Into The Volcano
On a recent trip to Iceland, I was open to any adventure….well, within reason. It was decided we would take a tour into the center of a dormant volcano. As far as I knew, we would be dropped down into the volcano where we would spend some time exploring. That was the extent of what I understood about the tour, but it sounded amazing.
As the tour began, I learned it was so much more. The small group would be hiking across lava fields a few miles away, climb up to base camp, and then group by group, climb to the top of the volcano to be lowered down inside, wearing harnesses and hard hats. The wind was brutal and I was thankful for hiking boots, winter coats with hoods and gloves. The terrain was uneven and vast……volcanoes, mountains and lava fields as far as the eye could see. The volcano we were heading to, happened to be the furthest away…….better buckle-up.
Once we got to base camp, it felt good knowing we mastered the rough terrain. We were put into small groups, given instructions, provided gear that included; a hard hat with a light and harness to be used when getting to the basket that lowered groups down into the crater. We were notified when it was our time to climb to the mouth of the volcano, which was windy, steep and a little intimidating….well actually, a lot of intimidating. There were five in my tour group, a guide and basket operator. One by one our harnesses were clipped to ropes guiding us to the basket and along a narrow plank-way. Once in the basket, we were slowly lowered along the rocky walls and into the crater. The walls were scalded from the eruption that took place 4000 years earlier and were beautiful shades of purple, blue, red, green, brown and yellow.
Once inside, it was dark and rocky as an uneven trail of sorts, formed a path around the perimeter; climbing at your own risk. In most cases, a crater is usually filled with cold hard lava once cooled, but inside this volcano (Thrihnukagigur), the magma disappeared. It’s said to have retreated back into the earth through cracks in the surface. It was an incredible experience.
Once out of the volcano and back down to base camp, we were treated to a delicious traditional lamb soup. It was hot, hearty, delicious and satisfying as everyone chattered on about their experiences of the day. One of the guides quietly announced there was a three month old baby arctic fox on the back deck if we wanted to take a peek. Oh my goodness, the fox was adorable. The team wasn’t sure how he became orphaned, but they made sure he was cared for.
It was time to head back, across the lava fields and over the rocky terrain, thankfully with the wind at our back. What an amazing adventure it was climbing into the volcano. I love trying new things, how about you?
xoxox…..Sheryl