#asbyrgis

[captainmartinisblog]

Elves, Trolls and the Best Laid Plans…..

Friday 14th June 2024 – Akureyri, Iceland.

The last couple of days, they haven’t opened the pool early enough for me to go swimming before breakfast. No reason is given; it’s entirely arbitrary.

So today, I took the law into my own hands, I untied the rope myself and had a lovely swim!

Today, we arrived in Akureyri, the second largest city in Iceland and capital of the Western Fjords, with a population of nearly 25,000. It’s also the second most popular tourist destination in Iceland and we were followed by Costa Favolosa all the way from Seydisfjordur yesterday.

We docked for the first time this trip, which was refreshing, as all that tendering was beginning to get a bit tiresome!

Anyway, Andrew & I had chosen an 8-hour excursion today called the ‘Diamond Circle’.

We’re not fond of all-day tours these days, as they can a bit exhausting, not to say expensive! But having been to Akureyri before, we chose this one in order to visit the Dettifoss Falls – the second largest in Europe – plus, this trip also mentioned Husavik, which as any fan of Eurovision may know, was the setting of the 2014 movie ‘Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga’.

However, the bus had barely left the pier when we were told by the guide that we couldn’t visit Detifoss Falls because the area was closed due to heavy snow falls last week, making the trek to it dangerous. Well that put a dampener on things straightaway!

Our first planned stop was at the Lava Fields of Dimmuborgir, where some of the lava formations reach 65 feet high.

Icelandic myth says that this was formed when some Trolls had a wild party and lost track of the time (trolls clearly didn’t have watches in those days) and when the sun came up, they were turned into rocks. In truth, this area was a vast lake or marsh-land when volcanic lava erupted from fissures and solidified – but the story of the trolls is more fun!

We knew we were expecting lunch later but for some reason, we made another stop at this view-point for a ‘picnic snack’ overlooking MyVatn and what remains of the vast lake mentioned above, now pocked with sulphur springs. It was an impressive view but as to the ‘picnic’, we were all a bit puzzled….

Our excursion was also supposed to visit the ‘Whispering Cliffs’ of Hljodklettar in the Vatnajokull National Park but, guess what, that was closed too! Instead, we were taken on a trek through a forest to a pond popular with breeding ducks (except that there weren’t any ducks either!)

Icelandic Joke – Question: What do you do if you get lost in an Icelandic forest? Answer: Stand up! (Icelandic trees don’t grow very high because of the severe climate and lack of daylight 4 months of the year)

The area is known as Myndun Asbyrgis, a horseshoe-shaped canyon with cliffs up to 330 feet. Nick-named ‘Sleipnir’s Footprint’, it is said that it was created when one of the eight hooves of Odin’s horse, Sleipnir, accidentally touched the earth. Yes, well, today’s geologists prefer to believe that it was caused by catastrophic glacial flooding; a bit boring but probably closer to the truth!

Today we were indeed blessed with glorious sunshine all day, temperatures rising to the dizzy heights of 20 degrees – I even took off my woolly!

After a two-course lunch at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, our next stop was supposed to be in Husavik and Andrew & I were both looking forward to at least finding the ‘JaJa Ding Dong Bar’, named in honour of the 2014 movie set here, ‘Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga’.

But the bus drove straight through the town and our guide never even mentioned the film! All this was, presumably, so that our tour could stop at Godafoss Falls on the way back to the ship.

At around 30-40 ft, these falls are less impressive than Detifoss but it was here that at the time Christianity was being introduced around 1000AD, the local leader figure Porgeir threw his statues of the Norse Gods into the falls – hence the ‘Waterfall of the Gods’. All well and good but we had been here last time and these falls (quite near Akureyri) were on almost every other excursion apart from the one we chose!

It is said in Iceland that the Elves (or the ‘Hidden People’) often interfere with the lives of humans and that people should be mindful. It’s all twaddle of course, intended to make children behave (and adults for that matter) and follow the rules of the community in what was then a cruel world to survive in. But over 50% of the population still believe in the ‘Hidden People’ (or say they do, jus in case) and maybe, just maybe, the Elves had something to do with the events of today, because I took the rope off the pool to go swimming, instead of ‘obeying the rules’………

[dopescissorscashwagon]

Picturesque sceneries in North Iceland 😍

📍 Dettifoss Waterfall & Asbyrgi Canyon

📸 @guidetoiceland

[mywalkabout40]

Húsavík, Ásbyrgi, Stuðlagil Canyon and finally Egilsstaðir

If I recall correctly, I start this day around 5 a.m. The light was just breaking, but with a heavy cloud layer blanketing the land. As I try to stay awake with my 3rd cup of coffee, I see a group of Icelandic horses engaging in a most interesting routine, although whether they are dancing or showing dominance, I am not sure. A huge flock of birds fly over a glacial river as they head towards…

[2t2r]

Asbyrgi - un cirque en forme de fer à cheval

Nouvel article publié sur https://www.2tout2rien.fr/asbyrgi-un-cirque-en-forme-de-fer-a-cheval/

Asbyrgi - un cirque en forme de fer à cheval

[icysurbs]

Der vierte Tag: Von Kopasker nach Myvatn

Auf den Spuren der Götter wandeln wir durch Asbyrgi, die Burg der Asen. Nach einer kleinen Stärkung geht es rein ins Tal der Gletscherache Jökullsá zu den dramatischen Wasserfällen Dettifoss und Selfoss.

