do Snæfellsjökull -- hiked up a little peak nearby (can't remember the name right now) but not to the top as the scree slope was pretty nasty going up... that's where I knocked around my leg. Checked out some of the caves in that area too.

The picture of the canyon was from Skógafoss in the Southern section. If you hike up to the top of the falls, there's an awesome trail that goes all the way to Þórsmörk -- with 13 or so additional waterfalls. It was amazing -- did you do this?

-Dr. Wu

 

[dr_wu002]

I'd been wondering where you had disappeared to. I thought maybe you had slipped and fallen into a wormhole. Sounds like you had yourself an amazing adventure! Did you go with a guide/tour or did you read up about the places to visit in advance?

No guides... +'s and -'s about that. Wouldn't risk going on the glacier without a guide but we were kind of flexible otherwise. I read in advance about the Island (and on the trip) but since we rented a car we were pretty much free to do whatever we wanted. I was a little frustrated with driving 2000 miles (much on dirt roads) in 9 days because we had to sacrifice some time spent hiking to cover more ground but overall, it was a nice first experience. I'm definitely going back next summer to do a longer hike (Skóga - Þórsmörk - Landmannalaugar).

-Dr. Wu

 

[darren]

Great shots. I look forward to seeing more. Hope your leg is ok and it is just a bruise.

- darren

 

[spider solo]

Greart pictures...esp the puffin.
Glad your back in one piece !
spdr

 

[poison ivy]

Gorgeous, gorgeous pictures! My hubby has been campaigning for a trip to Iceland for a few years now... & now I see why!

- Ivy

 

[MattC]

Welcome back, Wu. Looks like an amazing place. Take care of that leg.

Matt

 

[dr_wu002]

Cool pics!! I like the "1200' Cliff" one the best. Looks like an incredible trail to run!

Laughed when you said you hiked the day after fracturing your leg--I did the same thing (Turtlehead Peak in Vegas!) a few years ago,

I don't want to give anyone the impression that my leg is flopping around or anything -- and I'm hiking on it. It's probably a bad bruise on the bone (it's right below the knee where there's almost no fleshy stuff to protect the bone) or perhaps a tiny fracture. I've been working out on it since and it' been ok although it feels weird and I hate touching it because, as I said, it feels weird and it also hurts. I have a doctor at work anyway so I'll go to him and tell him that "my girlfriend wants me to have this checked out." And then I'll invite him to walk the Bonds with me this weekend...

Oh, and the bird cliffs (Látrabjarg) were nice but the minute you went off that little path there was a lot of frost-heaving and hidden Puffin nests so just about any step you took was a land-mind, ankle-twisting paradise! Some evidence of Sea Eagles chowing on other birds and lots of naughty ravens stealing eggs... That particular path goes on for about 14km. The more interesting hike, for you -- I think, would be the one I described as having a canyon. That was the path behind Skógafoss (waterfall in South Iceland, right off Route 1) which runs all the way to Þórsmörk and then Landmannalaugar, and passes right between two glaciers, Mýrdalsjökul and Eyjafjallajökull but not before passing some beautiful scenery (right out of Lord of the Rings -- Bring Frodo):

-Dr. Wu

 

[bobandgeri]

Wow - what great pics!!!!! Looks like a trip of a lifetime!

 

[dr_wu002]

Wow - what great pics!!!!! Looks like a trip of a lifetime!

Hopefully Not!! I'm only 30!!

Will you be keeping the picture of the puffin longer than any previous one?

Have I Ever!? Which one did you like best?

-Dr. Wu

 

[Frodo]

Welcome back and spectacular pictures! Reminds me of Ireland because there are no trees. Though Ireland doesn't have any glaciers...

Good to hear that your injury isn't quite as bad as the Black Knight's from Monty Python's Holy Grail and you will be back on the trails soon...

Awesome trip!

 

[sli74]

WOW !!!!! Those are AMAZING pictures. I can't wait to see the rest. I will have to add Iceland to my ever-growing list of places to visit. Maybe your pictures will convince my boy that he wants to join me as well.

Hope you heal quickly.

sli74