Detour #09: Route One, Iceland
Volatile, untamed and just 20 million years old, Iceland is young in geological terms and it’s still growing. With each volcanic eruption, each flowing of molten lava the country gradually expands. And there’s no better way to witness the country’s extraordinary natural beauty than by taking Route One, which circumnavigates this island nation.
Heading out of the capital Reykjavik, past the infamous and unpronounceable Eyjafjallajokull volcano there’s clear evidence of the seismic changes that occur with unnerving regularity. What were once sea cliffs are now far inland and small islands burst out of ashen lava fields. No less inspiring is the epic Skógafoss waterfall that comes into sight. It is so perfect that it’s almost a caricature. Meltwater from the Myrdalsjökull glacier cascades 60 metres down former sea cliffs into a pool flanked by a beach of pure black sand. Continue on and the glacier itself looms in the distance. It may cover over 200 square miles but it’s dwarfed by the Vatnajökull glacier which is barely two hours away.
Heading inland toward Vik the scenery has a distinctly alpine feel to it and as you skirt mountains there are pastures, farmhouses and plenty of livestock. Iceland’s native sheep were brought over by the Vikings and they look pretty happy in their thick coats as they gambol randomly across the road. Over the next 100 miles you will encounter lava fields dotted with drumlins and bumps, all covered with thick green moss and more sea cliffs which are now very far from the ocean, but are still home to nesting birds.
At Skeioararsandur there’s no sign of life at all, just a barren almost lunar landscape. Footprints left here could remain for decades. The Vatnajökull glacier is the largest ice cap in Europe and covers an astonishing eight per cent of Iceland’s land mass. It’s huge. And no matter how long you keep driving towards it, it seems to stay resolutely in the distance. At Jökulsarlon a lagoon is home to massive icebergs, great chunks that have calved off Vatnajökull and now drift through the mist with the incoming tide. In amongst them grey seals hunt and fight whilst gulls circle looking for leftovers. It’s peaceful here, with only the occasional cracking of impossibly blue ice as it melts.
After Höfn the road gradually heads north, initially over another huge flood plain and then weaving away along the coast following the fjords as they creep inland from the ocean. It climbs hundreds of metres, hugging the edge of mountains and looking down on more black sandy beaches. From the descent to almost sea level, the road is all gravel, climbing again through a series of hairpins before you find yourself in a volcanic basin. Perhaps best not to linger too long here.
Soon you will be faced with another alpine meadow - this could almost be Austria - before climbing into a landscape that’s even more barren and desolate than ever. Put a red tint on it and the area around Dimmifjallgadour would look like Mars.
Eventually in the distance you will spy great plumes of steam rising from the ground. These are the fumaroles and mud pots at Hverfjall which pour out superheated steam and sulphurous gas that make your eyes water. Husavik is a popular whale watching spot on the way to Akureyri, the capital of the north, but not before you come across the very aptly named Godafoss ‘God’s falls’. There’s not much to say except ‘wow’.
Soon after leaving Akureyri you head towards snowcapped peaks with the road running parallel to a river. A river which appears to be running uphill thanks to an optical illusion. The final leg bag to Reykjavik takes you inland once more before, skimming the fjords then whisking you through a tunnel into the capital. It’s an 800-mile geology lesson at 50mph. And whether you take days or weeks to drive it Iceland’s Route One will be on your memory forever.
Words Nik Berg Twitter | Instagram
Photography Tom Salt @seesaltwork
Roadbook
Class: Epic ring road
Name: Route 1
Route: Reykjavik to Reykjavik
Country: Iceland
Distance: 800 miles
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