Auf dem Weg dorthin jede Menge Mondlandschaft!

Und ein irrer Canyon

Zum Tagesausklang gab's überraschenderweise auch noch Stinketöpfe 😝

[withabackpackandcamera]

June 28th, 2021

Day 3: The Start of the Half-and-Half Days from Akureyri

This morning, we took it easy and some of us slept in, which was very much needed given how much driving we had done and the distance we had covered in the last two days. It wasn’t until around mid-morning that we left our place and headed out to check out Goðafoss, also known as the “Waterfall of the Gods”. It was about a 30 minute drive out of town to get to Goðafoss but it was an easy drive there, followed by an easy walk out of the car to see it. 

Because I had already visited Goðafoss on my last trip, I didn’t need to go crazy taking photos of it this time. Instead, I hung around and took some photos with and of the family from both viewpoints of the waterfall before walking down to the water level to take a couple of family group shots from a different perspective. Along the way, my parents met a nice physician couple (with the wife being a Vietnamese doctor… the whole reason my mom struck up a conversation with her, I’m sure) from Pennsylvania and conversed with them while waiting for me, Cynthia, and Minh to finish some photos. 

Once photos were done and we were all good with the waterfall, we decided to head home for lunch instead of trying to fit in a drive out to Aldeyjarfoss because, though it was located in the same relative area as Goðafoss, it would take some time to drive there on the rugged road. So we drove back to Akureyri and stopped by the grocery store on the way home to stock up on ingredients to make lunch for the family. Once we were home, I got started with the cooking and prep work. After a little bit, we had our quick and easy lunch of Huy-styled Icelandic hot dogs with potato chips, potato salad, and spinach salad on the side, ready for consumption. 

It was nice to sit down and enjoy lunch at home instead of eating in the car or on the road or nowhere at all. We made the most of the lazy early afternoon and chilled and relaxed at home while also doing some planning for the next couple of days given how the schedule had already changed this morning with a late start, the updated weather forecast, and the scrapping of today’s planned visit to Aldeyjarfoss. After my brother and I looked through the schedule, we came up with an alternative itinerary for the next couple of days that just shifted things around a tad but would give us enough time to see what we needed to see before leaving Akureyri.

And with that schedule change, we made our way to Ásbyrgi, a horseshoe-shaped forest-y canyon located about 2.5 hours northeast of Akureyri. Originally, I had no interest in driving out to see this place based on some of the meh photos I had seen of the area. But because Minh wanted to see it and I didn’t have other concrete plans, the family and I (minus Cynthia, who had to stay home to work) went along with it. 

The drive out To Ásbyrgi was long but luckily, the weather held up and it was a gorgeous late afternoon drive there. Along the way, we drove through Husavik and lots of lupine fields, which offered beautiful roadside views as we sped by. Once we arrived at Ásbyrgi, we drove all the way through the canyon to the end of the road where we were hoping to find the trailhead for the hike that would lead us to the canyon-top views. However, after briefly walking around the area, we found that we were not in the right area for what we were looking for. We jumped back into the car and retraced our steps to another location, where we ended up finding the correct trailhead for our relatively easy hike.  

But what I thought would be an easy stroll ended up being much more difficult because of a very strange, sharp pain that suddenly developed in my right heel for some odd reason. I wasn’t sure what was causing the pain (inflammation vs. an Achilles issue vs. a blister vs. a tendinopathy) but it was painful enough to cause me to be moderately distressed at the situation, especially because of how early in the trip it occurred. 

Despite the sharp pain that recurred every time I took a step with my right foot, I kept hiking. I endured it so that I could see what we came to see at Ásbyrgi and not miss out. But it was painful and by the time I reached my brother at the inner edge of the canyon, I was in a good deal of pain when walking. But I sucked it up and enjoyed the almost-sunset views of the vast canyon before slowly hobbling my way back to our parked car. What a miserable hike despite how easy it was. 

By the time we were done hiking, half the family was hobbling and we were ready for the drive home with the goal of making it back for a hot dinner. But we got derailed along the way when we saw beautiful golden hour lighting and some roadside lupines near the Husavik area. So we made a quick stop to take some photos before jumping back into the car and racing our way back to Akureyri. 

When we arrived in the city, it was pretty late and there were very few non-fast food options still open for dinner. But luckily, we got back in time to stop by Blaa Kannan Cafe in downtown Akureyri, where we ordered some chicken sandwiches, a chicken panini, a veggie quiche, a cookie, and an orange cheesecake to take home for dinner and dessert. Once we were home, we quickly devoured our not-too-bad sandwiches and desserts before getting ready for bed. And as I readied myself for bed, I spent some time planning for the next morning in hopes of having a productive half day of traveling with Cynthia on board. 

5 Things I Learned/Observed Today:

1. The public bathrooms located in parks and at natural attractions in Iceland are ridiculous! Unlike the nasty port-a-potties in America, the bathrooms in Icelandic parks and near natural tourist attractions are super clean and well-kept with working faucets and sinks, normal and clean flushing toilets, and even hand dryers. Why can’t we have that in America!?

2. How was Ásbyrgi formed? There’s the myth and there’s the science. The local myth states that the horseshoe-shaped canyon formed when Sleipnir, Odin’s flying horse, touched the ground with one of his eight hooves. But based on science, the thought is that between two and five thousand years ago, “huge lakes of meltwater formed near three active volcanoes” around the edge of the Vatnajokull glacier and “eruptions under the ice may have dislodged ‘ice dams’ and allowed the lakes to drain quickly and suddenly, resulting in enormous floods that rushed quickly out to sea with such unbelievable force that they carved canyons like Ásbyrgi in the lava”, which later hardened to become what we see today. 

3. Rams in Iceland are aggressive! Unlike their kids and wifeys, rams don’t give a f about anything when crossing the road. They probably think they’re the big boss based on how they look and look at you when walking across the road. When approached by a car while crossing the road, some rams will just stop mid-cross and stand there, in the middle of the road, while you’re driving closer and closer. Then, they’ll stare at you in disgust for a few seconds before continuing to cross the road at their own, unconcerned pace. That attitude! 

4. No matter how long I wait into the night, the sky never seems to get dark here. And it’s even more apparent in north Iceland in June, when sunset is after midnight! Just craziness. 

5. The area around the town of Husavik is so much more picturesque in the summer when the landscapes are dotted with purple lupines everywhere. During my last visit to this area, it was wintery and cold with not-nearly-as-pretty barren landscapes.

[visitheworld]

The Horseshoe Canyon of Ásbyrgi / Iceland (by Iurie Belegurschi).

[icelandnews]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Photos and Videos from Iceland (@iceland_videos)

#Asbyrgi, a national park in north #Iceland, near the town of #Husavik. Beautiful #canyon,and was formed, as the story goes, by #Odins horse, #Sleipnir. #travel #holiday #vacation #bbctravel #video #share #followme #sharethis #followme @stormhour @bbc_travel @cnntravel @amycoventryx #nature #geology #volcano @a_geologist (at Ásbyrgi) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_0oQ8WB9FV/?igshid=qh3c87y71pis

[travelbinge]

The Horseshoe Canyon of Ásbyrgi by Iurie Belegurschi

Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland

[stumbleimg]

Aerial View of Ásbyrgi

[vishallodaya-blog]

Near Akureyri. We were supposed to for a long time to climb at the top. Doing somethings like this was purely pleasurable. 😊 . . #mountains #colors #green #ice #sky #nature #canyon #northeasticeland #northiceland #asbyrgi #asbyrgicanyon . . #iceland #icelandtravel #iceland🇮🇸 #icelandtrip #icelandroadtrip #icelandadventure #roadtrip #travel #traveler #travelphoto #latergram #travelholic #travelgram #traveller #travelawesome #travelbug #travelnow #travellingthroughtheworld🌍 (at Asbyrgi Canyon) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cix2r3utc_3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mariafotografa]

#desfiladero #asbyrgi #asbyrgicanyon #lago #botnstjörn #eyjan #islandia #islandia🇮🇸 #iceland #icelandtravel #icelandadventure #travelling #travelphotography #fotografia #viajesporelmundo #viajesinolvidables #viajesdeverano #viajes #viajera #viajerafeliz #mariafotografa7 #naturaleza #nature #naturephotography #photography #agua #rocas https://www.instagram.com/p/CgPI6MgjtmU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[phantasmagloria]

Notes from a Cold Island: Road Trip Pt. I

Notes from a Cold Island: Part I of our 12-day road trip around Iceland. This time: Mývatn, Dimmuborgir, Ásbyrgi, Detifoss.

Back in June, after living here for nine months, we finally took a trip around the country. My dearest had the whole thing planned out: a clockwise road trip around the island in 12 days, staying in a different town each night, covering as many sights as possible while also avoiding tourists. Here goes… Sat. June 12: Siglufjördur to Mývatn Our first stop would be Lake Mývatn, which literally…

[dknuth]

A layover day in Myvatn and a north loop

It was a layover day, so Cathie decided to take it easy and sleep in. That allowed me to do a bit more hiking, so it worked for both of us.

The first stop was back at Dettifoss, but on the west side. The access on this side is from a paved road and the walking is easier, so they have developed this side more: viewing platforms, better toilets and parking lot.

The view of Dettifoss is all from above here, so it wasn't as interesting for me.

There is also a trail here up to Selfoss about a km to the north (upstream). You can't get as close to the action at this falls, as it is out in the middle of the river more. But I do really like it. The main falls is in a narrow "V" in the middle of the river. So you really can't get close to that at all. On the west side there are several massive structures each of which acts as a separate falls.

In fact, as you get closer the actual falls are less visible. The best view is from downstream where you can look up into the "V" and see the west side falls. I like the depth that the individual falls down the right side at to the distant main V shaped center falls.

The next stop was further north, almost to the coast in the Asbyrgi canyon. It's a very unusual canyon. It's U shaped in plan with vertical walls up to 300 ft. tall and with a flat bottom a kilometer wide. In the middle there's an arrowhead shaped island pointed upstream with the same high walls.

This photo shows the shape well, but it's not mine. I couldn't find a road to the top and it's in a National Park, so no drones.

Apparently it was formed in two large floods, 10,000 and 3,000 years ago. These would have been the floods from when a glacial dam breaks releasing huge amounts of water suddenly. Those types of floods can scoop up huge amounts of rock and carry it away. As the water picks up more rock the weight of the solution increases until the flood water is almost as heavy as rock, meaning rocks can almost float.

Later on the river that caused all this took a new path a ways to the east, so here's this unusual canyon with no river.

It was farmed for a long time, but after it became park land they planted trees, so now it is forested.

There is a pretty little lake at the north end and I walked to that.

I also hiked the top of the island in the center and was a little more comfortable with the cliff edge this time.

After this I drove up to the north shore and over to the fjord to the west before circling back to Myvatn.

Tomorrow we head west, and the mountains on the other side of the fjord were snow covered and looked cold.

[ronnytriathlon]

Teil 4 meines Reiseberichtes handelt heute unserer ersten Wanderung. Dafür waren wir mit dem Bus nach #asbyrgi gefahren. Dort befindet sich der Startpunkt für eine der schönsten Wanderungen zu Europas größtem Wasserfall, dem #dettifoss. Für die knapp 35km sollte man sich 2 Tage Zeit nehmen, aber wir haben das in unserem jugendlichen Leichtsinn an einem Tag abgerissen 🙈 Da wir jeder fast 25kg Gepäck hatten, sollte sich das zum Ende hin rächen 😂 Man beginnt an einem Golfplatz und man folgt dem Weg oberhalb einer Schlucht durch eine überraschend grüne #landschaft. Nach einigen Kilometern wechselt es aber schlagartig und man hat das Gefühl auf dem Mond zu sein. Am Ende kommt man dann wieder an eine Schlucht und man hört schon von der Ferne das Brausen des Wasserfalls. Vor Ort sollte man zeitig aufstehen, um vor den Touristen da zu sein. #getoutside #photooftheday #picoftheday #letsgosomewhere #bestvacations #natgeo #wonderful_places #lonelyplanet #instatravel #travelgram #happy #wanderlust #nature #travel #iceland #vacation #sunshine #crosscountry #holiday #beautifuldestinations #instagood #beautiful #nofilter #blogger_de #germanblogger #blogger (hier: Tjaldsvæði Ásbyrgi) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1S8wzXo_ji/?igshid=lrj4hcbprpkw

[wearelivingdeeply-blog]

Asbyrgi Canyon, Road 85, Northeast Region, Iceland 🇮🇸 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Yesterday we finally did one hiking trail around Vatnajökull National Park. It's know as "Á8 Kúahvammur". It's a circular 12km trail (took us 4h to finish) from Asbyrgi Visitor Center to Klappir & Kúahvammur. Must say it was AWESOME and, for the lazy ones: SUPER WORTH IT! The views from the top of the Canyon are stunning ❤️ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #hiking #treking #asbyrgi #asbyrgicanyon #traveler #travelbug #travelgram #klappir #kúahvammur #nature #naturelovers #naturephotography #landscape #landscape_lovers #landscapephotography #senderismo #iceland #islandia #ísland #discoveringiceland #iphone #iphone6s #followus #adventuretime #aroundiceland #vatnajökullnationalpark (en Vatnajökull National Park)